Palace, Prison, Park or Palimpsest? The Contested Heritage of the Former Palace of Chiang Mai

Abstract This paper investigates the contestations between state and local actors over the interpretation of a state prison built in the grounds of the Chiang Mai palace, known as Wiang Kaew. Engaging with postcolonial approaches to heritage interpretation, this paper argues that the local movement calling for the removal of the prison in favor of a public park represents an effort to reclaim local Lan Na history and identity from the national past. Using the critical heritage concept of “authorized heritage discourse” (Smith 2006), I show how central Thai authorities—including the Fine Arts Department and the Buddhist Sangha—have privileged nationalist interpretations of the site over the intangible meanings and values expressed by the local community. The paper concludes by suggesting how newer frameworks of heritage management might be harnessed to resolve the conflict by recognizing the site as a historical palimpsest with multiple layers of value and meaning.