On Jan Road Soi 16, deep in the heart of the Sathon area of Bangkok, stands the derelict Dao Siam Theater. Built in the early 1970's, the Dao Siam was once a bastion of entertainment in this southerly Bangkok neighborhood dominated by light industry.
Hand painted side reads:
No posting flyers on the theater!
The Siam StarTheater
proudly presents
...cinemafrom a first class movie theater. (both Thai and foreign)
Showing something for everybody
(The last line I'm not 100% confident I'm translating correctly)
Contrary to the advertised claim of being a "first class movie theater," everybody in the neighborhood I spoke to said that even in its heyday the Dao Siam was a second-run theater. That makes sense, since the majority of stand-alone theaters outside of central Bangkok were second-run theaters. In its final few years it turned to porn for revenue. It is a pretty imposing building, however, and I'm sure that back in the day it was a decent place to catch a film.
The working stuff of local vendors and motorcycle taxi drivers hung up on the Dao Siam's front gate.
Old poster case in the lobby; "Showing today"
The Dao Siam Theater, a quintessential Bangkok neighborhood theater, was one of two movie theaters within a few hundred meters of each other. The other has since been torn down and replaced by an open-air fresh market. Sathon district, particularly the southern half, is home to numerous factories and tenement-like buildings. In its prime the locals used to made good use of the Dao SiamTheater - once a fine place to unwind after a hard days work at the factory.
The Dao Siam Theater has been closed for nearly 10 years. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have no evidence to back this up, but the Sala Chalerm Thani Theater is very possibly the oldest standing theater in all of Thailand. It's located in an equally old neighborhood of Bangkok called Nang Loerng, an impressively well preserved section of the city between the historic district of Rattanakosin and the modern business districts of Phaya Tai and Pathum Wan. A little known piece of Bangkok history, hidden from view down an old lane.
The layout of the Nang Loerng neighborhood was common in early 20th century Bangkok. Known as trok (lane) settlements, these living and working arrangements were characterised by a cluster of wooden houses (ban ruan) surrounded or screened in by brick and mortar shophouses (tuk thaeo) which fronted onto larger streets. The inner wooden houses were accessed by narrow covered alleys and tended to be the domain of ethnic Thais, while the surrounding shophouses were occupied by ethnic Chinese traders. Today these ethnic divisions are less pronounced.
You would never see the Sala Chalerm Thani unless you entered the trok.
A Nang Loerng resistent saunters past the old Sala Chalerm Thani Theater pulling a load of laundry.
Signage
The ticket window, with a portrait of the king mounted above.
Wooden benches, now on the exterior.
Dome Sukwong wrote a little bit about the older Thai movie theaters in his book A Century of Thai Film:
"Up until World War Two, cinemas, both in Bangkok and the provinces nearly all resembled warehouses, with a wooden frame roof and walls made from corrugated iron. One important thing that every cinema had to have was a brass band which played outside the cinema before the film began and provided a musical background to the film. From 1918, the Siam Cinema Company had almost a complete monopoly of the Siamese cinema business, with 20 cinemas in Bangkok, including the Pattanakorn, Pattanalai, Singapore, Penang, Java, Hong Kong and so on, and many outside."
Side door and corrugated iron walls.
The interior, looking towards what would have been the screen. The Sala Chalerm Thani Theater is now a warehouse.
Classic wooden balcony.
Balcony with projection booth in the background.
The below passage was written on a metal placard next to the theater.
"Also known as the Nang Loerng Cinema, the structure was a two storied wooden building. It had its first screening in 1918. The cinema represented the first time that a motion picture was seen by people in this area, as well as travelers who came to watch movies. In the beginning, the cinema's seats were long benches without fixed numbers. Anybody who entered the cinema could freely select their own seat. It had no ticket checkers. In the early days it showed silent films. A brass band was arranged to play in front of the cinema to draw the attention of the people. The brass band would move inside when the movie was started. Sala Chalerm Thani was in continuous operation until 1993, when it shut down due to the decreasing popularity of Thai films. One of Bangkok's ancient entertainment places has come to an end after serving the Thai people for 75 years. Today, the place is used as a warehouse, in ramshackle condition, waiting to be revived again."
The Chalerm Kiad is another product of the Banpreecha family. It was the second of their 4 movie theater empire, which began back in 1953. This second cinematic initiative has been standing on the Wong Wian Yai traffic circle since 1955, a neighborhood landmark for over 50 years.
The architectural details of this theater are quite attractive when you get up close. With that in mind, I asked the guy at the ticket booth if I could take some photos of the lobby area, but he denied me. "That wouldn't be a good idea," he said. "We show a special kind of movie here and the customers wouldn't appreciate you snooping around with a camera in your hand. It's bad for business, you know?"
