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

[Kinnock]

6 minutes ago, bartender100 said:

To many sentimentalists, its just an old building that was used by a privileged few from a long ago imperial age.

 

Would cost millions to turn into a hotel, but now could end up employing thousands of Thai's in the modern city that Bangkok now is

Perhaps - but in a country where 'face' and prestige is so important, having a Wireless Road address and a historic building with grounds in the most expensive part of the city helped to bolster the flagging influence of Britain.

 

An office in an anonymous commercial building is not the same thing at all.

 

What would your Thai colleagues think if you had to move out of your penthouse condo in The Park, Chidlom and into a studio flat in Bearing because you couldn't afford the rent?

 

And remember - Thais never sell land unless they are in desperate trouble.

[The Old Bull]

Money grubbing Philistines.No sense of history just greed.

[beautifulthailand99]

5 hours ago, Aforek said:

I am not British, I spoke of historic monuments or buildings in general, which have a past, like the Buddhas of Bamyan in Afghanistan who  were destroyed by the Talibans 

I think we are a few magnitudes or order different there my friend. Nice as the old building was. 

[Time Traveller]

2 hours ago, bartender100 said:

To many sentimentalists, its just an old building that was used by a privileged few from a long ago imperial age.

 

Would cost millions to turn into a hotel, but now could end up employing thousands of Thai's in the modern city that Bangkok now is

That's one view and I can only speak for myself. But I'd much rather visit a historic building which provides a glimpse into the unique past of the city than go to another boring bland air conditioned mall filled with plastic people and designer fashion shops that is a target for the next political protests/terrorist bombings.

 

In the developed world, malls are dying. No one goes to them any more. Thailand seems like 50 years behind the west - as always.

But if thailand wants to turn their city into bland boxes like that and provide minimum wage retail jobs as the future for their citizens, hey who are we to judge, right?

Edited August 13, 2019 by Time Traveller

[Huckenfell]

12 hours 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.

 

 

 

Terrible to see years of history wrecked in such a way.

  I suppose money matters 

 

[Huckenfell]

This building should have been preserved for Bangkok's heritage. But tell that to a military mentality.

[Huckenfell]

10 hours 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 ...

Damned good job that the Raffles is in Singapore rather than Bangkok or it would have gone by now.

 

[Huckenfell]

10 hours 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? 

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.

No doubt it has made someone within the Thai government quite rich. Thats how it is in Thailand.

 

[RJRS1301]

8 hours ago, Kinnock said:

Trendy Building entrance - Familymart store, next to the dairy chiller.

Use the microwave to heat frozen beef and eat from the aluminium container using plastic cutlery and paper napkins?

[brokenbone]

on the one hand, its fitting it goes down with the british nation,

on the other hand, it could have served as an old papyrus

of things that were

[Assurancetourix]

9 hours ago, Kinnock said:

And remember - Thais never sell land unless they are in desperate trouble.

Those who like me walk a lot in Thailand;
easier for me than for many of you, I've been living here for 15 years;
about 15,000 km a year by MTBike and a little more with the truck ..
There are thousands of plots for sale;
most have prices not shown because the seller wants too much so they can not sell
(Ditto with used vehicles whose owners want almost the price of the new !!)

It is a beginning of panic that shakes Thailand;
80% of households that have the opportunity to borrow from banks, which excludes a very significant number of Thai: farmers, small artisans, small traders who must fall back on "loan shark = (the bankrupt assured with rates at 10% per month !!!) "..
I see him with one of my daughters who is a doctor and a civil servant; I had never seen so many credit cards in one wallet ...
Error, in the movie The Man with the Golden Gun which is also shooting in Thailand ... in the hands of sheriff Pepper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6YGfvld9Y8

[Sydebolle]

Another empty overpriced shopping mall in the making .......... that "Embassy place" is a graveyard ever since it opened! 

[pattayadgw]

SO SAD...... a beautiful old building gone!!!!

