Selling England By The Pound

[taxexile]

Foreign Office sells off its Bangkok embassy grounds

By Sebastien Berger in Bangkok DAILY TELEGRAPH UK

(Filed: 12/05/2006)

The Foreign Office has agreed to sell off almost a third of Britain's embassy compound in Bangkok - one of the last green spaces in the centre of the Thai capital.

The sale, for about £50 million to Thailand's biggest shopping chain, Central Retail Corporation, will be announced next week.

It is one of the most lucrative deals in the Foreign Office's disposal programme - the London equivalent of the plot, at the junction of two major roads in the heart of the shopping district, might be the corner of Piccadilly and Bond Street.

Bulldozers have already been sent in to demolish the cream 1920s buildings - which do not include the main embassy or residence - leaving the area as bare earth.

After redevelopment they will be replaced with a shopping centre and entertainment zone, to the distress of many expatriates who say the sale is a shameful retreat.

The letters pages of Thailand's English-language newspapers have been packed with denunciations by expatriates. "I was mortified to see what was once a beautiful garden and classic historical buildings reduced to a field of rubble," wrote John Sheppard.

"I felt ashamed to be British. Is the British Government really that hard up?"

A former vice-consul, Lemuel Morgan, described how he would take his daughters to the compound to remind them of their childhood.

"I would say, 'Remember the sunlight streaming through leafy trees; the laughter of the Gurhkas; tennis balls raining on to our porch from the ambassador's tennis parties; hide-and-seek around Queen Victoria; the haunting strains of the Last Post from the residence lawn on Remembrance Day?'.

"I promised to take them back one day - to revisit their playground. But now it's too late; I see it's a building site."

A Foreign Office spokesman declined to confirm any of the details of the deal ahead of the announcement. "Our 13-acre compound in Bangkok is larger than we need," he said. "Selling part will release funds to improve the rest and invest elsewhere."

is anybody really that bothered by this ?

the grounds that the embassy stand in really are too large and too pompous for the embassy of a relatively small player on todays world stage.

the actual working space inside the buildings have always seems cramped and crowded when i go there , whereas the gardens and lawns have always been unused , purely a showpiece.

the comments of expats who are "ashamed and mortified to be british" ring hollow to me , there are many better reasons to be ashamed of being british than the sale of a few rai of unused lands.

and the memories of lemuel morgan are no more than memories and nostalgia for a time long gone and are of no relevance today.

lets hope that some of the money raised by this sale will be put toward training the pallid jobsworths whose duty it is to serve the british abroad in an effort towards improving their manners , abilities and efficiency whilst carrying out those simple tasks.

god save the queen.

Edited May 12, 2006 by taxexile

[astral]

It was a lovely setting and in that location, worth a fortune.

It will be shame to see it go, for another shopping mall

[stumonster]

It was a lovely setting and in that location, worth a fortune.

It will be shame to see it go, for another shopping mall

'shopping hub of asia' ... remember .. cor

they should ask for more money and just build a new embassy somewhere on the skytrain / subway route.

[GuestHouse]

there are many better reasons to be ashamed of being british than the sale of a few rai of unused lands.

Always playing the old country up eh!

[Rinrada]

It was a lovely setting and in that location, worth a fortune.

It will be shame to see it go, for another shopping mall

'shopping hub of asia' ... remember .. cor

they should ask for more money and just build a new embassy somewhere on the skytrain / subway route.

Soi 23 would be handy

[markuk]

it would have been better idea to open up the area into another green park.

[Jai Yen Yen]

it would have been better idea to open up the area into another green park.

Yes, just like that nice Mr. Chuwit Kamolvisit's park on soi 10.

[sriracha john]

It's a done deal now.... details of the sale:

Central buys 'priciest plot' from UK Embassy

The sale of part of the British embassy compound in Bangkok to the Central Group was completed yesterday in a historic deal reportedly worth about 50 million pounds or Bt3.5 billion.

Property market sources said the value of the deal, whose details were jealously guarded by both the seller and buyer, was around Bt950,000 per square wah for the 8.870 rai property put on sale by the Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in one of Thailand's largest property sales ever.

The FCO declined to give a figure for the property sale, indicating only that it had completed the transaction with Tiang Chirathivat Real Estate, part of the Central Group, which owns a neighbouring flagship retail property.

