Education Reform, Colonization, and Unification of Thailand: The Turning Point of Educational Buildings in Lanna

Abstract

During the education reform period, Siam had changed Lanna under the former’s policy to create a nation-state. Education reform was used as an instrument for unifying a new country. The new education policy had affected the perception of Lanna architecture, since traditional Lanna buildings did not fit with modern education function, which was more complex than the traditional one. Research showed that the educational buildings of Lanna changed through its unification with Siam and that Lanna’s adoption of the western model from Siam was due to the pressures of the colonization period. For some, Western architecture created a more civilized atmosphere in Lanna as well as in Siam. After the Siamese coup d’état (1932), the typical school buildings had been gradually developed to meet “Thainess” policies. Therefore, the buildings’ appearance was changed again with the introduction of a new policy from the government in Bangkok. This research shows that policies implemented by the Siam transformed traditional buildings. As a result of these policies, Lanna buildings began to have less local character, especially educational buildings.