Inside the shrine of Chao Mae Thap Thim (pictured below) in Bangkok, a figurine of the sea goddess Mazu sits in the centre of a gold-framed altar of deities in a room festooned with lanterns and Chinese scriptures.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Metal fences from a construction site stand around Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine.
Outside, a tall, newly erected metal fence stands between the goddess and a vast construction site, where a dozen trucks and excavators are waiting to move in and demolish the historic shrine once at the heart of the Thai capital's Chinese migrant community.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
People walk through a flooded yard as a burning ritual takes place during a full moon festival at at the entrance of Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine.
The stone lions that protect the shrine may not hold out much longer. Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, which owns the land, plans to construct two residential buildings comprising 1,758 units, despite protests from its own students.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Penprapa poses for a photograph inside Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine.
"Sooner or later they will cut the water supply and electricity," said Penprapa Ployseesuay, the shrine's caretaker for 25 years.
Chao Mae Thap Thim is a rare holdout against a wave of gentrification across one of Asia's most vibrant capitals, where change is being thrust upon a melting pot of communities that have for generations resisted it.
Penprapa lives with her mother and two sons in a small house beside the shrine and opens it to anyone wishing to pay respects to the goddess, or seek her guidance or blessings.
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Construction has interfered with the shrine's drainage system, sometimes flooding it, and Penprapa fears the height of the surrounding fence means few people know it is still there.
"I feel very sad. They don't see the importance and value of this place that deserves to be preserved," she said of the university.
"They chose not to make the two worlds live together," she added. "They only want us to get out."
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
A construction site surrounds Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine.
A committee is fighting the eviction and has sought a court injunction against it.
The university, in a response to Reuters' questions, said it would build a new shrine at a space it has prepared at its Centenary Park "where its grace and auspiciousness will remain with the community".
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Penprapa prepares dinner at her home.
Penprapa said a new site could not replicate the original charm of the century-old shrine, which moved to its current location 53 years ago after a fire.
"We will resist as long as we can," she said. "I know it won't be easy."
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Magnolias Waterfront Residences and shopping mall Iconsiam stand next to the Chao Phraya river
The coexistence of old and new is central to Bangkok's character, but its skyscrapers and condominium clusters are eclipsing its shabbier side. A notable example is the $1.79 billion Iconsiam, a mega-mall of entertainment, retail and panoramic riverside views where stilted houses and blackened buildings once stood.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Surin Sae-Ton poses for photograph in his tea shop.
"I'm excited about the new vibe," said Surin Sae-Ton, 50, who runs a tea shop across the river from Iconsiam. "But I don't know how the community will be in future with this new prosperity."
Left: Lee Kwang Tao looks at a Starbucks branch that recently opened next door to his shop. Right: Lee Kwang Tao poses at his shop.
Lee Kwang Tao, 62, who owns a Chinese medicine shop, also welcomed the prospect of modernisation.
"This area used to have very good business, but in recent years it has gone down," he said. "That's why people in this neighbourhood are selling their property."
Left: Sasine, 70, looks at new luxury condo buildings in front of the Chao Phraya river from the rooftop of her house where she has being living for 40 years in the historic neighbourhood Talad Noi. Right: A saleswoman looks through the window inside a luxury condo building next to the Chao Phraya river in Thon Buri.
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Conservation advocates say the mixed-up identity that makes Bangkok so popular is being lost, and that the city must find solutions to carefully manage the changes.
"This is the speed that nobody can control, it is really unstoppable," said Niramon Serisakul, director of the Urban Designer and Development Center at Chulalongkorn University. "Sometime people forget about other important things, like how to preserve the heritage."
PHOTO EDITING MARIKA KOCHIASHVILI; WRITING Martin Petty; TEXT EDITING Gerry Doyle, Gareth Jones; Layout Julia Dalrymple
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. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
A woman smokes a cigarette in the traditional community of Kudeejeen.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
A woman sits at the bar of a coffee shop located inside a former warehouse in Bangkok's old district.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Men sit inside a traditional coffee shop in Chinatown.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Fish swim inside a fish tank outside a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Men sit by the banks of the Chao Phraya river in front of shopping mall Iconsiam.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
People eat street food in front of a banner promoting a new condo building.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Commercial buildings and condos stand behind Chulalongkorn university near the Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
A woman walks past the entrance of Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine during a full moon festival.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
Students visit Chao Mae Thap Thim shrine during a live stream talk about the artistic and historic value of the shrine.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
A window of an old building in Chinatown.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
A woman walks past an art installation at the traditional community of Kudeejeen.
. Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Jorge Silva
A taxi driver eats dinner next to his car in the historic neighbourhood of Talad Noi.