The Chiang Mai Railway Station was an important symbol of the advancement of Chiang Mais transportation system. On January 1, 1921, the railway was in operation. The day was a memorable day for Chiang Mai because its arrival not only made the transport between Chiang Mai and Bangkok easier but also created great changes in the lives of the Northerners.
One major change was that boat transportation lost its role entirely because sending goods by train was much cheaper. To send 3 tons of goods would take 500 baht per trip by boat; as for rail transport it would take only 150 baht. In addition, rail transport could be done all-year-long and it was much faster. Oxcarts were another transportation that slowly vanished from the roads of Chiang Mai due to the transportation of cars here by train.
Another great change was in the Chiang Mai communitys way of production. The people shifted to growing farm crops for trade purposes. This resulted in part of the farmers losing their land due to the loans they made to expand their production scale. They also depended more on instant and luxurious goods though they used to produce such goods as textiles and cigarettes for themselves.
During World War II, on December 21, 1943, the Allies bombed the railway station and the present one was built in its place.
References
Anu Noenhad, Pol. Lt. Col. (2000). Chiang Mai sapa ruang tawa (miscellaneous stories of Chiang Mai yesterday). (in Thai).
Chiang Mai: Nopburi Printing.
_____________________. (2005). Prawat chumchon nai Mueang Chiang Mai (Sang Khom Chiang Mai Lem 10) (the history of communities in Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai Society vol. 10)). (in Thai).
Chiang Mai: Nopburi Printing.
Plaiao Chananon. (1986). The roles of merchant capitalists in the rise and expansion of capitalism in northern Thailand, 1911-1980.(in Thai).
Masters thesis in Economics, Chulalongkorn University.
Chiang Mai University Library
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Usanee Thongchai, Advisor and project expert
1952
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