Before taking charge of the Anusan Building In which field did Mr. Mickey work before?
Actually, I've only been back for 2 years. Before that, I worked in Bangkok as a language support company, as a consultant for Japanese companies investing in Thailand, helping support interpreting and document translation, business facing. The reason for coming back to Chiang Mai is before that The family had been inviting me to come back to Chiang Mai for a long time. But we are not ready yet because the child is still small. And there was a company that had to take care of working with foreigners. At that time it was mainly face to face, but when COVID hit, the situation changed and more people turned to online. So we felt that it was no longer necessary to stay in Bangkok and that it was a good time to return to Chiang Mai. The first time I came back I didn't plan much. Mainly I came to help look at the main business at home. namely taking care of Warorot Market, Kham Thiang Market, and Longan Tree Market. While taking care of the three markets, we saw that Father (Khun Somyot Nimmanhaemin) had been taking care of the Anusan Building for a long time. We thought that this place actually had its charm. I think it could be used as a rental space. And then it will help. and was able to help his father with his work as well So I came in to help develop this.
since the beginning The way I thought of opening the building for rent until today is almost two years ago.
Yes, the starting period should be around November 2021. The first tenants will be Withi Laab Restaurant or Coffee Shop Building A.
When doing this, were there any models, ideas, or inspiration from anywhere?
Actually, it's not that much of an inspiration. But the fact that we used to live in Japan before I like to travel to different places because I am a cultured person. like history I like the old city, the old area. I saw them take an old building and renovate it, not build a new building to cover the old building. But it is about still maintaining the original building. Improve as necessary and try to use the space worthwhile Give the new generation an opportunity to come and use it. The new generation and old buildings and old neighborhoods can blend in well together.
Besides Japan, if it is a bit similar to our country, there will be Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City That is, there are a lot of colonial buildings. And he can still keep it. The building has been opened for use as a café selling coffee and a fashion clothing store. and new product stores, it's contemporary. But there's also an elevator and stair railings that are all original. It looks magical and we like it. It looks close to our building. The age of the buildings should also be similar.
What is the charm of the San Pa Khoi area in your eyes?
Actually, San Pa Khoi is described as local, Chiang Mai, unadulterated. It's the area where Chiang Mai people really live and live. They are relatives, a home, and a store all at once. And it's not a tourist area like in the old city where there are historical sites, temples to see, or entertainment venues. This shop focuses on tourists. Although now we are starting to see some changes. and the San Pa Khoi people who really live their lives together It will begin to gradually decrease. As far as I know, many shops and children's children have houses in housing projects outside. During the day, Grandma Agong Or the generation of fathers and mothers still come to open shops as before. At night, go back to sleep outside. This is the charm of San Pa Khoi. There are still people selling. There are still people who buy food to go to the market and come back to make it at home. There are still many noodle shops and street food restaurants that Chiang Mai people still feel like they come to eat. to use in daily life I didn't come here to get a lot of style, which is clearly evident during COVID. This place is different from other places. that depends on tourists When there are no tourists, the area becomes lonely. But in San Pa Khoi, even though many restaurants are unable to open, they still open for delivery or for people to buy and take home. People still use Charoen Mueang Road as a route into the city. People come and go. So I think that this is the charm of San Pa Khoi. An area where Chiang Mai people still stop by to eat and live a truly local life.
ขอช่วยลงรายละเอียดสักนิดว่า เสน่ห์ Local แบบสันป่าข่อยประกอบด้วยอะไรบ้าง
Delicious food comes first. There are many famous food shops, both old and new. And the second newly opened store is the spare parts store, which still has a lot of items. And there was no other place near the city. You have to come here only to sell things like this. Third place is the building if you look at it from the outside. We'll feel indifferent, but once we get inside, we'll feel wow! Because we only see in front of us a row of shophouses. But when we have the opportunity to walk in, we will be surprised that there is an alcove like this in here as well. There are buildings with windows, pillars, and details like this. It's a hidden gem that wasn't revealed before. or did not receive attention, but today this is a charm waiting for people to discover, clearly seen, such as the building at the corner of the intersection that is now Graph coffee shop. Looking ahead, it's hard to see that there's anything special. Simple, but when you go inside the space of the building, there are many different details. Then the decoration work was added, making it even more interesting.
How wide is the San Pa Khoi area? And what is the personality of the San Pa Khoi people like?
But I thought about it before. Is it like our area is right in front of the train station? No, it's probably about a little past the market intersection. It's just there, just in front of the Shell gas station. If you go south, it's around Kawila Camp. If you go along the Ping River, it's just in front of a church. (Christian Church No. 1) If beyond that, it is the Wat Ket area. If going northeast, you will reach the area around Sayuri and the Ban Hor mosque. This is from our feelings. I don't know if other people have the same definition as me. As for the character of San Pa Khoi people, we think of San Pa Khoi people as people who sell things. Focus on trading in the morning, opening the shop in the evening, closing the shop. But they are people who trade in wholesale, heavy goods, industry. This is a picture of my father's generation and my grandfather's generation. Because we will have an image like a father selling agricultural machinery. There are many people selling auto parts from big companies, things that support various machines. while Chinese people who have the same trading career but live in the Kad Luang area There will be people selling food and groceries. It's a retail business. It will be a different style.
San Pa Khoi people this year, the proportion of the number of tenants or original owner Which type is more?
