As the burned Siam Theatre's owners decide whether to rebuild or cut their losses, the film industry looks back at an iconic cinema
"The theatre nourished and reared the aesthetics of cinematic arts for audiences of several generations," says movie critic Manotham Theamtheabrat.
"I was shocked to the point of tears when I realised that firefighters couldn't go to Siam Square to extinguish the flames," says GMM Tai Hub (GTH) president Visute Poolvoralaks.
Manotham's first visit to the cinema was in 1976 to see the teen movie "Wai Onlawon".
"At that time, the theatre was the most popular in Bangkok. Going there inspired me to see films in their original soundtrack versions rather than with Thai dubbing. Those wonderful experiences gradually shaped me into what I am today," he says.
Leading producer Visute, who grew up in a theatre business family, has special memories of the theatre for his "double first". "We premiered the first film, "Suem Noi Noi Kalon Mak Noi", by my first company Tai Entertainment, there in 1985 and it was a huge success."
At that time, the Siam theatre was where all Thai movies had their premiere and filmgoers would flock to the cinema from the very first night for an entire month if the movie proved popular.
Director Jira Malikool has a slightly different bond with the cinema. Even though he frequently watched movies at the neighbouring Scala Theatre as a youngster, he always dreamed that one day, he would see the title of one of his own films written on the marquee.
"It seems ridiculous but it's such a happy feeling seeing your film title up there. It meant so much to me, not least because it is the only place with a marquee in Thai. Today, most of the cinemas are in multiplex where a small LCD replaces the marquee. The letters are smaller and the titles are all in English," he says.
The Apex cinema chain, comprising Siam as well as the nearby Scala and Lido theatres, has been booming since the release of the first film "Battle of the Bulge" ("Rot Thung Prajan Ban") was released in 1966. Originally to be called Chula, the name was changed to Siam following strong opposition from critics who felt it inappropriate to give a cinema the same name as a monarch.
"It was a meeting place where everyone went to watch movies, rather like Paragon today. Along with the Siam Theatre, there were famous trendy shops like Vichai Chevu, Domon and 334. The shops went long ago but the cinema survived until the arson attack," says Visute.
Many films have premiered here over the years including Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Sud Pralad" ("Tropical Malady"). French actress Sophie Marceau visited the cinema to open "La Boum 2" following the surprise success of her debut, "La Boum".
But as one of Bangkok's oldest cinemas, Siam Theatre was facing problems even before the arson attack. Ticket sales had been falling since 1994 and the advent of the multiplex boom, and while the Apex chain had addressed this trend by giving Scala and Lido over to Hollywood blockbusters and alternative films respectively, it's given Siam a mixed bag of both Hollywood and indie films including festival winners, Asian films and Thai independent films.
Regulars appreciated the traditional service, cheaper tickets and the theatre's hotline, which was manned by well-informed operators rather an than automated reply service. Moviegoers were also particularly fond of the polite and caring ticket collectors dressed in old-fashioned yellow suits, finding them easier to get on with than aloof, modern ushers.
"It was the only place where we could watch until the very last credit had rolled," says Manotham.
Last December 31, Manotham followed his New Year's Eve tradition of watching a movie, going to the Siam Theatre for the last show of the year. He says only five people were in the 800-seat cinema for "Avatar".
"The theatre was comatose," says the critic. Back in the boom times, the cinema did well during the festive season, especially on New Year's Eve when Thais like to watch a film before going out to celebrate New Year on the street.
"Lido and Scala have been more successful in adapting but Siam's position wasn't clear so its business was more critical," says Visute. "And young people know little about the cinema.
The theatre owner has yet to decide whether to rebuild the cinema or just let it go, since the Siam and the surrounding area are up for demolition anyway next year by the landowner Chulalongkorn University. According to the master plan, it may well all be replaced be a modern shopping complex.
"The fire destroyed the building but we still have our memories. Although I hope they will rebuild, we shouldn't be too attached with the past. Today's youngsters really don't care about the cinema and the young reporters don't even know where the restrooms are," says the critic.
"If they want to resurrect the theatre, then they have to build it with a strong concept like a classic art house with a well-planned strategy otherwise people won't go there. It's possible they will let it go because the location is very good, but the owners have to calculate what's best and the most profitable for their business," say Visute.
"The theatre was ageing anyway, the fire just speeded up things up. We've already said goodbye to Chalermthai and other cinemas. Maybe it's better to remember it as it was - a great cinema," says the critic.