HAT LEK
COMMUNITY
KLONG YAI, TRAT
DESCRIPTION
​Land without rights The Had Lek community in Trat, Thailand lies on the Thai-Cambodian border with the narrowest strip in the country, ranging just around 450 m in width. The fishery is the most common occupation in the area, given its ideal geography. But with that, fishermen and their families have moved in, building cramped houses on illegal lands and waters, and so creating tension between civilians and the government. By entering the neighborhood and conducting research with locals, PCN has been able to develop design solutions toward more sustainable and conflict-free communities. Long-term residents are no longer evicted or forced out of their homes, while newcomers no longer trespass or build on the unpermitted territory. The Had Lek community will serve as a successful model for others in situations like it to follow.
PROJECTS
Project Manager
CODI
Porous City Network
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Landscape Design
LANDPROCESS
LESSONS LEARNED
In the narrowest land of Thailand, Had-lek village, there’re large amount of no man’s land that have been neglected for century because people tended to build their houses into the sea due to the way they earn a living. We tried to find the solutions that can help this fisherman villages with more than 7,000 households to have the right and legal place to stay.
The project initiated engagement with the community to help them with the paperwork to negotiate with the government that they will use the no man’s land for good. They will replant the mangrove that will benefit in carbon footprint sequestration and can sell in carbon market.
Before Human Settlement
After Human Settlement
Coastal areas, including entire communities and beaches, have disappeared as a result of ongoing wave destruction and shoreline erosion. Rising wave energy and natural coastal processes continue to reshape the landscape, leading to significant loss of land and infrastructure.
This project presents a comparative coastal analysis, featuring a coastline overlay plan that illustrates shoreline changes over time. By examining historical and current coastal lines, the plan highlights the extent of erosion and its impact on affected areas.
Through visual comparison and spatial analysis, we aim to provide a clearer understanding of coastal transformation and support informed planning for the future.
The following projects were developed in collaboration with students of Chulalongkorn University as part of a university design studio. The work emerged from an academic studio setting at the university, fostering research driven exploration, critical analysis, and collaborative design approaches to address coastal change.
CO-BENEFITS ON ENVIRONMENT AND PEOPLE
In a fisherman village located on the narrowest strip of the Thai-Cambodian border, residents faced significant challenges. They had built cramped homes on illegal lands and waters, which not only heightened tensions with the government but also left the community without official land rights. To address this issue, PCN organized participatory design workshops aimed at understanding the unique local conditions. These workshops empowered residents to develop their own design proposals, enabling them to negotiate directly with the Thai government.
As a result of this collaborative effort, the first 60 households successfully obtained official permission to live legally in the area. They also gained access to government-approved designs that help protect their homes from natural disasters. This achievement has secured long-term residents from the threat of eviction and established a sustainable, conflict-free model that other similar communities can emulate.
