webfact Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Demolishing the historic British Embassy to make way for a shopping center Pictures: ICOMOS Thailand Association A heritage organisation posted a question on Facebook following work at the British Embassy compound in Bangkok. How can you demolish the British Embassy? The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS Thailand Association) said they had contacted the Thai Department of Fine Arts after two historical buildings had been demolished and the Famous Queen Victoria monument had been moved. They were considered "obstacles" in the multi billion baht sale of one of Bangkok's most prime tracts of real estate on Withayu (Wireless) Road. The embassy has been sold to Central to make way for retail space. ICOMOS said the Fine Arts Department had indicated that the buildings were not listed and were owned by the British who it appears could do whatever they wanted with them. ICOMOS intimated that irrespective of who owned them it was a crime to knock down such beautiful heritage. Three historical and beautiful buildings remain on the site and ICOMOS are concerned what will happen to them in the name of progress. The British foreign office said last year that they had sold the embassy's 25 rai plot for 420 million pounds. Last week, the UK in Thailand Facebook page shared a video montage of significant and memorable moments from the past. Source: ICOMOS Thailand Association -- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-08-13 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watcharacters Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Turning the building into a small hotel would have been a much better option. Hate to see history just torn down to make room for bland concrete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarryP Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Another shopping center? Really? As if there aren't enough already. The market is not saturated, its bloody flooded with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aforek Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Always sad to see historic buildings demolished they are often beautiful and have a history ( our history ! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JingerBen Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 What a damn shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGW Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Pure greed, in years to come this decision will be regretted! ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatOilWorker Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 9 minutes ago, watcharacters said: A small hotel would have been a much better option. Hate to see history just torn down to make room for bland concrete. Will be interesting to see what will be build on this prime location. Remember the Siam Intercontinental, it had to give way for Paragon. http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok-masstransit-intercon.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksidedog Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 7 hours ago, webfact said: the buildings were not listed and were owned by the British who it appears could do whatever they wanted with them. And once they got their 420 Million quid, it seems that they absolutely didn't care. Tragic really, but shows exactly the priorities and values of the Foreign Office. Wouldn't be so bad if they were using some of the money to improve services, rather then cut them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotBenz8888 Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Will be regretted in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil B Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 11 minutes ago, darksidedog said: And once they got their 420 Million quid, it seems that they absolutely didn't care. Tragic really, but shows exactly the priorities and values of the Foreign Office. for sure if it were in the UK it would have been a listed building, pity common sense did not prevail... try to keep some of the features such as the the facade of the main building and the Queen Vic monument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBlond Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Would have made a nice museum in parkland. Museum of what hardly matters (Thailand natural history?), but parkland in a city centre does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swiss1960 Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 39 minutes ago, GarryP said: Another shopping center? Really? As if there aren't enough already. The market is not saturated, its bloody flooded with them. 31 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said: Will be interesting to see what will be build on this prime location. Remember the Siam Intercontinental, it had to give way for Paragon. http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok-masstransit-intercon.html Article says Embassy was sold to Central.. and since the shopping centre down the road is called "Central Embassy", it seems fair to assume that this space will be used as an expansion to this center Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacuum Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 48 minutes ago, GarryP said: Another shopping center? Really? As if there aren't enough already. The market is not saturated, its bloody flooded with them. And same/identical stuff are sold in all of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phka Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Good idea going the same way as the country Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pieeyed Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Just what is needed. Another frigging mail.Sent from my CPH1823 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred white Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 41 minutes ago, darksidedog said: And once they got their 420 Million quid, it seems that they absolutely didn't care. Tragic really, but shows exactly the priorities and values of the Foreign Office. Since that money was stolen from the tax payers it should be returned to them yeah right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamkyong Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 