MLA Options Studio Field Report: LA5701 | MLA Studio Country: Politics of Conservation: Navigating Socio-ecological Territories of Chiang Mai

From September 20 to 27, 2025, the Politics of Conservation option design studio conducted fieldwork led by tutor Dr. Xiaoxuan Lu. This studio engages with the socio-ecological and political complexities of Northern Thailand, focusing specifically on the cultural capital of the region, Chiang Mai.

The fieldwork engaged a diverse range of local stakeholders to study four landscape corridors across diverse socio-ecological territories. Led by Samart Suwannarat from Mae Kha City Lab, the journey began at the Mae Kha Canal, an ancient flood management spillway in the lowland. This was followed by a full-day programme with Northforest Studio’s director, Chunlaporn Nuntapanich, featuring a hike along the Wat Pha Lat Monk’s Trail, a historical pilgrimage route linking lowland and upland areas. Students then ventured into the Doi Suthep mountain. Programmes included studying the Doi Pui Peak Nature Trail with staff from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, and visiting forest restoration plots guided by the Forest Restoration Research Unit. The trip concluded in the lowlands with a programme led by Dr. Warong Wonglangka from Chiang Mai University, focusing on the Phaya Kham ancient irrigation system in the Ping River valley.

Traversing an elevation difference of 1,300 meters between the Chiang Mai old city and the sacred mountain of Doi Suthep, the field work facilitated students’ learning about the frictions between upland and lowland, nature and culture, and conservation and development, against the backdrop of Chiang Mai’s ongoing efforts to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The field work also attracted local media attention, with Thai PBS accompanying the group to document portions of the journey and program.