By Philip Jablon

 

It’s time to congratulate Chulalongkorn University for fulfilling their plans to replace the locally loved, internationally renowned and structurally sound Scala Theatre with a shopping mall. 

 

These plans were initially hatched nearly 10 years ago but were delayed due to widespread public condemnation. Earlier this week, wrecking crews started demolition on the iconic movie house, which has stood dormant for the past year and half.

 

Credit is mainly due to the university’s Office of Property Management, who arbitrarily took what was, without question, the finest example of mid-century movie theatre architecture left in Southeast Asia and turned it over to a proverbial pack of wolves without taking any binding preservation measures. 

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/34807/congratulations-chulalongkorn-university-for-destroying-south-east-asias-last-great-movie-theater/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2021-11-09

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

I think we know why they got rid of it;

"An auditorium built for one-thousand would routinely have only 10 or 20 patrons per screening. At that rate, Scala was not paying for itself. Rather than a city treasure, they considered it a white elephant."

(the above is from the attached Thai Enquirer article)

Pathetic, they could turn it into anything else artistic but a shopping mall.. ????

 

replacing one white elephant with another

Sad.  It was a lovely theater.  I've got some fond memories of that place.

9 minutes ago, kotsak said:

Pathetic, they could turn it into anything else artistic but a shopping mall.. ????

 

It goes directly against how you think an academic institution should behave.  Very sad for a university to not want to conserve artistically and culturally important buildings.  Should be preserved and turned into a museum or gallery.  Very disappointing.

34 minutes ago, kotsak said:

Pathetic, they could turn it into anything else artistic but a shopping mall.. ????

 

But not to worry...there will be a 7-11 and a noodle stall nearby

Very sad.

 

If you could stand all the women I have taken there on each others heads they would stretch to the moon.

 

Happy days.

1 minute ago, Denim said:

If you could stand all the women I have taken there on each others heads

This is not the forum for your perverted fantasies....????

Just now, tonray said:

This is not the forum for your perverted fantasies....????

OK....maybe not the moon.......Baiyoke Tower ..............Yes !!!

51 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

It goes directly against how you think an academic institution should behave

Whilst I agree and most would thing the same unfortunately Universities are now more interested in improving their bank balance that minds!

Apparently nobody cared enough about the place to support it when open.  You can only lose for so long.  

If the mall generates money into Chula, that's always a good thing, as one of the best Uni & hospitals Thailand has to offer.

Better smarter med students and high tech hospital is more important than a dilapidated building nobody visited or seemed to care about.

IMHO

The top university in Thailand (ranked 463rd in the world) distinguished itself by building just another mall. Thailand needs a mall, like Bangkok needs five million more cars. More visionary Thai minds at work, always considering the future and cultural enrichment of the nation. 

Edited November 9, 20214 yr by spidermike007

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

The top university in Thailand (ranked 463rd in the world) distinguished itself by building just another mall. Thailand needs a mall, like Bangkok needs five million more cars. More visionary Thai minds at work, always considering the future and cultural enrichment of the nation. 

463rd?  Wow...says a lot.  As does building a mall.

30 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

463rd?  Wow...says a lot.  As does building a mall.

It was in the mid 450's a few years ago. Was curious. Just checked. Like most things Thai, it is going downhill. Now in the mid 500's. #541. Woe is the future of Thailand. Let us hope the youth somehow prevails over the regressive dinosaurs. 

 

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/chulalongkorn-university-505636

Edited November 9, 20214 yr by spidermike007

The world doesn't matter when you live in Thailand.  Wife and myself have had excellent care there.

 

Seriously ... Berkeley #4 ... if I want to learn about my white superiority maybe.

 

#4 guess I should apologize for being born white male now ... ????

Edited November 9, 20214 yr by KhunLA

49 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

The world doesn't matter when you live in Thailand.  Wife and myself have had excellent care there.

 

Seriously ... Berkeley #4 ... if I want to learn about my white superiority maybe.

 

#4 guess I should apologize for being born white male now ... ????

