the Petch Siam Theater

As seen in the Daily Mail: https://goo.gl/9O8vLm

This spectacular site of dereliction is the Petch Siam cinema, located in Northern Thailand, a 6-hour drive from the capital of Bangkok. Ironically, the cinema sits not far from the decaying ruins of the ancient Thai Capital of Sukhotai, making it a more contemporary addition to structures left behind by a foregone civilisation.

The Petch-Siam was once a thriving cinema, one of the few forms of entertainment in a small village. Families from all around the locale would come to watch films together on the single available screen, eat some popcorn, and enjoy a brief respite from farm work, planting & harvesting rice. Nostalgic local residents still remember the cinema in a positive light, associating the building with cheerful times spent with friends and family.

The Petch-Siam opened its doors in the mid 1970’s and was owned and operated by a local family. It had a steady stream of movie-goers and saw financial success for about a decade. Unfortunately, a large theatre chain opened a new cinema in a neighbouring city, offering a multi-screened and modernised movie alternative to potential customers. The new theatre proved to be too much competition, as was the case with the majority of stand-alone cinemas across Southeast Asia. The owners said that they tried every tactic to help the business to succeed or make a ‘comeback’, but to no avail. As a result, the Petch-Siam closed for good only about ten years later, in the mid-1980's.

The truly remarkable thing that sets the Petch-Siam apart from most abandoned cinemas is that it has not been gutted of its contents. Although the theatre has been derelict for more than three decades, most of it's original seats, screens, curtains, and even antique projectors are still in place. Even the projectionist's chair remains sitting behind the projector, just as it did when the last reel finished spinning. The roof is caving in, dust and dirt has caked up on the seats and some of them are missing. The floors have been washed out by the flooding that is common to the region. In spite of 30 years of time and decay taking their toll, all elements of a working movie theatre still remain. In many ways it’s as if the last film stopped rolling, the audience got up from their seats, walked out, the doors were locked and the place has sat in state for over 3 decades. It's truly mesmerising, comparable to entering a forgotten tomb.

The Petch-Siam Cinema may not be as old as the nearby ancient city, but its location near the thousand year old temples of Sukhotai seems appropriate. Just as the ruins of the ancient Thai capital provide a window into life in a different time, the remains of the Petch-Siam offer a glimpse into what was once a special location for the residents of a small village in northern Thailand.