the embassy of late is not dissimilar to many Thai shops/mall the majority of enquirers have been met with the classic MIA MEE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denim Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Another shopping mall in a country where most of it's citizens are already heavily in debt. Yes.....that makes sense. Thainess sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanemax Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 59 minutes ago, darksidedog said: And once they got their 420 Million quid, it seems that they absolutely didn't care. Tragic really, but shows exactly the priorities and values of the Foreign Office. Once the land and building had been sold , its nothing more to do with the UK or the Embassy and its up to the new owners what they want to do with it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanemax Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 18 minutes ago, Fred white said: Since that money was stolen from the tax payers it should be returned to them yeah right In what way was the money "stolen"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assurancetourix Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 1 hour ago, Aforek said: Always sad to see historic buildings demolished they are often beautiful and have a history ( our history ! ) Do not forget that Thai people have no or very little history. When Ayuttaya was stormed in 1767 by the Burmese after more than a year of siege, they brought back to Burma about 600,000 prisoners who became their slaves and very displeased that the city resisted them more than a year they destroyed it totally burning all the archives, all the books. The history of Thailand will begin a few years later with the Chakri dynasty; It is a little over 200 years old. The name of Ayutthaya comes from that of the city of Ayodhya, India. This city is indeed that of Rama, hero of the Rāmāyana and seventh incarnation of Vishnu. This name means "that can not be conquered" in Sanskrit. She therefore bore her name very badly because she was also conquered and plundered by the Burmese in 1569. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friend of siam Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 1 hour ago, watcharacters said: Turning the building into a small hotel would have been a much better option. Hate to see history just torn down to make room for bland concrete. well the british goes down now visible...the old monuments of colonial charme that they cannot or dont want effort anymore..once a colonial power ( it was easy with all the robbed indian gold and all that industrial scale drugsmoney from opium trade )..nowadays they have to do real work...it aint so easy to play big anymore...the chinese now are the new masters in asia and soon worldwide....the only asset gb have are the city of london gambler boys...with brexit they will shift to frankfurt ... maybe you follow argentinia...or venezuela....the pound does it already...other powers tell u what to do and you kneel down and behave..but good news boris is around to help ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammieuk1 Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Selling England by the pound or now near 50p???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TalingChanMan Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 I believe the Queen Victoria monument has been moved to the British Club in Silom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assurancetourix Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 2 minutes ago, sanemax said: Once the land and building had been sold , its nothing more to do with the UK or the Embassy and its up to the new owners what they want to do with it . If one day the city of Paris decides to sell the Tour Eiffel to a wealthy Thai businessman, do you think he will destroy it to build a shopping center? what has just happened at the former British Embassy in Bangkok is certainly unfortunate, but fortunately there is still a lot of European construction in Thailand, especially from France; these are mostly restored and very well maintained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanemax Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 7 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said: If one day the city of Paris decides to sell the Tour Eiffel to a wealthy Thai businessman, do you think he will destroy it to build a shopping center? I very much doubt that he would do that , anyway, lets keep on topic by discussing the former British Embassy in BKK , rather than the Tour de Eiffel in France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbezoz Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 So if they have demolished the embassy, where is it now ? As the last part of this article states the proceeds from sale will be used to relocate to a new embassy this year yet the website is still saying it is in Wittyu. Also some of my friends said it was still there not too long ago when they visited, so were they wrong, or is it only a mirage an embassy is still there ? https://history.blog.gov.uk/2019/04/15/the-british-embassy-bangkok-a-look-back-before-moving-on/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billd766 Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 13 minutes ago, TalingChanMan said: I believe the Queen Victoria monument has been moved to the British Club in Silom. The last thing she was heard to say was "We are not amused". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Weird Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 1 hour ago, watcharacters said: Turning the building into a small hotel would have been a much better option. Hate to see history just torn down to make room for bland concrete. For who? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred white Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 22 minutes ago, sanemax said: In what way was the money "stolen"? Do you freely give your money to the govt or do you do it because if you don't you could lose everything you have and possibly go to jail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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