An understandable position given the circumstances. Officially, pornography is illegal in Thailand, as is prostitution for that matter. But as with many prohibited goods and services, there are ways of getting around the law.
A surviving relic of Bangkok's days as a Mecca for movies.
The Chalerm Kiad Theater is no longer a Banpreecha family enterprise. Fred Banpreecha sold it off some time in last 10 years. Given its prime location on the Wong Wian Yai traffic circle and the fact that the Sky Train just extended services to this section of the city, I imagine the Chalerm Kiad will wind up a victim of urban renewal in the near future.
This marquee sits atop the Chalerm Kiad and is pivoted to face the Wong Wian Yai traffic circle. Below the sign, Chinese characters are moulded onto the wall, presumably the original Chinese version of the Banpreecha surname. The lettering on the sign reads "Showing 5 films in a row."
(Chalerm Kiad loosely translates to "Prestigious")
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During this latest trip to Bangkok I encountered many older movie theaters that are now showing adult films, or used for other alternative purposes. There are a number of reasons for this phenomenon, mostly having to do with the economic viability of the medium. Owners of these theaters are in a precarious position. Usually the theaters are older and not desirable places for most casual movie-goers to see a movie. The hi-tech, ultra-modern multiplexes have that market. Theaters like this also tend to be in slightly poorer areas of town, where there is less of a viable market to begin with. Renovation costs are prohibitive and demolition costs are also quite steep, leaving the theater owner with few options besides catering to this underground corner of the sex industry, a reliable source of revenue, considering the elastic nature of that market.
This poses a moral question: do I publicize the prohibited, bringing attention to this lesser known movie theater sub-culture, or do I leave the subject alone and just stick to history and the like? Are there any journalism professors out there who can help me answer this?
In the late 1940's and early 1950's, the Saphan Kwai region of Bangkok was almost completely rural. Village based wet-rice paddy cultivation comprised the economic mainstay in these northern Bangkok suburbs, though fruit plantations owned by city dwellers were also fairly common. Farm products grown out here were sent by canal, wagon or train into the city center for sale and processing. Post-World War II economic growth, however, meant that Bangkok would soon be bubbling out of its traditional geographic confines, incorporating the adjacent countryside as it grew.
An expanding network of paved roads replaced the canals, wagon trails and short-range train routes, as the primary form of transportation edged towards the automobile. At the same time a growing migrant population meant an increased demand for housing. Those who were keen on what was happening in the Bangkok area and who had the capital to do so, reacted by investing in land. That, in a nutshell, is how the Chalerm Sin Theater came into existence back in 1953.
A foot bridge crosses Pratipat Road in front of the Chalerm Sin Theater. When the theater opened in 1953 there was very little development in this area. The Chalerm Sin was a second-run theater in the rural Bangkok suburbs.
The Chalerm SinTheater is now owned by a friendly gentleman by the name of Fred Banpreecha, though his father was its founder. In 1953, the Chalerm Sin marked Fred's father's first foray into the world of movie theater proprietorship in Bangkok. Apparently he owned another in Ratchaburi before the Second World War, but got rid of it when he moved his family to the capital. The Chalerm Sin was such a success that over the course of the next 16 years the Banpreecha family opened another 3 theaters (including the Mongkol Rama featured in the previous post).
The letter "sor seua" as in "sin" has gone missing from the old sign.
Fred Banpreecha closed down his Chalerm Sin Theater 7 years ago, though the building has found new use. The space in the front is rented out to a massage shop and the auditorium is currently being remodeled to house several badminton courts. Like most movie theaters outside of central Bangkok, the Chalerm Sin was a second-run theater from the time of its opening in 1953 until it closed. It was the first in a small empire of second-run cinemas founded by the Banpreecha family.
(Chalerm Sin roughly translates to "Great Wealth", though please call me on that if somebody can come up with a better definition)
Just as you step off the Sky Train onto the platform at Saphan Kwai station, you glance over your shoulder and notice an old sign rising vertically above the tracks. "That's a cool sign" you say to yourself while moving towards the stairs, or maybe you think it's old and ugly. Whatever you think of it, that sign's been towering over Phaholyothin Road since 1963, well before the Sky Train, or much else in this area of town for that matter. For 46 years it has been a guiding light for those seeking respite from the busy world of Bangkok inside the Mongkol Rama Theater.
Vertical sign for the Mongkol Rama, standing tall above Phaholyothin Road. When it was built the Mongkol Rama was one of the largest buildings in the area.
