Monday, April 6, 2009

The Peth Rama - Loei, Thailand

View from the mouth of the court

View from about half way in

My theater count is rising rapidly and some of the names are starting to double up. This was the second Peth Rama Theater I came across in just a few days, the other one being in Thakaek, Laos, which I made a post for a little over a week ago.

Once again, the fact that I found this one was the result of a conversation with an older local. Everybody else I asked only knew of the still functioning Amarin Theater (stay tuned!). Despite the fact it's pretty much smack in the middle of Loei City,
--> the Peth Rama has been all but forgotten by most of the locals. It's possible that the collective amnesia stems from the fact that the Peth Rama is situated deep inside a crusty old court, about 80 meters back from Eua-Ari Road (see above photos), well out of view from most passers by. Not to mention it's been closed as a theater for 15 years or so. Either way, here it is, in all its faded glory, now a warehouse used to store products destined for Bangkok.



Facade and signage. I really love those old free standing signs with cut-out letters.

Warehouse employee and her daughter (on the floor), in front of the old ticket window and a poster case. Tickets were 20 baht at the time the Peth Rama closed in the early 1990's.

Bangkok bound products clutter the lobby. Check out the old, folding wooden doors!

Ticket window

Incidently, I was told that the original owner of the Peth Rama was the older sibling of the owner of the Amarin Theater, the last functioning theater in town. They must have had a bit of a cinematic sibling rivalry.

Nobody could give me the exact age of the Peth Rama, but I got a few approximations of about 40 years.


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