Analysis of Urban Expansion Surrounding Archaeological Attractions by Normalized Difference Built-Up Index Technique at Ancient Civilization Site of Haripunjaya Kingdom in Mueang Lamphun District, Lamphun Province, Thailand

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study urban expansion surrounding archaeological attractions by Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) technique at ancient civilization site of Haripunjaya Kingdom in Mueang Lamphun District, Lamphun Province, Thailand. From the survey area on October 18-20, 2022, the data was collected on important ancient sites that still appear traces around the city of Lamphun. The study found that there are a total of 13 archaeological sites, each of which is classified into 3 categories: 8 Ancient Religious sites, 4 Acient City Wall sites, and 1 Historical site. Then, surveys of urban and built-up land cover found that within the past 20 years, light urban and built-up land, urban areas and buildings with sparse density increased by 534.45%, or about 5 times, appearing around the old city in Nai Mueang sub-district and the area where the main road passes in a corridor pattern. In addition, the medium urban and built-up land area has also grown more than three times. It can be seen that urban expansion direction in the northern and central of the study area is most located in the 5 sub-district areas: Makhuea Chae, Ban Klang, Wiang Yong, Pa Sak, and Nai Mueang. The NDBI analysis revealed that the archaeological attractions that were most affected by urbanization were the Victory Shrine Pagoda. At present, it has become a historical site in the middle of the community area. It is located in the middle of the shopping mall parking lot, and there are buildings surrounding it, causing the archaeological site to be invaded and damaged greatly. The results of this study can be used to effectively manage cultural tourism planning, especially in the ancient civilization sites in Mueang Lamphun District, to be sustainable in the future.