Bangkok Eye To Be Taller Than London Eye

[webfact]

BANGKOK

Bangkok Eye to be taller than London Eye

By The Nation

London Eye - File Photo.

Source: Wikipedia

The so-called Bangkok Eye will become one of the world's tallest Ferris wheels, surpassing even Britain's famous London Eye, a deputy Bangkok governor said yesterday.

The Bt30-billion structure will be built at a site near the bank of the Chao Phya River, Pornthep Techapaibul said yesterday.

As per the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's plan, the Bangkok Eye will stand at 176 metres, compared to the London Eye, which is 135m tall. The contract will be awarded to a private company, while the BMA will provide the location.

The first location nominated is a plot owned by ThaiBev owner Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi near Charoen Krung Road along the Chao Phya River and the second site proposed is within the Queen Sirikit Centre compound.

Just like the London Eye, which is located by the Thames River in the British capital, the Bangkok Eye should also be placed next to the Chao Phya.

The BMA has set up a working committee on the Bangkok Eye project, chaired by deputy governor Thaya Theepasuwan, who will soon call a meeting between officials who look after the London Eye officials and the BMA.

-- The Nation 2010-10-14

[Soutpeel]

How about using the 30 billion to improve Bangkok infrastructure before spending money like this on a stupid idea like this....

[jonclark]

How about using the 30 billion to improve Bangkok infrastructure before spending money like this on a stupid idea like this....

Totally agree - complete lack of infrastructure - bloody floods eveytime it rains, so build a ferris wheel, at least you'll be dry if you're on top of it. But at least this ferris wheel builds on the great Thai tradition of - to lazy to think of our own idea, so we'll copy someone elses.

[rheinwiese]

Totally agree - complete lack of infrastructure - bloody floods eveytime it rains, so build a ferris wheel, at least you'll be dry if you're on top of it. But at least this ferris wheel builds on the great Thai tradition of - to lazy to think of our own idea, so we'll copy someone elses.

Exactly. What an eyesore this would be to have that thing at the river, no thanks!

The usual obsession to keep up with Singapore.

Just copy. No inspiration and own ideas whatsoever.

BTW: the price tag for the Singapore Flyer was a reported 180 Mil USD and took almost 3 years to built

[kuffki]

Knowing Thailand and how jobs get done and awarded, i only hope the "private company" will do the right job to ensure people do not get hurt or The eye does not fall or sink or whatever else they can come up with.

[draftvader]

...

BTW: the price tag for the Singapore Flyer was a reported 180 Mil USD and took almost 3 years to built

Well, we can be sure that Thailand will beat Singapore on both those figures!!

[jamora]

Who would pay to go on a stupid ferris wheel when you have at least two rooftop bars nearby, reaching almost 250m? I would rather spend my money on a ice cold beer accompanied by good friends and some live jazz music at Scirocco!

[random]

Japan was planning one of these in Tokyo until they realised it would be called the Japs Eye

[rametindallas]

You won't be able to see far with the perpetual haze, it will be overcrowded, overpriced, broken down often, and derelict within a year of opening.

[geriatrickid]

I don't know if anyone else was as dumb as I was and paid to go on the ferris wheel at Lumpini Park next to the night bazaar. Not the brightest move as I was wondering if the carriage would collapse, whether the wheel would jam on the windy night, if the operator was as strung out on yaba as he looked and if the lightening that was flashing in the horizon would suddenly toss a bolt of death our way. Something about Thai construction quality and safety standards that tells me, a ferris wheel isn't a good idea. Fix the sewage system first.

[siampolee]

Sadly typical of the mindset of the Thai politicians , reminds me of my school-days when there were arguments. ,'My dads bigger than your dad, My dad will beat your dad in a fight,

Our eye in the sky is bigger than your eye in the sky, "so yah booh sucks to you ".

Thailand the land of Imitators not innovators.

30 Billion baht eh ?

Perhaps if the advice of UNESCO was followed and the money was pumped into improving the overall education system then Thailand would indeed have a tangible benefit for the money spent.,

[jackr]

Bangkok Eye To Be Taller Than London Eye

Wowee, the London Eye is 10 years old now. It's old hat guys. How about coming up with an original idea before you harp on about bigger than, taller than, faster than...

[Payboy]

Japan was planning one of these in Tokyo until they realised it would be called the Japs Eye

You mean this one?

[RedNIvar]

Everyone involved with this project will definitely end up making stupid amounts of tax payer money. (Some Thai's pay a little tax, all foreign expats pay Tax)

A couple of socialites will make random appearance at the eye, and it will be the biggest thing for the Thai's ala Krispy Kream. The will charge foreigners 5X more to ride the Eye-o-Thai and will be running empty after the craze is over in about 6 months.

Probably take 6 years to complete. Being by the river, it will be closed during the rainy season as the floods will put it underwater!

Much better off using this money to improve the education system and/or basic infrastructure in Thailand.

[chantorn]

Bull's eye for RPG? Easy target for the Cambodian trained Re-shirt army.

[Acutus]

Having a BKK Eye maybe a good idea if they can put up a 3G antenna on top of it too

[bangkockney]

Enough with building bloody Eyes in every city around the world. Can't people come up with something original? <deleted>!