The embassy compound is located in Bangkok's prime business district, at the intersection of Wireless and Ploenchit roads.

"This is the largest ever property sale by the Foreign Office. The historic residence, the embassy and the 'green character' of the compound will, however, be preserved," said a statement from the embassy.

The embassy originally occupied about 31 rai of land that had been purchased in 1922 from Phya Pakdi Noraset (Nai Lert). There had been talk of the sale of part of the property for over a decade, but it was not until late last year that bidding was opened on about one-third of the block.

"About 11 million pounds of the proceeds will fund redevelopment of the remainder of the compound, including new staff accommodation, recreational facilities, remodelling of the embassy offices and security works.

"The balance will pay for vital investment elsewhere on the FCO's worldwide estate," the embassy said.

There were several bidders interested in acquiring the property such as Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, of Chang Beer fame, Land & Houses Group, Hong Kong Land and Central Group. Richard Ellis was appointed as broker.

Land & Houses, Hong Kong Land and Central Group were short-listed for the final bidding. Land & Houses was reported to have made a bid of around Bt700,000 per square wah. Later it withdrew its bid altogether.

Central Group won the bid with its offer of about Bt950,000 per sq wah. Property sources said Central plans to use the plot to build a five-star hotel, a luxury retail complex and an office building.

The two main residences on the embassy compound have already been demolished to make way for the sale. The War Memorial Statue of Queen Victoria, in the middle of the compound, will be moved to an appropriate place within the compound.

- TN

[PeaceBlondie]

Such sales can be beneficial all around. I think of the places in San Antonio, Texas, where the military bases have way too much land. The northern end of Fort Sam Houston, where the Brooke Army Hospital once stood, is prime residential land for annexation to the ultra-posh suburb of Terrell Hills, and Camp Bullis might have an excess 1,000 acres for further suburban development. The list goes on, around the USA and the world.

Are there other embassies in Bangkok sitting on prime land? The American consulate in Chiang Mai has a great location, but probably no excess land. They can barely accomodate their expatriates for the fine July 4 lawn party.

Are there other parcels of land in Bangkok that are woefully underdeveloped? I don't mean park lands.

[Prakanong2005]

PeaceBlondie

Did the US not say they would give up the older building on wireless when they built the new one but decided to keep both in the end?

Second biggest mission in the world I once heard with Cairo being the biggest.

Is this still the case nowadays with Iraq et al?

[Rinrada]

Wont go into it in detail but I am sure that I read an article a few years ago saying that they did not have the right to sell the land.

Codical in Freehold Doc with over riders ...

Dont want to ague with the Foreign Office.......O Yes I would....

Jack Straw didnt reply to my last complaint about the Thai language service ..howeverb ....he has since been SACKED.........must have a word with Margaret......she is much easier to talk to....

anyway interesting story ..(from the boys site)

The first British Consul in Bangkok, Mr. Charles Batten Hillier, took up his post in 1856 shortly after the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1855, negotiated by Sir John Bowring, came into force (5 April 1856). Weakened by dysentery, he went to convalesce in the South, but on returning to attend to urgent business he died while crossing the bar at the mouth of the River on 18 October 1856. Mr. Hillier is buried in the Protestant Cemetery in Bangkok. His place was taken by Mr Bell, who remained as Acting Consul until Sir John Bowring, British Ambassador to Siam, (Resident in Hong Kong), sent a Mr Gingell to Bangkok to succeed Mr.Hillier.

The first Consuls appointed to Siam rented premises in the Bang Kholaem District of Southern Bangkok, but Mr Gingell looked for more permanent quarters. As a gesture of generosity, King Mongkut assisted in the appropriation of land (on a piece of ground adjacent to the Portuguese Consulate on the bank of the river,) as a site for the British Consulate and presented it to Mr Gingell. As a further mark of generosity King Mongkut made a loan of Ticals 16,000 to enable Mr Gingell to construct a building on the new site while waiting for the transfer of funds from the Foreign Office in London . A flagstaff was erected which lasted until 1892 when it was blown down during a storm.

