SONGKHLA OLD TOWN: A SITE OF COLLECTIVE MEMORY IN A MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY

Abstract

This research article aims to examine the perception and collective historical memory of the Old Town area of Songkhla, Muang District, Songkhla Province. It seeks to explain how the history of multicultural Songkhla has been remembered, transmitted, and reproduced through spaces, narratives, architecture, religious sites, ways of life, and cultural activities. The study employs the conceptual framework of Collective Memory in conjunction with the concept of Sites of Memory. This article argues that Songkhla Old Town constitutes a memory space constructed through the relationships among multicultural communities, including Thai-Chinese, Thai-Buddhist, and Thai-Muslim populations, whose historical continuity is rooted in the area’s past as a trading port city. External cultural influences are reflected in the architectural styles, religious sites, public spaces, and socio-cultural spaces found throughout the area. The collective memory of the multicultural community in Songkhla Old Town, therefore, is not merely a recollection of the past, but an ongoing process of meaning-making among local residents, state agencies, tourists, and external actors. This memory is continuously constructed, transmitted, and reproduced over time. This research applies historical methodology in combination with oral history approaches, drawing upon documentary research and fieldwork. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and participant observation. The findings revealed that the collective historical memory of Songkhla Old Town’s multicultural society is constructed through social and cultural processes, including urban spaces, multicultural communities, narratives, rituals, everyday practices, and the creation of a shared Songkhla identity. Furthermore, the forms of collective memory manifested in Songkhla Old Town can be categorized into three dimensions: spatial memory, architectural and material memory, and religious and ritual memory.