I found some more interesting stories about this project.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=70930053

I found some more interesting stories about this project.

http://www.skyscrape....php?p=70930053

Thanks!

What's your interpretation of the photo in post #9 in that link?

The Chinese whole sale centre seems to be rather small in comparison with the huge new MEGA BANGNA mall where IKEA is planned also; or is this venture already there or in progress...building?

LaoPo

Edited January 22, 201115 yr by LaoPo

I found some more interesting stories about this project.

http://www.skyscrape....php?p=70930053

Thanks!

What's your interpretation of the photo in post #9 in that link?

The Chinese whole sale centre seems to be rather small in comparison with the huge new MEGA BANGNA mall where IKEA is planned also; or is this venture already there or in progress...building?

LaoPo

It's a new shopping mall. I Googled it and found this.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=914268

It looks like it would be possible for the Chinese distribution center to feed its products directly into this super mall.

Below is the idealized mock-up of what the Chinese commercial center will supposedly look like. Of course, they have to idealize the depiction. No point in showing it how it will eventually look: black mildew on all exterior walls (as essentially all buildings in Thailand have), scrappy weeds growing around with bits of paper and plastic trash thrown in for good measure.

If Thai officials knew anything about city planning, they would know that they have the right, (some might say the obligation) to make reasonable demands on the builders - particularly for such a gargantuan project. Thai officials have traditionally shown no spine to do such things (or maybe they're just ignorant of that concept?).

Closer to topic: I went to a trade fair last night in Chiang Rai. There were giant tents erected on the old airport tarmac(which is supposed to be left open for emergency traffic, as told to me by a Thai AF top brass). There were tents for SE Asian vendors, but not surprisingly, most of the vendors were from China. The products? Of the hundreds of vendor booths, I did not see one innovative product. All were a re-hash of regular household items (brooms, mops, frying pans, etc.) I can understand Thailand being a ghost town for innovation, but is the same true for the billions of Chinese?

Anyhow, back to the hosting government's right to make demands: Thai officials should not be afraid to speak up and make some reasonable conditions for the Chinese building their planned 45 billion baht commercial building. In my earlier post I articulated some suggestions - things that would benefit Thais - particularly children and those living nearby.

It's well established that nearly everything the Chinese do is saturated with commercial interests, but things can be adjusted. Perhaps a tiny part of their efforts and investments can be earmarked to assisting and educating the local populace in a non-dogmatic way which doesn't reek of crass commercialism.