The San Meuang Theater - Phrae, Thailand

I had been following the trail of the old San Meuang Theater through wavering accounts of its current state of being. Given even the slightest lead, I will take it, while always keeping in mind that people's memories are often poor gauges of things old. I've had people tell me that such and such theater was torn down 20 years ago only to find it still on its feet. Sometimes their memory serves them right, sometimes wrong. Either way, it's worth following up.
What stood out most about tracking down this old theater was the responses of two young guys I met along the way. I'd been sent in the general direction of the theater, passing every landmark that I'd been steered towards without finding it. Then I met the two said young men selling lotto tickets in front of a convenience store. "Hey dudes," I started, "are you familiar with Phrae city?" They both nodded and told me they were life long residents. "Cool," I continued, "Well then can you tell me how I get to the old movie theater from here."

Two dumbfounded faces stared back at me."You mean the Mansruang? It's back the way you came from," replied one of them, pointing over my shoulder.

"No, I know of that one already. I was told there's another old theater right around here."

They looked at each other, expressions of mental strain pouring off their nubile faces. "No man," said one, "there ain't no old movie theater around here. Only the Mansruang back that way."

I thanked them for their time and walked on.
Of course, about 75 meters down the street I found what I was looking for; what they never knew existed. My guess is that the old San Meaung Theater was closed before the pair were old enough to remember it in any form besides its current manifestation as a night club. It's for reasons like this that I undertake this weird project. People forget fast.

The old San Meaung Theater, now a night club.

Graffitti mural featuring the late Tupak Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., two legendary characters of Siamese mythology, covers the front wall of the late San Meaung Theater.

More graf on the parking lot wall

More graf

And more graf

There weren't many people around who could give me any stats on the San Meaung. Its movie showing days came to a halt sometime in the 1980's. A nearby shop keeper recalled that it opened in the late 1950's or early 1960's and that the owner now lives in Bangkok. Sadly, that was the extent of the info I could gather on it.

The Mansruang Theater - Phrae, Thailand

"M" on the marquee border stands for.............

***Mansruang***

Once the cinematic pride of Phrae, in the late 1990's the Mansruang Theater was abandoned and left for dead.

Though its former glory may have faded, the Mansruang stands tall in the heart of the city.

A stately reminder of past times and past pleasures.

Up against the triple threat of abandonment, decay and the passage of time, the Mansruang perseveres, awaiting the benevolent hand of investment for a second chance.

But can the Mansruang withstand a rendezvous with the wrecking claw?

(The Mansruang Theater was built in the mid-1960's. It's name was taken from the former name of Phrae province, which dates back to its days as a semi-autonomous kingdom, circa the 13th century.)

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To each and everybody out there, on the 18th I embark on a recon mission to Nong Khai, Thailand, followed by a trip to the little town of Chiang Khan in Loei province, where I have been informed an old theater stands on the banks of the Mekong. If by chance anybody's gonna be in either of those places in the coming days and would like to link up, drop a note, I'd be happy to oblige. sea.theater@hotmail.com

The Sri Thep Cinema (AKA Thana Phrae Cineplex) Phrae, Thailand

The Sri Thep Cinema on San Meuang Luang Road.

It was owned and operated as part of the Thana Cineplex chain from the late 1990's until 2007.

It's now a tenement.

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"Nobody is interested in watching movies in these old theaters anymore." A stark and blanketing statement from a long time neighbor of the Rong Pappayon Sri Thep. "'New is better,' is how they all think nowadays. That's why everybody goes to the Mark Four if they want to see a movie; it's new and easy."

Apparently the Thana Company thought so too, hence their abandoning the old Sri Thep Cinema. for their new digs at the Mark Four department store on the outskirts of town. A big part of this move, however, had less to do with the 'old vs. new' sentiments of the theater patrons as it does with the reality of recent economic trends and demographic shifts.

Car ownership in Thailand has skyrocketed over the last 15-20 years and this has led to higher traffic congestion in urban areas. Coupled with the fact that the wealthier segments of the population have vacated the down towns in favor of suburbia, creating a dependency on the car for reaching their every destination, congested city centers are simply less appealing places for busy suburbanites with higher disposable incomes to drive to. It's much more practical to drive out of one's gated community, down the 6 lane superhighway, into the such-and-such department store and park in their secured lot than go all the way into the narrowness of downtown and compete for parking. And if you can satisfy your shopping and entertainment needs in one big climate controlled environment, all the better.

In a purely utilitarian way it all makes perfect sense. But on the same token it marks the loss of a certain cultural interface which played a strengthening role in modern urban societies; the coexistence and cooperation of divergent segments of the population. Could there be a clearer example of this loss than the tensions that have come to a boil in Thailand over the past 2 years?

Meanwhile, those monuments of cultural heritage which helped shape the more cohesive cityscapes of yesteryear are laid to waste without the blink of eye: the cinema.

The drop gate and stone portion of the facade.

Poster cases devoid of posters.

Anybody want to buy a movie theater in Phrae?

The Sri Thep Cinema opened in early 1970's and closed just a few years ago.