Vimol Kogar on The Impact of Gentrification

There are countless times throughout our adult lives when we think of having snacks that remind us of our younger days—a nostalgic bite, such as khanom krok, khanom chan, and thong yod. These were the types of desserts that were consumed regularly when we were growing up. Today, when you look for the same ones, you simply cannot find them. Why is that? Well, there is a direct inverse correlation between higher prices of real estate and traditional khanoms. As real estate prices go up, traditional sweet supply goes down. It seems like a bizarre cause and effect. So, who makes these sweets? More often than not, older women aged between 50 to 75. They get up at 3 or 4 AM and prepare ingredients to have them ready for market by 7 AM. Generally, these markets are within three or five kilometres of their homes, and they arrive at the market by 5 AM and distribute khanom between 6 and 10 in the morning and close thereafter. This business is domesticated, an early-to-rise and fast-to-close setup. In Charan Sanit Wong Road, for example, a lot of the slums in the back streets have been transformed into modern housing, while the dessert masters have moved on.

What would have given them reason to continue to offer you these desserts? Less gentrification and cheaper real estate. District office slowly clear hawkers peddling on the streets, and hawkers have to move to markets or supermarkets. The chances of finding a traditional khanom krok maker on your soi today are almost nil. They have all disappeared. How do you revive these ancient skills? In urban centres, these khanom vendors are taken over by department stores that charge up to five times traditional shops. A box of 10 pairs of khanom krok could cost THB 150, whereas traditional shops cost as low as THB 20-30. Where is this going? This trend is an evolving one, and will soon reach your next favourite snack. When have you seen a traditional satay seller in your soi? Not since maybe 1970? Other snacks that you enjoy will also disappear from your street, but remain in Chiang Mai or Songkhla, or Nakhon Ratchasima. Fundamentally, the ingredients exist there, in terms of traditional hawking, plus cheaper ingredients and affordable rent.

So, what does this do to our identity as Thais? Thais are known to be friendly, gentle souls who greet their friends daily and are familiar with their neighbours. As the tradition of a morning walk combined with a pick-up of heritage sweets disappears, we stay home with a treadmill and our pods, and actually know less of our neighbours. Will you ever see them again? Perhaps in a big, fat, Indian wedding or at emporium counters outside the supermarket, where every single piece will cost you THB 10 or THB 20 soon. If you allow gentrification, you allow modernisation, and if your child is currently on his/her device, you have played a part in the extinction of the humble khanom—a rich and happy part of your childhood, now replaced by a cold-pressed kale, celery, carrot, ginger juice you pay Grab to deliver for THB 200 in total. All this while your parents enjoy “chai latte” made at home with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, full-fat milk, jaggery, and a little bit of love. You’ve killed the traditional khanom!