[shackleton]

well reading the comments the British Embassy staff used to get on the services  provided 

I would have thought not to many people cared about the building

on exiting the European Union our influence in the world  is diminishing 

probably the only people who care are the ones living in the past 

[cmsally]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the partner who purchased it with Central Group, Hong Kong Land. Hong Kong Land being under Jardine Mathieson which in turn owns the Mandarin Oriental. Surely would have been a perfect opportunity to turn it into a luxury hotel.

[Surasak]

21 hours ago, sanemax said:

In what way was the money "stolen"?

I will admit that a gun was not put to our heads, but all tax is considered theft.

[Fred white]

17 hours ago, claynlr said:

The slamming of Trump is takin a break from my British cousins due to another fall of the British Empire. Just joking guys, I know this kinda stuff really knots your knickers 

Well Trump hasn't sold the American embassy yet

[fullcave]

23 hours ago, pieeyed said:

Just what is needed. Another frigging mail.

Sent from my CPH1823 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Chop-bing-bing-bing.. 

[fforest1]

28 minutes ago, Fred white said:

Well Trump hasn't sold the American embassy yet

The American Embassy is not exactly any thing to write home about....Its ok but certainly not historic.... 

[fforest1]

15 hours ago, bartender100 said:

To many sentimentalists, its just an old building that was used by a privileged few from a long ago imperial age.

 

Would cost millions to turn into a hotel, but now could end up employing thousands of Thai's in the modern city that Bangkok now is

You sound like a concrete over flowers kind of guy....

[zydeco]

17 hours ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

Events held at and being invited to the Embassy for an event (or Ambassador's home) serve an important purpose when negotiating trade etc or acting as an intermediary to get your home countries corporations in the door locally.... especially in countries like Asia where people are very conscious of social hierarchy. 

East of Suez . . . there is nothing.

[sanemax]

2 hours ago, Surasak said:

I will admit that a gun was not put to our heads, but all tax is considered theft.

Only by a certain kind of person 

[fforest1]

On 8/13/2019 at 11:42 AM, GarryP said:

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

The number of malls now in Bangkok is not only unbelievable and downright strange is almost like a disease that is consuming the city......And they just keep building more and more and more...  

[zydeco]

15 hours ago, The Old Bull said:

Money grubbing Philistines.No sense of history just greed.

History is bunk, said someone.

[CGW]

24 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

The American Embassy is not exactly any thing to write home about....Its ok but certainly not historic.... 

It closely resembles a prison! as do most American embassies............????

[watcharacters]

27 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

The American Embassy is not exactly any thing to write home about....Its ok but certainly not historic.... 

 

At best I'd describe the American Embassy as utilitarian and efficient.

 

Not much effort was put into designing a building of beauty.

 

The British Embassy was one of the structures that made a jaunt down Wireless Road enjoyable.

 

 

[PoorSucker]

On 8/13/2019 at 7:35 AM, pieeyed said:

Just what is needed. Another frigging mail.

Sent from my CPH1823 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Sometimes autocorrect makes sense ????

[mikebell]

On 8/13/2019 at 11:56 AM, darksidedog said:

Wouldn't be so bad if they were using some of the money to improve services, rather then cut them.

They could buy access to HMRC data bases and issue Embassy letters again after viewing the applicants P60s.  Thai Immigration are still accepting these letters from those countries not following the spineless British; American; Australian safe approach.

 

[geoffbezoz]

3 hours ago, fforest1 said:

The number of malls now in Bangkok is not only unbelievable and downright strange is almost like a disease that is consuming the city......And they just keep building more and more and more...  

For a city that is sinking it appears short sighted given this quote from the Asian Correspondant ;  "The latest estimates suggest that Bangkok is now sinking as fast as 2cm per year in parts of the city. In fact, The Global Post reported that by 2100, Bangkok would be fully submerged and unliveable"

That is a mere 81 years to go or possibly less with the predicted increases in sea level rises.

[Too young to be old]

On 8/13/2019 at 7:34 AM, Tropposurfer said:

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.

Ploenchit Fair.