[grantbkk]

I'm 61 so it probably won't be completed in my lifetime as with the nuclear power plants. I live on the river and think it would be a great place to build...Wait for it...Red Bull's Eye. Just don't build it near me. Everyone of us has caught on to the bribes and corruption a project this size will generate.

The government thinks that just because we drink we cannot do any critical thinking. Big headline in the Bangkok Post this week touts a big BTS rail car purchase. 35 middle if the train cars for 2 billion Baht. Basically a large steel tube with A/C, some seats and wheels. Seems a bit high to me but then those exclusive first class massage parlors are not free.

Edited October 14, 2010 by grantbkk

[teatree]

How about using the money to build a series of car parks next to the airport link/BTS/MRT?

[phetaroi]

Bull's eye for RPG? Easy target for the Cambodian trained Re-shirt army.

How right you are. Perhaps they could turn it into a giant roulette wheel than has a major problem on each of the spokes. The wheel spins and wherever it stops will be the source of the next crisis in Thailand -- the Red Shirts, Muslim separatists, the over-valued baht, Thaksin, human trafficking...can you fill in a few more crisis for me?

[madmitch]

"The first location nominated is a plot owned by ThaiBev owner Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi near Charoen Krung Road along the Chao Phya River and the second site proposed is within the Queen Sirikit Centre compound.

Just like the London Eye, which is located by the Thames River in the British capital, the Bangkok Eye should also be placed next to the Chao Phya."

Since when has the Queen Sirikit Centre been next to the river?

[animatic]

You could NOT get me on this thing for ANY amount of cash.

And yes, infrastructure is MUCH more a pressing need,

or education or sorting out the BiB or flood prevention or...

endless list of logical things to do.

Edited October 14, 2010 by animatic

[dumpling]

Sadly typical of the mindset of the Thai politicians , reminds me of my school-days when there were arguments. ,'My dads bigger than your dad, My dad will beat your dad in a fight,

Our eye in the sky is bigger than your eye in the sky, "so yah booh sucks to you ".

Thailand the land of Imitators not innovators.

30 Billion baht eh ?

Perhaps if the advice of UNESCO was followed and the money was pumped into improving the overall education system then Thailand would indeed have a tangible benefit for the money spent.,

Never an original idea! what is next on the list a leaning tower with more lean , pyramids with an extra side , a temple to argue over oops got that one!!

[kevc]

Why don't they take their 30 billion baht and use it to improve the lifestyle of the farmers out in the countryside. Everything seems to revolve around Bangkok and to the people living up there you might as well just have poured that money down the drain.

Have they seen the state of the roads up here or how about using it to give the poor people some of that land that the government are stiing on doing nothing and give them a chance to fend for themselves rather than having to rely on "heroes" to fight their case for them.

Theres more to Thailand than Bangkok.

[likacozy]

Eye would like to see that!

[jamora]

Why don't they take their 30 billion baht and use it to improve the lifestyle of the farmers out in the countryside. Everything seems to revolve around Bangkok and to the people living up there you might as well just have poured that money down the drain.

Have they seen the state of the roads up here or how about using it to give the poor people some of that land that the government are stiing on doing nothing and give them a chance to fend for themselves rather than having to rely on "heroes" to fight their case for them.

Theres more to Thailand than Bangkok.

"Unfortunately" the Thai government is better at listening to its economic advisors than to its humanitarian advisors. From an economic perspective it is inefficient for the government to spend much on the countryside, since such investment would have a near zero fiscal multiplier, and the Thai government loves a high fiscal multiplier. And you gotta give the government credit for being one of the best in the world at always generating a high fiscal multiplier, but perhaps they still have much to learn from a humanitarian perspective.

This silly project; however, sounds like someone in the government misread some of the latest Inflation Report's from BoT which encourages the government to spend more on "Mega Projects" and be better at entering PPP's (Public Private Partnerships). But lets see how far they will get.

[Longtooth]

You could NOT get me on this thing for ANY amount of cash.

And yes, infrastructure is MUCH more a pressing need,

or education or sorting out the BiB or flood prevention or...

endless list of logical things to do.

Perhaps we're not giving Thai Engineering its' due worth. Of course it will have to be on the side of the river. Have you a mental picture of a "side-wheeler" steamboat? When the water gets high enough, they're just going to steam Bangkok to higher ground! It's actually not a Ferris wheel at all! Ah, the inscrutable East!

[RKASA]

Why not buy some train cars that don't have holes in the floor of the toilet so you can piss directly on to the track? Sure is a good thing there is no third rail down there.

or maybe finish the hwy 12 extension they started 20 years ago, or, or , or, or, oh just fill in the blanks. If they really have use for an eye, then let a private company fund and build it, because if it was a great idea - they would have started it by now.

[rreddin]

Bull's eye for RPG? Easy target for the Cambodian trained Re-shirt army.

It is a pity you scorned the opportunity to give a Thai perspective on the subject matter of this thread. I had hoped you might have had something sensible to say about it, particularly as you were recently promoting one of Bangkok's tourist attractions and advocating boycotting a certain World heritage site in Cambodia.

[Thaddeus]

Can't wait for the day it rolls down the road and hoopla's victory monument.