A new flagpole, in steel, was ordered from Hong Kong at a cost of £500. The Foreign Office and Ministry of Works reprimanded the then Vice-Consul responsible, Mr W R D Beckett, who later became a distinguished diplomat in Siam, for unnecessary extravagance. The new flagstaff was eventually moved to the present Embassy. It is reputedly the largest free-standing flagpole in Bangkok. Its actual height is a closely guarded secret.

The first British Consul to inhabit the new building, completed about 1876, was Sir Robert Schomburgk. Other buildings later added included a row of servants’quarters, two jails in 1880 and 1890, two courthouses in 1902 and 1907, a house for the Consular Assistant, an office building in 1890, and eventually a house for the Minister when the Consulate was raised to the status of a Legation in 1895.

When Sir Ralph Paget arrived in Bangkok in 1902 to take charge of the Legation he found the position of the Legation both noisy and polluted. River craft of various kinds including steam launches passed up and down throughout the day and night, sounding their sirens continuously. Opposite the Legation on the opposite bank two rice mills were in operation and a third under construction. The two active rice mills had hooters which they constantly sounded, and whenever the wind blew from the East the whole compound was smothered with paddy-ash. By 1905 electrical trams were plying up and down New Road rattling and clanging their bells. An Italian lady by the name of Madame Staro, assisted by a bevy of younger ladies, ran a bar immediately opposite the Legation. Performances on the piano and other musical instruments, quite apart from other entertainments, attracted an enthusiastic clientele. A temple of uncertain religious persuasion next to the Consulate rang a bell for morning prayers at 5 o’clock each day.

When eventually Sir Ralph Paget had been confirmed in his appointment and rose to the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary, he proposed to the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Works in London that the time had come for a change of site. His idea at the time was to acquire land in the vicinity of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. The response from London was neither enthusiastic nor helpful; indeed, in the time-honoured way of handling unwelcome requests for funds, London avoided any commitment or even comment. But as Sir Ralph became progressively involved with so many other important matters, particularly the negotiations on the abolition of extra-territorial jurisdiction and border problems, he found that he had little time to worry about river noises, the constant ash-plague and the activities of neighbouring young ladies.

The Thai authorities had however by this time appreciated that the British Government were not all that satisfied with the site of the Legation and proposals were put forward that, if a new site was found, then the present site would be ideal to establish Bangkok’s Central Post Office. But the wheels of the bureaucratic machine in both Bangkok and London continued to grind at a snail’s pace. In 1914 World War I broke out and it was not until the end of the war in 1919, when Mr Richard Sturgis Seymour arrived as Minister, that the Thai Government made a definite offer to provide a new site in exchange for the old Legation compound. But when Sir Robert (Hyde) Greg became Minister at the end of 1921 he was at first not particularly excited with the idea of a change of site. He and his wife were both people of artistic taste and the archaic buildings of the old compound as well as their feelings on the river appealed to their aesthetic taste. Sir Robert in particular was horrified at the thought of being obliged to live in a house designed by an architect from the Ministry of Works.

Fortunately the Vice-Consul at the time, Mr W A R Wood, visited England in 1922 and was able to assist in the preparation of draft plans for the main Residence in the compound. Mr Wood had been responsible for the original draft plans of the new Consulates at Songkhla and Chiang Mai and happily his ideas for Bangkok found favour. On his return to Bangkok, Sir Robert expressed pleasure at Mr Wood’s endeavours and his objections to changing residence were somewhat mollified. And so it was in March 1922 that an agreement was made under which the present site of the British Embassy was acquired from Phraya Pakdi Noraseth, popularly known as Nai Lert, who at that time owned the whole of the park between Ploenchit Road and the large klong which runs parallel with Petchburi Road. The British Government acquired about half of this park, or some 12 acres (28 rai) from Nai Lert (who passed away on 15 December 1945 at the age of 73). His daughter, Khunying Lursakdi, who is married to Khun Binich Sampatisiri, inherited the balance of the estate, part of which is the site of the Nai Lert Park Hotel.

At the time this new site was on the outskirts of Bangkok. Ploenchit Road ended about half a mile further on. Not surprisingly there were complaints that the British Legation was moving too far away from the centre of the city. Sir Robert found it necessary to respond to a critical editorial in one of the Bangkok newspapers. The change was far from popular, particularly with those firms which were connected with the shipping business. The captains of British ships, which then called at Bangkok in considerable numbers, were required to enter and clear their vessels at the British Consulate-General in the Legation and they complained that a great deal of their limited time was wasted in going to and from the new premises. Many British subjects, particularly Indians, Burmese and Malays, also expressed their discontent because buses and trams at that time did not pass near to the new site. Some thought was given to meeting these objections by maintaining a Consular and Shipping Office near the old site, but the expense of obtaining land in the area was found to be too high.

