Swedish tourist's death puts spotlight on access to Bangkok 'ghost tower'

[webfact]

Man's death puts spotlight on access to 'ghost tower'
The Nation

File Photo

BANGKOK: -- THE SWEDISH EMBASSY is verifying the identity of Swedish man who hung himself in an |abandoned high-rise in Bangkok, Yan Nawa police said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Sathon district officials will inspect the 43-storey Sathorn Unique Tower today to determine it is safe and whether its owners need to be instructed to enforce existing safety regulations.

The driver's licence found on the body belonged to Styk Yohanne Kristian, who recently entered Thailand alone. The man had a number of pieces of rope with his normal clothes at the guesthouse where he stayed.

Kiattisak said Police are finding out more about his other possible motives leading him to hang |himself.

DNA verification on Kristian's body is needed because of his badly decomposed body, beyond visual recognition compared to his |driver's licence found on his body.

Yannawa police officer Lt-Colonel Sanchai Martkhamjan said that the building was a private |property and the police could only give cautions to those wanting to go inside or upstairs. Police have |summoned owners on many occasions to give them instructions about letting outsiders in.

Sathorn Unique Tower has been popular with people wishing to take photos of Bangkok from a high spot. Security guards hired by owners reportedly demand and pocket Bt100 from Thais and Bt200 from foreigners wishing to enter the building.

Acting Sathon district chief Chaowarit Songnawarat advised the owners to make it official if they wanted to make the building a tourist attraction. Chaowarit said he would ask the guards to be extra careful about people entering the building.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Mans-death-puts-spotlight-on-access-to-ghost-tower-30249320.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-08

[chooka]

Anyone can get in there. They do have security who seem to be running quite a good business. We stopped for a look about 12 months ago and there was quite a few people in there. I think the admission fee was 100 baht for thais. Don't know the farang price we didn't go in as my wife is scared of ghosts.

[doctorproc156]

Anyone can get in there. They do have security who seem to be running quite a good business. We stopped for a look about 12 months ago and there was quite a few people in there. I think the admission fee was 100 baht for thais. Don't know the farang price we didn't go in as my wife is scared of ghosts.

[noitom]

The Thai way is the pay way. You grease the palm , you get to play.

[alantheembalmer]

"Security guards hired by owners reportedly demand and pocket Bt100 from Thais and Bt200 from foreigners wishing to enter the building."
Blimey, even a derelict building has dual pricing; whatever next.

[Tomtomtom69]

Anyone can get in there. They do have security who seem to be running quite a good business. We stopped for a look about 12 months ago and there was quite a few people in there. I think the admission fee was 100 baht for thais. Don't know the farang price we didn't go in as my wife is scared of ghosts.

Another racist dual pricing case in Thailand. No way I would ever enter that place on this basis alone.

[SoFarAndNear]

The driver's licence found on the body belonged to Styk Yohanne Kristian, who recently entered Thailand alone

Does the Journalist know that most of the Farangs "entered" Thailand recently because most can't stay longer then 90 days.

[kkup]

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The driver's licence found on the body belonged to Styk Yohanne Kristian, who recently entered Thailand alone

Does the Journalist know that most of the Farangs "entered" Thailand recently because most can't stay longer then 90 days.

+1 for ridiculous comment of the day award.

[larsjohnsson]

I don't belive his name was Styk Yohanne Kristian. No way any person in Sweden have a name like that

[Bigfarang1948]

Racist dual pricing, as you call it, must keep you out of most locations in Thailand. I would hate to live the life of a recluse based on your comment, but up to you...

Anyone can get in there. They do have security who seem to be running quite a good business. We stopped for a look about 12 months ago and there was quite a few people in there. I think the admission fee was 100 baht for thais. Don't know the farang price we didn't go in as my wife is scared of ghosts.

Another racist dual pricing case in Thailand. No way I would ever enter that place on this basis alone.

[maidee]

so why they keep the tower? or why not finish it ?

[JOC]

Anyone can get in there. They do have security who seem to be running quite a good business. We stopped for a look about 12 months ago and there was quite a few people in there. I think the admission fee was 100 baht for thais. Don't know the farang price we didn't go in as my wife is scared of ghosts.

Another racist dual pricing case in Thailand. No way I would ever enter that place on this basis alone.

chooka said "Don't know the farang price"

But why let something as boring as facts get in the way of a good old fashion Thaibashing?

[JOC]

Man's death puts spotlight on access to 'ghost tower'

Maybe they should put the spotlight on the fact, that the cops were to lazy to get off their backsides, when someone reported they had found a dead body in the building??

"Not my district"

[sabaii69]

Ghosts enter free

[JenniferSG]

The scary thing is that tourists (teenagers, mostly) pay to get in and can literally fall through the floors of rotting places like these. There are youtube videos, websites, fb pages etc. about going and which holes in the floor to avoid, etc. What the hell? Condemn this place!

[ratcatcher]

so why they keep the tower? or why not finish it ?

Possibly because the owners have moved on to better things and aren't willing to spend a fortune finishing a building with apartments that they will never be able to sell due to several factors.

1. The place is believed, by Thais, to be haunted and this latest death is just reinforcing that belief.

2. Cost of demolition would be huge and the owners will never foot that bill.

3. The building has to be one of the ugliest in Bangkok, as I said before, it looks like a decaying wedding cake. Just needs a huge cherry on top. Nobody would put out good money for a life in that pile.

