Suan Lum Night Bazaar Closing

[wasabi]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=126307

This sucks, they are closing the bazaar to open a mall and hotel. It seems Thailand is losing some of it's charm by actions like this.

End of the bazaar?

Business approval

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End of the bazaar?

Thaksin attacks

Prickly Phnom Penh

Inflation surge

COMMENTARY

Purge has just begun

Slow voting

Victory at the WTO

Samak says he went easy

(BangkokPost.com)

A Bangkok court has officially ordered the popular Suan Lum Night Bazaar closed, the Crown Property Bureau said on Tuesday.

The next step will be to force out the hundreds of tenants to clear the land for what appears to be the building of a mall and hotel complex.

"It is the intention of Crown Property Bureau to comply with the court order and to carry out this order as stated," said the Crown Property Bureau in a statement.

Any tenants who refuse to leave the hugely popular night market next to Lumpini Park could face "seizure, arrest or imprisonment," said the agency in an advertisement notice printed in several Thai-language newspapers.

When the Crown Property Bureau signed a long-term lease on a large chunk of the site with mall developer Central Pattana last year, many newspapers reported that Central proposed to build Thailand's tallest building, a hotel and a shopping mall on the site, a former military academy.

Property company P Con Development took a short-term lease on the site in 2000, and opened the night bazaar in 2001.

There are reportedly 3,000 shops, restaurants and snack bars in the complex, and the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre, a unique attraction.

According to the newspaper advertisement, the Southern Bangkok Civil Court ruled on Jan 30 that the P Con lease had legally expired and it must leave the site.

P Con refused to leave the area after the original lease expired in 2004, according to the Crown Property Bureau, and ignored extensions to the lease which were intended to give the shopkeepers time to wrap up their businsesses and move on.

The bazaar has remained open every night despite the legal dispute, and shop owners report they continue to pay rent to P Con.

[peter991]

Sad news indeed. One of the highlights of my trips to SE Asia is visiting local markets.

Any idea WHEN it will be closing? I am back in April this year.

Peter

[submaniac]

This is truly sad news. The Night Bazaar is still very popular, and aside from the shopping, offered really good food and entertainment. And it was someplace that the entire family could go to. The entire idea of building Thailand's tallest hotel seems stupid to me...so what they're trying to do is get rid of the Night Bazaar to build another Bayoke Plaza? Thailand's tallest building, hotel, and shopping plaza on the bottom. Sure sounds like Bayoke to me. And they're building it near Lumpini park, not exactly the best neighborhood...yeah it's Bayoke.

[Sarpedon]

What a shame that this is closing. A different shopping experience/place to eat and have a few beers that will be replaced with another standard shopping mall which, of course Bkk desperatley needs!

[freitag1]

Same news popped up some months ago but nothing happened. But seems they are going to do it this time.

[Captain Chaos]

What a shame that this is closing. A different shopping experience/place to eat and have a few beers that will be replaced with another standard shopping mall which, of course Bkk desperatley needs!

Too right - I used to go to Suan Lum once every couple of months for a few beers at one of those open air bar/restaurant places - made a refreshing change from the usual Sukhumvit farang pubs at the weekend - or if Mrs CC wanted to go shopping, she left me at the outdoor food court, happily installed with a stein of that German beer they used to serve (Paulaner?)

So yes, BKK will be losing one of its novelties that people tend to remember in favour of yet another anonymous shopping mall ... d'oh

[Prakanong]

Sad news indeed. One of the highlights of my trips to SE Asia is visiting local markets.

Any idea WHEN it will be closing? I am back in April this year.

Peter

According to the Straits Times in Singapore today tenants have 30 days from when the court order was issued on the 13th Feb so it looks like you will not get a chance to visit it again.

I only ever went about 3 times but it was one of the main places colleagues headed to in BKK on biz trips there - the girls from th PI were crazy about the place for some reason (one of them said its because they did not have to bargain there???)

[gjones]

It’s a shame really to close this place; it seems a reckless decision that again damages the Thai tourist trade.

