Kampong Siam is an ethnic Siamese enclave within the downtown core of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Located within the city centre, the 2,681 m2 (0.662-acre) neighbourhood is situated near the corner between Burmah Road and Burmah Lane, immediately adjacent to Wat Chaiyamangkalaram.[1][2]
The neighbourhood is still inhabited by ethnic Siamese, who had moved into the area as early as the 19th century.[2] However, the enclave has also, in recent years, been under threat from rapid urbanisation and redevelopment.[3][4]
The first Siamese settlers were believed to have arrived at Pulau Tikus in the early 19th century.[2] According to a census conducted in 1828, as many as 1,117 ethnic Siamese were residing within Kampung Siam.[5] In 1845, the land where Kampung Siam now stands was granted by the British authorities to the ethnic Siamese as a gesture of goodwill to Siam.[1][2] The four female Siamese trustees who became custodians of the land also built Wat Chaiyamangkalaram next to the village.
More recently, Kampung Siam's residents have been embroiled in a tussle over land rights, as the neighbourhood is earmarked for the construction of a hotel.[1][3][4] Although the land was held in trust, it was sold without the trust holders' knowledge to a developer in 2014.[6] When the residents were issued eviction notices, a lawsuit was filed in retaliation against the developer. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2015, leading to fears that the Siamese enclave will be bulldozed to make way for redevelopment.[3][4]