What? Why bash one of the best educational institutions in the world? Bizarre.

7 hours ago, fangless said:

I think we know why they got rid of it;

"An auditorium built for one-thousand would routinely have only 10 or 20 patrons per screening. At that rate, Scala was not paying for itself. Rather than a city treasure, they considered it a white elephant."

(the above is from the attached Thai Enquirer article)

Yes. The theatre kept going mainly from graduation ceremonies, festivals, conference presentations etc but if more fans had actually bought tickets instead of moaning about its demise then maybe it could have been saved for longer.

While yes Chula could have used it as a multi use facility the point is that it was theirs to do with as they pleased.  There is no law protecting buildings.  It is not just Chula doing this and it is not just happening in Thailand.  There are a lot of buildings in Canada that have strong memories and did things for the community that are under the gun or have gone under the wrecking ball.

 

An example is Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.  

As to it becoming a mall.  Well that may not happen if the tourism business stays the way it is malls are dying at this stage from lack of customers so it goes without saying the plan may change.

7 hours ago, kotsak said:

Pathetic, they could turn it into anything else artistic but a shopping mall.. ????

 

They (Chula) are not turning it into anything.   The property is leased and the leaseholder can do whatever they're allowed to do with it and they will only do what is rational as a business.   Funny how so many people who have never been to that cinema are now so concerned about it!

7 hours ago, piewarmer said:

replacing one white elephant with another

Haven't seen a single mall that has turned put to be a confirmed "white elephant", yet.  Perhaps you know of one?

Yeah.  I can see what kind of Thailand they want.   

Just destroy things that are internationally appreciable and recognizable in Thailand. 

And build a shopping mall on top of it.   

I can see their level thinking. 

They want what they want to see in other places in Thailand. 

No need to try to talk to them. 

You cannot convince these people. 

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The top university in Thailand (ranked 463rd in the world) distinguished itself by building just another mall. Thailand needs a mall, like Bangkok needs five million more cars.

Chula is not building a mall, Chula is a commercial landlord that leases their land to businesses because it is a business.   If another mall was not a good business proposition the leaseholder wouldn't be building it, so much for your assertion that Bangkok doesn't need another mall.  Chula sure did not need a shut down, deteriorating building occupying it's prime land.

31 minutes ago, Card said:

but if more fans had actually bought tickets instead of moaning about its demise then maybe it could have been saved for longer.

So true, but unfortunately, those "fans" weren't fans at all, in the main they are just Thai-bashers coming out of the woodwork after the fact.

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Apparently nobody cared enough about the place to support it when open.  You can only lose for so long.  

If the mall generates money into Chula, that's always a good thing, as one of the best Uni & hospitals Thailand has to offer.

Better smarter med students and high tech hospital is more important than a dilapidated building nobody visited or seemed to care about.

IMHO

Agreed, but a Mall as a replacement, lost opportunity.

10 minutes ago, lolalol said:

Just destroy things that are internationally appreciable and recognizable in Thailand. 

...and never patronised enough by all those who "appreciated and recognised" it to prevent it from going out of business!   Those are the ones who destroyed it.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Earlier this week, wrecking crews started demolition on the iconic movie house, which has stood dormant for the past year and half.

Another victim of the pandemic, while it was closed anyway due to the virus they decided to ignore the public backlash rather than provide better management to draw customers.

10 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Agreed, but a Mall as a replacement, lost opportunity.

Lost opportunity for what?

6 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Better smarter med students and high tech hospital is more important than a dilapidated building nobody visited or seemed to care about.

It's a nice idea that the money generated by this will go to making things better for the students.  I wonder what the reality will actually be.

this destruction of cultural and architectural heritage is extremely sad, it was a wonderful, iconic, building. it had beautiful original decor, a huge screen and a wonderful atmosphere, by far my favourite building in thailand. the management and staff were old school polite and friendly, the movie programme often included non-blockbuster films and classic films from 20, 30 years ago. and, for me personally, so many memories...