As the new site was on the outskirts of Bangkok, it was possible not only to acquire the land, but also to pay for the cost of the new buildings from the proceeds of the sale of the old river site – about £110,000. Queen Victoria’s statue and the flagpole were both moved to their present positions from the old Legation. Queen Victoria’s statue was, in the words on the plinth, “erected in loving memory by her subjects in Siam 1903”. The statue is particularly respected by Thai students; the late Queen’s intercessions may have assisted academic achievement in Bangkok. The statue was boarded up during World War II, but the Japanese kindly provided a peephole so that Her late Majesty should not be upset. The War Memorial was paid for by British residents in Thailand and was erected at the beginning of 1923. It was in fact the first structure on the new site.

The buildings in the compound were completed in 1926. The Head of Mission, Minister and Envoy Plenipotentiary, Sir Robert Greg, entered into residence on 22 September 1926, a little later than he had hoped. But he remarked philosophically in a letter to the Foreign Office before the end of August, “What is a few weeks’ delay when you have built almost for eternity?”.

The buildings in the compound consist of the Ambassador’s Residence, and housing for staff. With one or two minor additions, all the buildings are still structurally the same as when they were first built in the 1920s. An attractive feature of the Residence dining room is the punkah, which was brought from the old Legation Residence. Another curiosity is the “gun emplacement” sited on the corner of Ploenchit and Wireless Roads which marked the limits of Nai Lert’s property. When Nai Lert bought the land between Ploenchit Road and Klong Saen Saep he marked it off with stone boundary markers shaped like hue cannons stuck in the ground – there were six in all. Only one remains on the corner of the British Embassy. A previous markes outside the hotel entrance shaped like a bullet was destroyed in a car crash in 2003.

Sir Robert Greg had urged the importance of open planning for the new compound. He spoke about “the relation of space to health” and went on to report that “the climate of Bangkok is such that none ever goes out of doors if he can help it between 9 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.”. It was largely as a result of his insistence that the attractive klong behind the Residence was included in the compound. This klong had been dug out some years previously in order to provide infill for levelling the whole of the Nai Lert Park and was much used for boating and bathing parties at weekends. Nobody swims there nowadays.

Several members of the British Royal Family have visited the Residence. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II came during her State visit in 1972 and 1996, HRH Prince Philip in 1968 and 1972. HRH Princess Anne in 1978, HRH The Duke of Kent in 1987 and HRH Princess Alexandra on several occasions, most recently in 2003.

In 1974 a new complex was added providing modern air conditioned office accommodation. The foundation stone for this new building was laid by HM Queen Elizabeth II during her State Visit to Thailand in February 1972.

The British Legation became an Embassy in 1947. Mr Geoffrey Harrington Thompson, former Minister and Envoy Extraordinary, became the first British Ambassador to Thailand in that year.

[markuk]

it would have been better idea to open up the area into another green park.

Yes, just like that nice Mr. Chuwit Kamolvisit's park on soi 10.

yes i agree

[Heng]

Could have been worse. Could have been one of those 99 year leases "like it'll be worth anything 100 years from now, we'll all be dead anyway" deals.

[bulmercke]

Another shopping mall to sate the appetites of materialistic Thai consumers.......yuk.....

Don't care about the grounds....your average Joe.....myself included...... was barred from entry.....since the Phloenchit Fair relocated a few years back.

[solo siam]

Great,

I get to go shopping at Central whenerver I have to visist the embassy, much better than having to crawl half way across bangkok for just an embassy visit.

They should have some british shops in there, liek Virgin or TopShop - That would be cool.

[grahamb]

Could have been worse. Could have been one of those 99 year leases "like it'll be worth anything 100 years from now, we'll all be dead anyway" deals.

"Yeah, you can have the New Territories of Hong Kong for 99 years, no-one will want to live there anyway. Pass me the opium pipe"

I guess we Brits had learned by the time we signed the papers for the Bangkok land!