The street side marquee advertises "The Race to Witch Mountain" and "Khan Kluay 2" as part of a double feature. The Mongkol Rama is a second-run theater, double and triple features are common practice.
The Mongkol Rama was erected at a cost 7 million baht back in 1963, including the purchase of the land. In those days this area of the city was still mostly rural, not yet fully incorporated into the urban chaos of Bangkok.
One of two concession stands in the lobby.
The other concession stand.
Ticket windows. For 50 baht you can sit in the air-conditioned comfort of the Mongkol Ramaall day long.
Pictured above is Mr. Anisat, venerable sage of Bangkok movie theaters. He was single-handedly able to point me in the directions of another 8 movie theaters that are still standing in Bangkok. I was never able to find out exactly what job he does, but he's been working at the Mongkol Rama for 30 years.
This is Lek, the ticket taker. He lives in the neighborhood and has been employed at the Mongkol Rama for 6 years now.
The owner of the Mongkol Rama and second generation movie theater proprietor, Fred Banpreecha
I had the very good fortune of meeting the owner of the Mongkol Rama Theater; a kind, soft spoken man by the name of Fred Banpreecha. He took me on a personal guided tour of his still operating theater, while schooling me on its history along the way.
Fred's father was a bit of a movie theater mogul in the 1950's and 60's. The Mongkol Rama was actually the third theater that he built. His first was the Chalerm Sin Theater, just around the corner on Pratipat Road, which he built in 1953. Next came the Chalerm Kiat Theater in the Wong Wian Yai area of town, which opened in 1955. The Mongkol Rama was Fred's fathers' 1963 venture and he built his 4th and final theater - the Amornpan - in 1969. All the theaters are still standing, though Fred has since divested himself the Chalerm Kiat. The Chalerm Sin is currently being converted into a badminton hall.
Staircase leading to the unused balcony and the projection room. 1960's style design throughout.
Dual projectors
Pictured above is Mr. Taek, the projectionist, rewinding a reel of film by hand.
Being a lifelong denizen of this area of Bangkok, Fred had some great insights into the way things were. For instance, a canal ran along what is now Pratipat Raod and almost all the land in the Saphan Kwai area was paddy fields - a far cry from today's urban congestion and grit. Acting on a tip that development was coming to this area, Fred's father purchased some land, later using a few plots to build his Chalerm Sin and the Mongkol Rama theaters. Keep in mind, this was the post-World War 2 years, when lots of money was being spread around Thailand for development projects. Bangkok, being the center of all finance and commerce in the country, was growing the fastest.
To give you some context, there were 5 movie theaters within walking distance of each other in this area of town, including the Phaholyothin Theater which is still standing directly across the street. Bangkok had a very strong theater-going culture in those days.
Fred poses with a role of preview film in hand. The room that he stands in the sound room, where in the past live dubbers would bring dialogue to films. (Fred gave me that role of film as a souvenir. It's a preview for the 2004 Thai film "The King Maker").
Patrons wait in a darkened auditorium between films.Those metal-backed seats are more comfortable than you might think.
View from the balcony
What struck me most about this personal tour of the Mongkol Rama was getting to meet some of the employees. Being a family enterprise, employment tenure is a much more personal thing, and almost everybody working their has been doing so for years. This is in sharp contrast to the modern multiplex theaters in Thailand, where their corporate nature helps ensure that employment is tenuous and the turn-over rate high. The old ways of running a theater and retaining your employees for life is they so choose is a rarity these days.
Fred has no intentions of closing down the Mongkol Rama Theater. Business is just good enough to warrant keeping it open. Besides that, it's a piece of his family's legacy, something that has been with him for nearly his entire life. It's also a source of income for the staff members who've been employed there for years. Fred's children are set to inherit the old theater, though it's unlikely that they will continue the family tradition into the third generation - especially not when the land it sits on is worth 170 million baht.
So while you still have the chance, why not spend an afternoon in the Mongkol Rama Theater. Tickets are cheap and you can stay to watch 2 movies. It's a huge old auditorium, with first rate projection, good sound and an air-conditioning system that will make you forget that you're in the tropics. The seats are comfy, too.
Who knows! Maybe if enough interest is generated and profits increase, Fred's children will see the value in this old theaters, just a stones throw from the Sky Train.
With my foray into Bangkok's movie theater history coming to a close, I find myself with a few hours to reflect before returning to my Chiang Mai routine. Here's what I think:
First of all, to my pleasant surprise I found more theaters that were still operating in one form or another than I expected to. Some, like the theaters that Apex runs in Siam Square, are functioning, world-class movie theaters, with one bona fide "palace" among them. Others were lesser known second-run theaters scattered throughout the neighborhoods. Others yet have turned into dens for the subaltern. I'm glad I visited all each of them.