The irony of this particular project is that it takes away a pleasant family tourist attraction in favour of yet another boring hotel/mall.

Bangkok has too many hotels, most with half empty rooms. To build another is not just unimaginative, but sad for both the vendors and the tourists.

[Zpete]

When I was in Bangers February '07, I read in the paper at the time the market was to be closed in April '07.

On returning in August, lo amd behold it is still open,.....

It is not a cheap market, but like many I enjoy the ambience, nothing else quite like it.

Well not to my little knowledge.

Sitting in that, al fresco nite club, with a 5 litre dispenser of "Chang", would make my nite.

I often stay opposit the Muay Thai boxing stadium.

Reckon when I get back later this year, it will still be there.

[Tingnongnoi]

therer have been several plans to relocate the boxing stadium in the past, but last I heard that was going to stay put.

[BangnaBound]

Every visitor I’ve taken to the Night Bazaar has loved it. I’m glad I got the change to take my family there last month. I hope it manages to avoid the ax a little longer.

[wasabi]

The night Bazaar was among my favorite, uniquely Thai attractions. I realize there are other ones but every piece of Thai authenticity and culture that gets chipped away in favor of another carbon copy mall or hotel is a real shame. Things like the Suan Lum Bazaar give Bangkok that bustling hectic feeling I love. I don't want a nice tidy mall. I want huge piles of noodles and silks swaying in the breeze. Unfortunately the sterilization of the world seems inevitable.

Edited March 5, 2008 by wasabi

[bulmercke]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=126307

This sucks, they are closing the bazaar to open a mall and hotel. It seems Thailand is losing some of it's charm by actions like this.

End of the bazaar?

Business approval

Samak relents on temple

End of the bazaar?

Thaksin attacks

Prickly Phnom Penh

Inflation surge

COMMENTARY

Purge has just begun

Slow voting

Victory at the WTO

Samak says he went easy

(BangkokPost.com)

A Bangkok court has officially ordered the popular Suan Lum Night Bazaar closed, the Crown Property Bureau said on Tuesday.

The next step will be to force out the hundreds of tenants to clear the land for what appears to be the building of a mall and hotel complex.

"It is the intention of Crown Property Bureau to comply with the court order and to carry out this order as stated," said the Crown Property Bureau in a statement.[

Any tenants who refuse to leave the hugely popular night market next to Lumpini Park could face "seizure, arrest or imprisonment," said the agency in an advertisement notice printed in several Thai-language newspapers.

When the Crown Property Bureau signed a long-term lease on a large chunk of the site with mall developer Central Pattana last year, many newspapers reported that Central proposed to build Thailand's tallest building, a hotel and a shopping mall on the site, a former military academy.

Property company P Con Development took a short-term lease on the site in 2000, and opened the night bazaar in 2001.

There are reportedly 3,000 shops, restaurants and snack bars in the complex, and the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre, a unique attraction.

According to the newspaper advertisement, the Southern Bangkok Civil Court ruled on Jan 30 that the P Con lease had legally expired and it must leave the site.

P Con refused to leave the area after the original lease expired in 2004, according to the Crown Property Bureau, and ignored extensions to the lease which were intended to give the shopkeepers time to wrap up their businsesses and move on.

The bazaar has remained open every night despite the legal dispute, and shop owners report they continue to pay rent to P Con.

So much for the self-sufficiency regime.

Let's make way for another corporate mega project designed for well-heeled Thais and foreigners.

[TheDon]

I been there plently of times and I love the place, the nice resturants around, and the food court is amazing

[Crossy]

I have many happy memories of this place with friends who are no longer with us

Be sad to see it go

[younghusband]

[quote name='bulmercke' date='2008-03-06 02:13:53' post='1855995'

So much for the self-sufficiency regime.

Let's make way for another corporate mega project designed for well-heeled Thais and foreigners.

Honestly, you just don't understand the self-sufficiency principle which is that it just applies to the poor and disadvantaged, not to institutions like the Crown Property Bureau.

