A ghost tower in the sky: Bangkok's creepy abandoned skyscraper

[webfact]

A ghost tower in the sky: Bangkok's creepy abandoned skyscraper
BY ELISABETH TILSTRA (THE LINEUP)

BANGKOK, Jan 14 — Its official name is the Sathorn Unique Tower, though many know it by a different name — the Ghost Tower. What was supposed to be a symbol of class and culture in downtown Bangkok, Thailand is instead a derelict building marred by graffiti, debris, and more than a few haunted rumours.

The building’s construction began in 1990 when Rangsan Torsuwan, a prominent Thai architect and developer, conceived of the grand structure. He envisioned a luxury condominium complex looming over Bangkok. Yet his dream was short-lived.

In 1993, Torsuwan was arrested for allegedly plotting to murder the President of the Supreme Court. Although the murder never occurred, Torsuwan was in fact found guilty in 2008, only to be acquitted in 2010. Meanwhile, in 1997, the Asian financial crisis swept through Thailand, crippling the economy.

Full story: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/features/article/a-ghost-tower-in-the-sky-bangkoks-creepy-abandoned-skyscraper

-- malaymail online 2016-01-14

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[puukao]

At Swampy, a taxi driver sold me a nice room for 4,000 baht a month!!!

I'm in 1313 if anyone wants to visit...

He said they will fix things up soon!!!

[trogers]

A reminder of the foolishness and greed of man.

There is one more next to the Bang Prakong river. You would pass it when traveling along Bangna-trad highway towards Chonburi.

[impulse]

At Swampy, a taxi driver sold me a nice room for 4,000 baht a month!!!

I'm in 1313 if anyone wants to visit...

He said they will fix things up soon!!!

So when are you going to send me the rent?

I bought that floor a couple of years back. Probably from the same driver....

[Thian]

There is a whole row of never finished skyscrapers close to Impact muang thong thani expo hall. About 10 of them are there.

But what's the news about this tower? Can it still be finished? If not then better demolish it soon.

[HooHaa]

this story gets yet another annual re hash

[lee b]

Dont know why but i would love to go and have a roam around this building, Im not really worried one bit about any ghosts that may try to jump out on me..

[Colabamumbai]

How about a nice green area to sit and rest and enjoy the capital.

[atyclb]

Theres a big one near BTS taksin station

[bark]

There is a whole row of never finished skyscrapers close to Impact muang thong thani expo hall. About 10 of them are there.

But what's the news about this tower? Can it still be finished? If not then better demolish it soon.

I think they set the date of 2012 ? To apply for permits to finish them. After the 1997-2000 Financial crisis, there were over 300 buildings not finished. Thai baht went from 23 to 42 baht / USD in a few weeks. Many people were jumping out of high story windows. A lot of these unfinished building have 2-3 people/groups as owners. Hard to get them all to agree on pricing after losing millions of dollars. The ghost tower will never be finished !!

[sandrabbit]

There's one on Mae Ramphung beach, Ban Phe, Rayong. An unfinished condo block.

[SOTIRIOS]

....it seems that the most important detail is that the architect was acquitted....what does that tell you....

...somebody wanted to stop him and get him out of the way...and they succeeded...

...how could foreigners stand a chance.....

[Traveller45]

I don't know if the actual physical condition of the building (safety) would today allow for such a project, but it appears indeed as if this tower could be refurbished to a very basic standard (and not luxury) and then cut up into units, to be proposed at very low prices and perhaps with special loan conditions to boot. This need not be a loss of money by any means for a private company willing to do such a thing.

[gemguy]

In September 2015, Pansit Torsuwan — Rangsan Torsuwan’s son, and current owner of Rangsan’s firm — filed criminal trespassing charges against five tourists who had climbed the tower and posted about it online. His motive was to set an example, and deter future would-be climbers.

OK...I guess the guy in the video can be or would be one of the people to be sued or soon to be sued for trespassing.... as it is all seen on the video showing himself trespassing.