[mramazing]

"Styk Yohanne Kristian"

More likely "Stig Johan Kristian". And only one of them is his given name.

[jpduggan]

Sometimes these people are so stupid ( Thai Authorities ). It doesn't matter where the poor guy did it! If he threw himself under a train would they have an investigation as to how he got so near the tracks or if he jumped in the canal would the investigate how he was allowed be so close to the canal?. May the poor tormented fellow rest in peace and sympathies to his family.

[jonclark]

so why they keep the tower? or why not finish it ?

Possibly because the owners have moved on to better things and aren't willing to spend a fortune finishing a building with apartments that they will never be able to sell due to several factors.

1. The place is believed, by Thais, to be haunted and this latest death is just reinforcing that belief.

2. Cost of demolition would be huge and the owners will never foot that bill.

3. The building has to be one of the ugliest in Bangkok, as I said before, it looks like a decaying wedding cake. Just needs a huge cherry on top. Nobody would put out good money for a life in that pile.

I believe this building is a relic of the 1997 financial crisis and there are some rather complex ownership issues surrounding it. Hence the reason for it not being demolished or renovated.

I followed this story on Thai social media this weekend and there are some points i'd like to add:

The body was found by a Thai persons who takes photos of Bangkok from this vantage point (either Wednesday or Thursday last week) . When he found the body he reported it to the police. However the station he reported it to determined that location of the building was 'outside their area' and took no interest in it - They didn't even pass on this information to the 'local' police station. The photographer feeling pity and shame that the body was left by police to hang, then took the story onto social media. At which point, as it began to get 'popularity' and criticism of the police mounted, someone in the police acted on it and sent a couple of coppers to take a look. Being unable to find the body. They contacted the photographer who then took them to the 43rd floor, to locate and removed the body.

This whole saga unfolded over 2-3 days.

[DLock]

I was in there last year. It is quite a creepy place. Guard charged us 200 baht per person for 3 people.

If I had bothered to climb that many flight of stairs i would have jumped...could have hung myself at ground level.

It will be closed for a few weeks, but the guards will let people in again soon...money trumps responsibility.

[JacChang]

Alright.... who here looked at the picture and scrolled up and down with their mouse

[Eaglekott]

Anyone can get in there. They do have security who seem to be running quite a good business. We stopped for a look about 12 months ago and there was quite a few people in there. I think the admission fee was 100 baht for thais. Don't know the farang price we didn't go in as my wife is scared of ghosts.

Another racist dual pricing case in Thailand. No way I would ever enter that place on this basis alone.

No You are wrong, it is not Racist pricing, it depends if you pay taxes in the country or not. If you have a valid work permit so you pay tax here you only need to pay "Thai" prices.

Has noting to do with your race.

[Tanlic]

Anyone can get in there. They do have security who seem to be running quite a good business. We stopped for a look about 12 months ago and there was quite a few people in there. I think the admission fee was 100 baht for thais. Don't know the farang price we didn't go in as my wife is scared of ghosts.

Another racist dual pricing case in Thailand. No way I would ever enter that place on this basis alone.

No You are wrong, it is not Racist pricing, it depends if you pay taxes in the country or not. If you have a valid work permit so you pay tax here you only need to pay "Thai" prices.

Has noting to do with your race.

That's interesting I never would have thought of that but when you come to think about it, it makes sense. Dusit Zoo have dual pricing now I know why...thanks

[Baerboxer]

Anyone can get in there. They do have security who seem to be running quite a good business. We stopped for a look about 12 months ago and there was quite a few people in there. I think the admission fee was 100 baht for thais. Don't know the farang price we didn't go in as my wife is scared of ghosts.

Another racist dual pricing case in Thailand. No way I would ever enter that place on this basis alone.

chooka said "Don't know the farang price"

But why let something as boring as facts get in the way of a good old fashion Thaibashing?

Did you bother to read the article?

Then you would have known the facts. But why let facts get in the way, you normally don't.

[lust]

So if this building was not accesable, he would still be alive right? Right...

Also, this is Thailand, not nanny-state England. Don't go into the tower if you are afraid, simple as that. Anyone asking the building to be condemned needs to mind their business. "I would never go in there, and neither should you!".

I don't think the tower can be used now because the concrete has been exposed to weathering for the last 10 years which compromises the structural integrity. As for demolition, who's gonna foot the bill?

[pchansmorn]

There are many unfinished buildings in Thailand, why can't they be torn down? Sure makes the city look bad. Doesn't anyone care how there city looks? Would never happen in San Francisco.

[DaveE13]

i said at the beginning that the owners have a duty of care and looks like they have been brought in to be reminded of this.

[bapoboy]

There are many unfinished buildings in Thailand, why can't they be torn down? Sure makes the city look bad. Doesn't anyone care how there city looks? Would never happen in San Francisco.

it is not always look that counts, if thailand was like us I would never stayed here, watch detroit example, looks like somalia.

[Sviss Geez]

The driver's licence found on the body belonged to Styk Yohanne Kristian, who recently entered Thailand alone

Does the Journalist know that most of the Farangs "entered" Thailand recently because most can't stay longer then 90 days.

Do you know that the journalist did not just state that the Swede entered Thailand recently, he said that he "entered Thailand alone"

[Lupatria]

There is a master key for every lock in this country its called: Baht!