Joking apart, it's incidents like this that lead one to tell those who spout on about settakit por phiang to go screw themselves

[DeathbyDurian]

According to the Straits Times in Singapore today tenants have 30 days from when the court order was issued on the 13th Feb so it looks like you will not get a chance to visit it again.

It is now the 21st of March - over the 30 day limit so.... is it still open?

Was thinking of popping down there this weekend for a tower or two with friends.

Any trip reports? Did they close down any eateries yet?

[DeathbyDurian]

It is now the 21st of March - over the 30 day limit so.... is it still open?

Was thinking of popping down there this weekend for a tower or two with friends.

Any trip reports? Did they close down any eateries yet?

I'll answer my own question.

Went on Friday night and it was business as usual. No signs of anything slowing down.

Hopefully it is just another rumor.

[CL0R0X]

im afraid not this time, the own of that piece of land is Central, and they have plan for it.

[Big A]

I used to sit at the little Isaan shop (great, cheap grub and beer at B60 a big bottle) at the roundabout and watch the traffic deal with a roundabout. Hilarious! I actually saw a traffic jam with 4 cars and each one refused to budge!

Sadly missed.

Edited March 23, 2008 by Big A

[jdinasia]

im afraid not this time, the own of that piece of land is Central, and they have plan for it.

No, the owner of that piece of land is and always will be the Crown property Bureau.

Central Patana has a lease that so far has proven unenforceable.

[pop_corn]

thats SO SO SO sad......

[MrSnrang]

Won't mind that it'll be gone. Stuff there is so expensive anyways.

[Big A]

Won't mind that it'll be gone. Stuff there is so expensive anyways.

I've found that the prices there beat the hel_l out of Patpong and lower Sukumvit markets. I haggle hard and have got some real bargains in the past. Even my Thai missus was amazed at some of the deals I got!!

Anyway, it'll still be cheaper than some new shitty shopping centre for the hi-so <deleted>.

Edited March 24, 2008 by Big A

[Insight]

Has a date been set when it's supposed to shut? Wouldn't mind one last visit with the wife before it's gone for good.

[realmadrid25]

i have never been there. i always thought it was an over priced tourist market. is that not the case?

[jfchandler]

To those who don't know, Suan Lum is a huge sprawling place, filled with rows and rows and rows of all different sorts of shops, and likewise many pleasant Thai and other restaurants, most of which have outdoor patio seating that makes for a very pleasant evening out. But my personal favorite, as has been mentioned above, is the huge outdoor food court and entertainment stage, that offers drinks at your table and then you can go around to dozens of individual food shops and pick your choice of everything Thai food you can imagine, all at pretty darn cheap prices. It makes for a great evening out with friends, family or others.

Indeed, this dispute has been going on for at least a couple of years. I remember seeing a newspaper report back when I was a tourist a few years ago indicating the place was to be shut down in favor of the looming hotel project. But it seems now, that reality, is coming closer to fruition. I was there last week a couple of times, and everything was open as usual, but who knows how long that will last.

The sad thing, I think, is there seems to be no public sign that Thai people in BKK or even the tourism-related parts of the city or the government are waging any kind of effort to save the place. I don't think there is anything else quite like it anywhere in Bangkok. I'll be very sad if indeed it does get demolished.

[realmadrid25]

when does it open/close?

[jfchandler]

If you mean open and closing times daily, apart from the impending permanent closure, I was there last weekend. Everything opened about 5 pm in the afternoon and stayed open until well into the night. I remember the food/entertainment court staff telling me they stop serving at 1 am... I had asked because of the early closure things going around much of BKK lately with the new government at the helm. The product shops tend to stay open into the night, but begin gradually winding down toward 11 and midnight.

[joschee]

Hi everyone,

I am from Malaysia, I went Bangkok 2 times already, each time I travel to Bangkok, I will also visit to Suanlum. I will going to Bangkok again soon, wondering is Suanlum still opening or already closed?

Thanks.