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Cultural diversity is one of the major characteristics of old Bangkok resulting from various groups of local people of different race and religion. Unfortunately, the development of old Bangkok has always been tied up with the interests of politicians. Therefore, lack of public dialog and acknowledgement of cultural diversity remain as major issues.

Over the past five decades, development policies focusing on modernization and tourism promotion have put local communities under pressure. A number of historic communities, both inside and outside the designated conservation zone, are affected by new development projects initiated by the government, investors, and landlords. The rights of local people to take part in the development processes are not honored and their voice is usually ignored. As a result, issues regarding cultural rights in old Bangkok are unlikely to be resolved by the local communities themselves but remain an obligation for Thai society as a whole. Bangkok is a city of immigrants. Chinese and Viet people settled on the eastern side of the Chao Phraya River since at least the Thonburi period (1767–1782)(FAD 1982: 29). Many prisoners of war were brought to Bangkok in the early Rattanakosin period (1782 to present). Other groups, including Laotian and Malay people, gravitated to this area. At the beginning of the Rattanakosin era, a number of Chinese were relocated to Sampheng, currently known as Chinatown, to vacate the area for building the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha on the banks of the Chao Phraya river. Both the Grand Palace area and Sampheng represent today’s old Bangkok.