If it were our building, there would definitely be more tenants. If you think about the surrounding buildings We still feel that the merchants are still the same old people. Grandma's style came to open the shop because it was a routine, she did it to relieve boredom and she herself was still in the shop. Let the employee sell it. In the evening, he closed the shop and went upstairs to sleep or his children and grandchildren came to take him home. But new restaurants What happened is that I think there were more tenants than building owners.
How do people gather here? Go to work at the temple Or is there a community committee, holding meetings, anything like that?
There is a feeling that in the past everyone was doing their own business. There is some work at the temple. But our family didn't go to participate much. Most of them are people around the market. What does he have when He must go to Wat San Pa Khoi. Whether it's making merit, investigating one's fate, or having a funeral. As for the community president, the committee, or the San Pa Khoi entrepreneur group, I've also heard that there is one.
We actually thought about this. and think that in the future it will be useful As in Japan, they have community entrepreneurs. When there was an important event, they would come together for a meeting. Especially if it's a street with shops next to each other, they'll form groups together. and then take turns being president They will help take care of organizing the annual event once a year. Including little things like cleanliness. Regarding the announcement of news It is a group that is not just for business benefits. But the community also benefits. We think that if there is a community like this in San Pa Khoi it will be very good.
ลองประเมินความพร้อมของสันป่าข่อย พอจะมี Community แบบนั้นได้ไหม
I think that now we still need to understand more. We still have to learn. As in the past, many shops already know each other. But it's only been in the past few years that many new shops have appeared, and we don't know them. It's interesting how we work together.
คนรุ่นคุณพ่อ หรือผู้หลักผู้ใหญ่ เขา Surprise กับความเปลี่ยนแปลงไหม ที่มีร้านใหม่ ๆ แล้ววัยรุ่นวัยทำงานมาใช้บริการกันเยอะขนาดนี้
He was surprised. Take our building as an example. His father was shocked because at first he didn't think our building was that interesting. Because he still has the image of an industrial equipment store. With auto parts, we understand and try to encourage people to think that at new shops they are interested in our building, not just the old building. But because he understands the charm of this place and saw that it would promote his business Personally, we talked with the tenants. Look and style goes together. And there was a lot of determination, like the first shops, Withi Laab Shop, Building A Shop, at that time there were no other shops. Behind the building, various garbage was still piled up, waiting to be dealt with. He was fully intent on running the shop. It appeared that the parking lot was full. A lot of people came. The elders were shocked at what was happening. Just came to eat laab. He began to understand more and more that today's children like this.
Actually, when adjusting to renting like this, I was a little worried, but we just relied on what we could do. There was no opportunity for adults to ask (laughs). But in the end, Father had to be the one to sign the contract with the tenant. We rely on the fact that we choose the tenant. We chose that it was OK. You have to submit a store plan of what you're going to do for us to look at first. We consider whether the approaches can go together, such as Building A and the Laab way. It is considered a confirmation for us that the charm we want to keep can really go together with modern business.
Newly opened shops It seems to be harmonious in every store. Have you ever talked with the owner of another building? Or have you talked to people around here about new businesses? or a drinking and eating shop Can anything be done to make it appropriate for the area?
We didn't talk to any other buildings, but we thought, I don't know, there hasn't been a store like that yet. Night shops also have their own zone near the Ping River, not yet around here. One reason may be due to Zoning issues near the military camp.
อีก 5 ปี หรือ 10 ปี ภาพสันป่าข่อยในความคิดเป็นแบบไหน กับการปล่อยให้ธุรกิจเปิดๆ กันไป มีร้านใหม่ๆ เข้ามาเติม กับความพยายามรักษาเสน่ห์อัตลักษณ์ของย่าน มันจะไปด้วยกันอย่างไร
Regarding the grouping of entrepreneurs, actually we are in two minds. What we want to know first That is, what will the situation of the people living in this area be like? That is, it will still be an area where people live. Will we go again for a while? Or is it really that most of them are left only Grandma and Grandpa? And he's ready to move out. I want to understand this clearly first. And I think everyone here is looking at this as well. If one day it becomes clear that all storefronts will be closed. Because no one else is doing anything else. We may have to work together to think of ways to create incentives for people to come back. including children and grandchildren who will come to live there themselves or start a business Or rent it out, it's up to you. There will still be enough traffic and people coming into the area so it won't be lonely. And it must not just be about attracting tourists to visit, it must also encourage people to actually come and live there.
What we saw when we were in Japan was that many cities had problems with Aging Society and young people left their homes to go to work in the cities and in many rural trading districts, so many places were stagnant. Because there is no one to replace Grandma. The population began to decrease gradually until it was close to being a deserted city. We don't want our neighborhood to be like that. Personally, we might have to work together to see what the future of this place will be like. Having said that, the integration of entrepreneurs is good. Because it will help determine the direction in which we can develop together better. This matter definitely helps us. Because one person's voice will be soft. But if many people speak, the voice will become louder.
This time we helped each other with neighborhood development. or even negotiating with the government If we assume that it can be a cluster, then we think that things would be better. For example, here the water supply tends to stop flowing. It's happened many times already. Suddenly, the water doesn't just flow up. We don't have much in reserve. When will the power go out again? I once asked a friend who does business in the Niman area. Do you have a problem like us? He said there were some, but those there were quickly fixed. Because people helped call to make the claim in less than 3 hours and it was done. But we didn't have water for 3 hours. I called and asked him and he said he was fixing it (laughs). If we could really join together, I think it would be a very good thing for our neighborhood.
