Bangkok Fishbowl: Exotic species swim free in abandoned mall

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Bangkok Fishbowl: Exotic species swim free in abandoned mall
By Praj Kiatpongsan


"New World" Banglamphu Intersection

BANGKOK: -- A few blocks away from Khao San Road sits New World, a four-storey, roofless, abandoned mall on the corner of Banglamphu Intersection. The building’s flooded basement now serves as a home for thousands of fish and is arguably home to the most exotic underwater species in Bangkok.

How was this new world created inside New World? It’s a long story.

Back in the 80’s, Kaew Fah Plaza Company Limited built New World as an 11-storey mall. The company was later found in breach of a building law after it constructed seven more floors on top of the approved construction blueprint.

The mall was shut in 1997, and an unfortunate series of events occurred thereafter. The mall was set ablaze in 1999, causing some casualties and in 2004, one person was killed from collapsing debris during a partial demolition.

The mall’s fifth to eleventh floors were eventually dismantled to be in line with the original plan and New World has been roofless ever since. [more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/06/19/bangkok-fishbowl-exotic-species-swim-free-abandoned-mall


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2013-06-20

[Payboy]

arguably home to the most exotic underwater species in Bangkok

I've seen lots of other fishbowls around Bangkok with contents that would give any exotic underwater species a good run for their money.

[lee b]

There are many exotic species all over Thailand...

[Ricky Koh Samui]

Correct as there are all 'types' of species in Thailand incl two legged ones!!

[joeaverage]

that is so <deleted> cool.

think i will pop by with a bucket and a net and restock my pond.

it overflowed during a flood a few years back, all the fish (koi) escaped, and i have never restocked.

Edited June 21, 2013 by joeaverage

[Jasun]

Some more info on the species of fish would be good. Googling 'Exotic' and 'Bangkok Fishbowl' didn't help.

[HAL9000]

Good grief! Why didn't they just get approval for the modified blueprint instead of start tearing it down!

[harrry]

Good grief! Why didn't they just get approval for the modified blueprint instead of start tearing it down!

Ran out of folding stuff.

[bkk_mike]

Good grief! Why didn't they just get approval for the modified blueprint instead of start tearing it down!

You're probably making the assumption that they strengthened the foundations and the bottom four floors so that supporting the additional 7 floors was structurally sound.

Factor in the mall in Korea that collapsed after problems caused by a single additional floor in the mid 90s, killing over 500 people, and the earlier collapse of the Royal Plaza hotel in Korat after it's 3 additional floors, and even a Thai building inspector would start to worry...

Edited June 21, 2013 by bkk_mike

[Morakot]

Well done Khun Praj! A good article.

I think the quality of Coconuts News is improving by the looks of it.

[Torrens54]

Now, what are those "FLESH DEVOURING" Fish from the Amazon called.....and do they have any in BKK?

[IsaanUSA]

Wow, that's amazing. Super cool

[harrry]

Wow, that's amazing. Super cool

Most places would make them pull the thing down and make it safe instead of remaining a disease pool.

[IsaanUSA]

Wow, that's amazing. Super cool

Most places would make them pull the thing down and make it safe instead of remaining a disease pool.

Disease pool? I assume you're talking about Dengue Fever?

Edited June 21, 2013 by IsaanUSA

[besth]

Wow, that's amazing. Super cool

Most places would make them pull the thing down and make it safe instead of remaining a disease pool.

Disease pool? Why? I would not like to be a mosquito in that place! (actually I would not like to be a mosquito anywhere, but in that place I don't think

mosquitoes survive long)

[harrry]

Wow, that's amazing. Super cool

Most places would make them pull the thing down and make it safe instead of remaining a disease pool.

Disease pool? Why? I would not like to be a mosquito in that place! (actually I would not like to be a mosquito anywhere, but in that place I don't think

mosquitoes survive long)

Don't you think there are rats galore there too.

[besth]

Possibly (probably), It really would depend on what else is there to attract the rats.

I haven't been inside that place since it still had some open businesses, after it had closed as a mall. I was

thinking about the previous comments on mosquitoes only

[joeaverage]

i would think that to sustain a fish population of that size, the water would have to be quite healthy

Edited June 22, 2013 by joeaverage

[tw25rw]

I found a little more on this site here.

Amazingly, they let the place stay open while it was being demolished despite a big sign warning people not to enter.

[Sayonarax]

that is so <deleted> cool.

think i will pop by with a bucket and a net and restock my pond.

it overflowed during a flood a few years back, all the fish (koi) escaped, and i have never restocked.

sounds like a plan, I'd be interested in seeing what's in there

[MrHammer]

That is very cool, might have to go take a look.

But I think now people are probably feeding the fish. All those large fish can't survive on insects..

[canuckamuck]

All I can see from the Coconuts pic are Tab Tim and regular Tilapia. It would have been nice if they had another pic, or at least a sample list of some of the species there. Otherwise it just another Thai pond.

[tw25rw]

There must be vegetation in there somewhere as well. They would need somewhere to lay their eggs and something must be taking nutrients out of the water. With that many large fish, the water would be putrid otherwise.