Kampong Siam is an ethnic Siamese enclave (where the population are mostly a minority consisting of Thai expats and recent migrants as well as local-born Siamese descendants with ancestral roots from neighbouring areas such as

Perlis Perlis, ( Northern Malay: ''Peghelih''), also known by its honorific title Perlis Indera Kayangan, is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. Located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it borders the Thai provinces ...

Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and it consists of the mainland ...

Hulu Perak Hulu Perak District (Upper Perak) is a district in Perak, Malaysia. As the largest district in Perak, there are border to the east of the district is the state of Kelantan, to the west is Kedah, to the south is the district of Kuala Kangsar whil ...

district of Perak as well as

Kelantan Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode"). Kelantan is located in th ...

) within the city of George Town in Penang,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. Located within the

Pulau Tikus Pulau Tikus is a northwestern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Situated between the city centre and Tanjung Tokong, this upper class suburb was named after a rock just off the coast of Penang Island. It is home to small minorities of ...

suburb, the neighbourhood lies west of the city centre. The neighbourhood is situated near the corner between Burmah Road and Burmah Lane, immediately adjacent to Wat Chaiyamangkalaram. The neighbourhood is still inhabited by ethnic Siamese, who had moved into the area as early as the 19th century. However, the enclave has also, in recent years, been under threat from rapid urbanisation and redevelopment.

History

The first Siamese settlers were believed to have arrived at

in the early 19th century. According to a census conducted in 1828, as many as 1,117 ethnic Siamese were residing within Kampung Siam. In 1845, the land where Kampung Siam now stands was granted by the British authorities to the ethnic Siamese as a gesture of goodwill to

Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. The four female Siamese trustees who became custodians of the land also built Wat Chaiyamangkalaram next to the village. More recently, Kampung Siam's residents have been embroiled in a tussle over land rights, as the neighbourhood is earmarked for the construction of a hotel. Although the land was held in trust, it was sold without the trust holders' knowledge to a developer in 2014. When the residents were issued eviction notices, a lawsuit was filed in retaliation against the developer. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2015, leading to fears that the Siamese enclave will be bulldozed to make way for redevelopment.

References

{{Ethnic Enclaves in Malaysia Populated places in Penang Ethnic enclaves in Malaysia Thai diaspora in Malaysia Thai Towns

History

See also

References