Tourism minister sheds tear while opening new Chao Phraya landmark

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- Tourism and Sports Minister Korbkarn Wattanavrangku shed her tear of joy when she chaired the opening ceremony of a new Bangkok landmark on the Chao Phraya river bank.

She presided over the launching of Tha Maharaj community mall on Thursday. The new riverside mall is located on Tha Maharaj Road and on the opposite side from Wang Lang or Siriraj pier.

While expressing her admiration of the mall, which has been developed with colonial fusion architect, Korbkarn was seen choked with her emotion and her eyes brimmed with tear.

In her speech, Korbkarn said Tha Maharaj is another legend on the Chao Phraya River and the development of the community mall helped preserved the legend.

She said she was happy that the mall was developed by the persons who love Thainess.

“What I want most is to see Thais return to Thainess and revive the old way of life of Thais. This place allows us to see those things,” the minister said.

The mall has a small park and is decorated with Installation art pieces from Silpakorn University.

Several popular brands have opened their shops in the mall, including Starbucks, S & P, After You, Savoey, Saeb I Lee, and Every Day.

The mall CEO Suphaphan Pichaironnarongsongkram said the mall was developed under the concept of “riverside eatery, urban oasis and culture market” with the goal to provide access to the Chao Phraya to tourists.

Suphaphan said Tha Maharaj was a road built during the early period of Ratanakosin era. Since many tourists have been travelling past the road, he decided to build the mall on the 3-rai plot.

[Upnotover]

".....return to Thainess and revive the old way of life of Thais...............Starbucks, S & P, After You, ......."

Would tend to make you cry a bit.

[SpoliaOpima]

Almost reads like parody.

[cmsally]

Shame she didn't come and open something in Chiang Mai. She would be shedding lots of tears - but from the terrible pollution rather than some strange architectural / social nuance. Then of course she would have been "choked up" all day due to the terrible air quality up here. By the end of the day she would be positively pleading and balling her eyes out, to return to Bangkok and some kitsch air conditioned mall.

[Bluespunk]

"She said she was happy that the mall was developed by the persons who love Thainess.

What I want most is to see Thais return to Thainess and revive the old way of life of Thais. This place allows us to see those things, the minister said."

Bless.

Is she saying Thainess is having a place to shop?

It's a worldwide thing then.

Can't blame her really though, I cry every time I see a new mall being built.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Bluespunk

[kevc]

Thainess has gone the same as the equivalent did in the U.K when you could leave your door unlocked and strangers you passed in the street would smile and say hello. Unfortunate but it's called "progress" how I don't know although for me I'd prefer the old days (especially before smartphones).

[arthurwait]

A shopping mall is 'Thainess' ? You couldn't make this stuff up.

[Johnniey]

Damn, I thought it was going to be Chao Phraya Massage 4

[Jip99]

She probably had 100,000 Baht on with the local bookmakers @ 6/4 that the Mall would not be ready by Songkran.

[kkerry]

I was there on Tuesday. It's only small, right where the tourist ferry stops.

[harada]

Thainess has gone the same as the equivalent did in the U.K when you could leave your door unlocked and strangers you passed in the street would smile and say hello. Unfortunate but it's called "progress" how I don't know although for me I'd prefer the old days (especially before smartphones).

Why does progress always make things worse ?

[Costas2008]

Call me a softie, but I become patty in the hands of women crying

Ahhhhhhh........don't I miss Yingluck

[Songhua]

Does it have a KFC?

[baboon]

Thainess has gone the same as the equivalent did in the U.K when you could leave your door unlocked and strangers you passed in the street would smile and say hello. Unfortunate but it's called "progress" how I don't know although for me I'd prefer the old days (especially before smartphones).

Why does progress always make things worse ?

Have you ever had an anaesthetic?

[catterwell]

As an "Expat", I love "Thainess". My only problem is that I don't particularly like either of those two English-language words. But then maybe it's too late as I've already "Gone Native".

Edited March 15, 2015 by catterwell

[catterwell]

Call me a softie, but I become patty in the hands of women crying

Ahhhhhhh........don't I miss Yingluck

You're a softie. (As requested)

[clockman]

So return to Feudal patronage, And Sino Thai domination! Wonderful. By the way. What is the tourism ministers background?

[Bluespunk]

I was there on Tuesday. It's only small, right where the tourist ferry stops.

Did you shed a tear?

[Benmart]

“What I want most is to see Thais return to Thainess and revive the old way of life of Thais".

I am not an expert on Thai history or "Thainess". I do know that the history of many counties is rife with incidents that are less than desirable. From what I have researched, reviving the "old way of life" is something to think about.

[FangFerang]

I Want To Puke!

So I read her emotional acting twice.

Then I did puke.

It was a nice khmer somtam too! Now that's Thainess.

[lust]

Thai people are like Americans 20 years ago. Shop shop shop!!! Payments are voluntary. Mai pen rai.

[eddie61]

I too, often shed a tear when confronted with Thainess, usually at immigration, national parks, and police shake-down.

I think the closest english translation is "venality"

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1BLWB_enTH595TH595&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=venality%20definition

Edited March 15, 2015 by eddie61

[Godders]

Well it hurts to have your finger caught in the consumer conveyor belt - especially when your country's consumer debt is 85 per cent of GDP.

[kkerry]

I was there on Tuesday. It's only small, right where the tourist ferry stops.

Did you shed a tear?

Yes, but only because I don't have shares in Starbucks, seeing how it looked to be doing quite well already

For anyone going to the Grand Palace, this pier where the blue flag tourist boats stop, is a couple of hundred metres further on than the the orange flag commuter ferry, where you exit through a ramshackle old market and emerge opposite the palace walls.

[Emster23]

Yeah, by all means bring back the old traditions: feudal slavery, women going topless....

[Lupatria]

Yeah, by all means bring back the old traditions: feudal slavery, women going topless....

Those were the days my friend. Where are they gone the good ol’ days when convicts were shot in the back, warlord’s with private army’s taking care of business, undisputed claims of the untouchables and an intact hierarchy where nobody dares to leave a position conjugated by birth? So sad to see all good things come to an end.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Lupatria

[Misterwhisper]

“What I want most is to see Thais return to Thainess and revive the old way of life of Thais. This place allows us to see those things,” the minister said" ... before returning to her office in a Mercedes-Benz instead of an ox cart.

[sprq]

A shopping mall is 'Thainess' ? You couldn't make this stuff up.

Well, actually it is. In fact, there is hardly anything more Thai than a shopping mall, so the woman is more right than she could ever have imagined.

[ChrisY1]

Thainess.jpg

As an "Expat", I love "Thainess". My only problem is that I don't particularly like either of those two English-language words. But then maybe it's too late as I've already "Gone Native".

If that's your style of Thainess.....you've done a terrific job.........lovely home......for an expat )....like!

[trogers]

Australia must really have an economy in dire strait to be harbouring terrorists. First the ISIS warriors, and now a red shirt.