THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Nonthaburi heritage gem revealed by cable-burying project

Nonthaburi heritage gem revealed by cable-burying project

Nonthaburi’s old Provincial Hall is getting a facelift to remove the ugly lines that have marred its century-old beauty just to the north of Bangkok.

The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) and local authorities are moving the electric cables and posts that obscure the teakwood façade and placing them underground. The cable rerouting is part of first-phase renovation of Nonthaburi Pier on the Chao Phraya River.

Nonthaburi heritage gem revealed by cable-burying project

The Provincial Hall, now a museum, is a large two-storey teak building built in the European style during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) in 1910.

The Fine Arts Department listed the building as a historic site in 1981, while the Association of Siamese Architects granted it an award for conservation in 2000. In 2009 the old Provincial Hall reopened as the Nonthaburi Museum, after renovation work on its exquisitely crafted wooden facade.

Nonthaburi heritage gem revealed by cable-burying project

Now, the electrical cables in front of the building are being rerouted underground, with work scheduled for completion in January.

The MEA has so far buried 48.6 kilometres of cables that used to run overhead along major routes in Bangkok, including Silom, Sukhumvit, Phahonyothin, Phaya Thai, Rama I, Rama IV, Ratchadamri, Ratchawithi, Ratchaprarop, Sri Ayutthaya, Sawankhalok, Sathupradit, Sawang Arom, Phitsanulok, and Nakhon Sawan roads.

Nonthaburi heritage gem revealed by cable-burying project

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