After five years of being completed, the Pathumwananurak Park is now open to the public.
Located on Ratchadamri Road near the CentralwOrld shopping mall, the Pathumwananurak is described as an “Oasis in the City”, and locals and tourists can now enjoy the massive 64,000sqm park. The park is divided into five sections: a water purification center, outdoor theater, walking path, green forest, and rest area.
The park is perfect for both relaxation and play. Mall goers can unwind there after a day’s worth of shopping. On the other hand, those who want to be active and skip the mall altogether can proceed directly to the park.
Despite this, a lot of controversy surrounds the Pathumwananurak Park. Prior to its establishment, the park’s land was home to the residents of the Rong Poon Community. Although the land has always been a public space and was not supposed to have residents living on it, many citizens still built their homes there.
After many years of discussions and legal proceedings, the government was able to secure the land and compensated the residents for their eviction.
By 2018, the project was completed but there were two families that refused to leave. They said they could not afford to move elsewhere even with the compensation. Eventually, the remaining houses were removed.
Photo from Nutthawat Wicheanbut
In between that time and now, however, many Thai netizens had opposite perspectives on the removal. Some were happy about the park while some were concerned about the two families. Although some people demanded updates on the matter, no official reports were ever taken to the public.
Today, there are those who still wonder about what happened to the two families while others have moved on and are ready to enjoy the park.
How about you? How do you feel about the park’s recent opening? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Featured photo from Pongpet Mekloy