BANGKOK, Sept 2 — A 19th-century Chanthaburi mansion-turned-boutique hotel and museum has been recognised by Unesco for its community-based conservation effort now known as the “Chantabun Model”.

The Bangkok Post reported that Baan Luang Rajamaitri Historic Inn, a 151-year-old hotel on the banks of the Chanthaburi River in Muang district, was named one of four winners of the Awards of Merit at the annual Unesco Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation yesterday.

The hotel is part of the Chanthabun riverside community, which is believed to have been founded during the Ayutthaya period, the newspaper added.

The golden teakwood house once belonged to one of the province’s pioneering developers of agricultural products.

Before opening last October, community residents were given a chance to buy shares in the company that runs the hotel — at 1,000 baht (RM117) each — thereby making them co-owners of a social enterprise.

Unesco said the hotel’s opening had catalysed a larger movement to revitalise the once-declining 150 year-old riverfront town. — Picture via BaanLuangRajamaitri.com

According to The Bangkok Post, Unesco said the adaptation sparked awareness about heritage conservation among a wide range of stakeholders in Chantabun and catalysed a larger movement to revitalise the once-declining 150 year-old riverfront town.

In a statement, the conservation body said, “The enlistment of over 500 shareholders to invest in the transformation of the house created an innovative new social enterprise model of urban heritage conservation. 

“The well-executed restoration and adaptive reuse of the Sino-Portuguese building has turned it into the linchpin of an increasingly popular cultural tourism destination.”

The other three recipients of the award were Ping Yao Courtyard Houses and Cangdong Heritage Education Centre — both in China — and Xieng Thong Temple in Laos.