Most of these past two weeks in Bangkok have been spent exploring sections of this sweltering city that I've never seen before. It was an enormously different kind of experience than anywhere else in Thailand or Laos I've explored; most certainly more physically taxing compared to the sleepy provincial towns which I've grown accustomed to. In more cases than not the hunt for Bangkok's antiquated movie theaters brought me into some of the city's most marginal neighborhoods. A few times I was warned to be careful walking around these areas flashing expensive camera gear and the like, but I had no problems. To tell you the truth, I had more friendly social interactions with the people I encountered on this trip than during all my other expeditions combined, I would say. I think that that will show in the coming posts.
Ultimately it was those interactions I had along the way which made the biggest impression. An old friend fore warned me to brace myself for hostility, coldness or indifference from the people of Bangkok, especially compared to the warm receptiveness of the small town folk. To the contrary, I found most people in Bangkok happy to talk, at the very least in a humoring way. It was pretty edifying, even when in some bizarre places, to chat with the locals about old cinemas. I really got a sense of how central they were to social life in the Bangkok of past generations.
Well, right now I'm feeling pretty wiped out from all the pavement pounding; ready to get back to the comforts of home and nestle in for a bit. The truth is though, I only found a fraction of the old theaters in Bangkok, which means I'm going to have to come back some day soon to shoot the rest before they're destroyed.
Stay tuned!
(Many thanks to Wicky, Lim and the Wise Kwai for their Bangkok hospitality and fun times. Also many thanks to Puangthong for all her insights into Bangkok movie theater history )
In the years following the Second World War, Thailand came into the American "sphere of influence" as the Cold War expanded into this region of the world. This Thai-American political alliance spread into the business sector, opening the door for American film distribution companies, which began setting up regional offices in Bangkok. One outcome of this was the rise of large first-run theaters like the Pratipat. Soon thereafter, Japanese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and European film distributors followed suit. By the late 1970's Bangkok had nearly 200 movie theaters, giving local audiences a varied international film fare, along with their own domestic productions.
As the Thai industrial economy grew, a middle class sprung from the old feudal order and theater-going developed into one of the most popular forms of entertainment for Bangkokians. In the 1970's, 80's and even into the 90's, Bangkok was well known for it's giant hand painted billboards strategically placed throughout the city, advertising the latest cinematic releases.
The Pratipat Theater was a product of the post-World War 2 film boom in Thailand. Located on Pratipat Road Soi 18 (if I remember correctly), the Pratipat Theater is within one square kilometer of another 4 theaters. There are likewise a number of aging hotels in the vicinity which by the looks of them were once pretty decent. The area is still densely populated and very active, though I think the glamour that once was departed this section of town a while ago.
The Pratipat Theater was built close to 50 years ago, though it's been decommissioned as a cinema for 10 years now. Like many stand-alone theaters in BKK, the Pratipat became an x-rated theater for some years before it shut down. But in its prime it was a quite classy first-run movie theater, complete with three levels of seating.
That's Mr. Ken in the above photo. He's the guard for the plaza that the Pratipat stands in and a life long resident of this area of the metropolis. According to him the Pratipat specialized in Hollywood films until it switched over to pornography in the late 1980's.
On Jan Road Soi 16, deep in the heart of the Sathon area of Bangkok, stands the derelict Dao Siam Theater. Built in the early 1970's, the Dao Siam was once a bastion of entertainment in this southerly Bangkok neighborhood dominated by light industry.
Hand painted side reads:
Contrary to the advertised claim of being a "first class movie theater," everybody in the neighborhood I spoke to said that even in its heyday the Dao Siam was a second-run theater. That makes sense, since the majority of stand-alone theaters outside of central Bangkok were second-run theaters. In its final few years it turned to porn for revenue. It is a pretty imposing building, however, and I'm sure that back in the day it was a decent place to catch a film.
The working stuff of local vendors and motorcycle taxi drivers hung up on the Dao Siam's front gate.
Old poster case in the lobby; "Showing today"
The Dao Siam Theater, a quintessential Bangkok neighborhood theater, was one of two movie theaters within a few hundred meters of each other. The other has since been torn down and replaced by an open-air fresh market. Sathon district, particularly the southern half, is home to numerous factories and tenement-like buildings. In its prime the locals used to made good use of the Dao Siam Theater - once a fine place to unwind after a hard days work at the factory.
