Demolishing the historic British Embassy to make way for a shopping center

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, Fred white said:

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

I am happy to make a contribution to my Country , in the way of taxes to pay for the Gov and all that they do 

[Just Weird]

1 hour 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.

Why should the British government care about what happens to something that they no longer own in Thailand?  Do you absolutely care about property that you may have sold for monetary gain?

 

The demolition of a building that the public never had access to, never had any connection with or could even see, except for a few minutes of official business could never be 'tragic'.

[sanemax]

4 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

For who?

Would have been nice to preserve the building and turn it into a hotel

[sniggie]

27 minutes ago, friend of siam said:

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 ...

Not biting!

[Fred white]

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

I am happy to make a contribution to my Country , in the way of taxes to pay for the Gov and all that they do 

A contribution means you are doing it of your own free will which means you are not being forced taxes are forced on us

[Saltire]

Has the UK Embassy actually moved now then, website still shows Wireless Road near Bumrungrad hospital?

 

Is it still same place for documents etc?

 

 

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, Fred white said:

A contribution means you are doing it of your own free will which means you are not being forced taxes are forced on us

"General: Imposed or required payment."

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/contribution.html

[Tropposurfer]

How sad ☹️ 

its not because it’s a Brit embassy so much but because it is old elegant building and had wonderful character that saddens me.

large tranquil grounds.

I went there to a garden party back in 2010 I think it was.

sorry to see ‘progress’ in this place.

[Tropposurfer]

Shopping malls don’t make us happy. Green space does at a far deeper nurturing level than spending money and gawking through designer windows at things we maybe can’t afford.

[gregchambers]

The new PM, Boris Johnson, probably won't be amused as he is a good friend of former PM Abhisit and was probably planning to lounge around in the embassy... but you can imagine Madame May being keen on dumbing down the presence in Bangkok.

 

But aren't embassy grounds a gift of the country they sit in, so really the money should go back to Thailand? Also, why didn't the embassy retain the land and offer Central a 30 year lease... in 30 years time it would be worth an awful lot more,,, or maybe they figure Bangkok will be flooded out and the land worthless?

 

Would not surprise me if the new embassy is in a terrible location for individuals to access.

[transam]

6 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Has the UK Embassy actually moved now then, website still shows Wireless Road near Bumrungrad hospital?

 

Is it still same place for documents etc?

 

 

Probably now in a converted container.....Well, think they really only needed a couple of rooms..

[smutcakes]

5 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

Shopping malls don’t make us happy. Green space does at a far deeper nurturing level than spending money and gawking through designer windows at things we maybe can’t afford.

Or standing gawking into the British Embassy garden which other than a party nearly a decade ago neither you, I or anyone else other than the Ambassador or staff can enjoy?

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, JamesBlond said:

Would have made a nice museum in parkland. Museum of what hardly matters (Thailand natural history?), but parkland in a city centre does.

Anyone who wanted to do that could have done exactly that but, apparently, no one did.

[geoffbezoz]

Just now, gregchambers said:

The new PM, Boris Johnson, probably won't be amused as he is a good friend of former PM Abhisit and was probably planning to lounge around in the embassy... but you can imagine Madame May being keen on dumbing down the presence in Bangkok.

 

But aren't embassy grounds a gift of the country they sit in, so really the money should go back to Thailand? Also, why didn't the embassy retain the land and offer Central a 30 year lease... in 30 years time it would be worth an awful lot more,,, or maybe they figure Bangkok will be flooded out and the land worthless?

 

Would not surprise me if the new embassy is in a terrible location for individuals to access.

Perhaps Soi Cowboy for two reasons;

1)  As the embassy staff were little more than foreign cowboys ( and cowgirls ) supposedly working in the British Embassy then the new location's name will be more reflective of the service provided

and 2);

British politicians sell themselves at any given opportunity so many of the services provide in Soi Cowboy then they should have  empathy with

[hkt83100]

YATB ... Yet Another Thoughtless Brexit

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, Basil B said:

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.   

The monument has been preserved.

[phetpeter]

Like we should be regretting giving other prime location, such as Hong Kong, Malta, Oman, just to name a few.

[transam]

3 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Anyone who wanted to do that could have done exactly that but, apparently, no one did.

Not for half a billion quid...

[spermwhale]

Thailand has ZERO respect for historical buildings unless they are temples or royal abodes. As much as they spout off about culture it amazes me they don't have an agency that helps preserve buildings of historical relevance. 

It's why wherever you go in Thailand, every city looks the same, except Bangkok. 

 

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, Fred white said:

Since that money was stolen from the tax payers it should be returned to them yeah right

Could you explain that? 

 

The Embassy was paid for by the sale of land and buildings originally gifted to the UK by the KIng.  Taxpayers did not have it stolen from them but, by definition, the latest sale proceeds have been returned to the UK government, i.e. the taxpayers.

[smutcakes]

10 minutes ago, gregchambers said:

The new PM, Boris Johnson, probably won't be amused as he is a good friend of former PM Abhisit and was probably planning to lounge around in the embassy... but you can imagine Madame May being keen on dumbing down the presence in Bangkok.

 

But aren't embassy grounds a gift of the country they sit in, so really the money should go back to Thailand? Also, why didn't the embassy retain the land and offer Central a 30 year lease... in 30 years time it would be worth an awful lot more,,, or maybe they figure Bangkok will be flooded out and the land worthless?

 

Would not surprise me if the new embassy is in a terrible location for individuals to access.

The new Embassy will be at AIA Sathorn office building. On the BTS line between Surasak and Chong Nonsi. A new station is being built directly outside the building.

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, CGW said:

Pure greed, in years to come this decision will be regretted! ???? 

I doubt it. TAT is sure to promote Thailand as the Hub of Shopping Centres and Malls.

[Wiggy]

In the video it says that the Embassy will move to a location in Sathorn at the end of this year and that the old residence will be rebuilt where it was once the new development is finished, and with Victoria's statue in the gardens.

[Just Weird]

28 minutes ago, Fred white said:

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

Government money was used to build the Embassy, it was not stolen from the taxpayer!  Do you know he word "research"?

[Just Weird]

26 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Would have been nice to preserve the building and turn it into a hotel

The UK government is in the hotel business?

[marquis22]

2 hours ago, GarryP said:

Another shopping center? Really? As if there aren't enough already. The market is not saturated, its bloody flooded with them.

Yes, but need more so the citizens have somewhere to go to and bask in the cool air-conditioning environment.

[Fred white]

2 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Government money was used to build the Embassy, it was not stolen from the taxpayer!  Do you know he word "research"?

Where does the govt get it's money

[Just Weird]

26 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Has the UK Embassy actually moved now then, website still shows Wireless Road near Bumrungrad hospital?

Is it still same place for documents etc?

Presumably they'll let you know when you make your appointment.

[yellowboat]

Bad taste triumphs in Bangkok once again.  Sad, but not a surprise in the least. 

[miamiman123]

Capitalism eats its own!