Like Duh....prefect way to incriminate yourself doing something illegal...although trespassing is a minor infraction of the laws.

Just saying.

Cheers

[mike324]

Theres a big one near BTS taksin station

The article is talking about the big one near BTS Saphan Taksin.

Edited January 14, 2016 by mike324

[mike324]

There is a whole row of never finished skyscrapers close to Impact muang thong thani expo hall. About 10 of them are there.

But what's the news about this tower? Can it still be finished? If not then better demolish it soon.

The whole row of never finish skyscrapers are slowly coming back to life, many were renovated and finish couple years ago. I haven't been back there for a while but that whole area is developing quite a bit.

This tower probably can't be finish as the owners do not have enough funds. Due to their records, it would be impossible for them to get such big loans. Their only other option is to partner up with a real estate firm to complete it, since there are so many rooms it would be difficult to sell.

Just take a look at condos at State Tower located very close. It is built in very same design, and there are still many empty units.

[Thian]

There is a whole row of never finished skyscrapers close to Impact muang thong thani expo hall. About 10 of them are there.

But what's the news about this tower? Can it still be finished? If not then better demolish it soon.

The whole row of never finish skyscrapers are slowly coming back to life, many were renovated and finish couple years ago. I haven't been back there for a while but that whole area is developing quite a bit.

This tower probably can't be finish as the owners do not have enough funds. Due to their records, it would be impossible for them to get such big loans. Their only other option is to partner up with a real estate firm to complete it, since there are so many rooms it would be difficult to sell.

Just take a look at condos at State Tower located very close. It is built in very same design, and there are still many empty units.

I don't know the state tower but if the units won't sell they are too expensive!

I see that everywhere in Thailand, the Thai will never take a loss and would rather go bankrupt.

The creepy skyscraper has a great design and i bet if it gets finished it won't be hard to sell if the price is right of course. Chinese are waiting to invest here so sell the whole thing to them.

[newnative]

Unfortunately, Pattaya has its own ghost tower, too.

[bangon04]

They have made some progress in lower Sukhumvit - the mess next to Soi 6 nana station has been / is being fixed.

However the eyesore at Sukhumvit 29 - the shell which was going to be the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Remember that the completion date used to be regularly painted over on the banners outside until they finally gave up.

Hope it gets used one day.... ironically they built the new Holiday Inn almost opposite .

[Inquisitorial]

Such a waste - I wonder what they will do with it - probably deteriorated too much now for someone to take this on and finish the project.

Feel sorry for all those people who purchase condo off the plan.

[Suradit69]

....it seems that the most important detail is that the architect was acquitted....what does that tell you....

...somebody wanted to stop him and get him out of the way...and they succeeded...

...how could foreigners stand a chance.....

Because if he were stopped no more condos or malls would be built in Bangkok? Was the 1997 financial crisis engineered to thwart his plans too?

People are acquitted, often after a number of years, for a variety of reasons, many of them more to do with legal technicalities than the sudden discovery of fresh evidence. Whatever the reason, on what basis do you assume it was all orchestrated to stop construction of one more Bangkok building?

Amazing the flights of fancy and convoluted imaginary scenarios people will produce with nothing to go on other than their imaginations after watching a few too many crime dramas on television.

[Suradit69]

There is a whole row of never finished skyscrapers close to Impact muang thong thani expo hall. About 10 of them are there.

But what's the news about this tower? Can it still be finished? If not then better demolish it soon.

The whole row of never finish skyscrapers are slowly coming back to life, many were renovated and finish couple years ago. I haven't been back there for a while but that whole area is developing quite a bit.

This tower probably can't be finish as the owners do not have enough funds. Due to their records, it would be impossible for them to get such big loans. Their only other option is to partner up with a real estate firm to complete it, since there are so many rooms it would be difficult to sell.

Just take a look at condos at State Tower located very close. It is built in very same design, and there are still many empty units.

I don't know the state tower but if the units won't sell they are too expensive!

I see that everywhere in Thailand, the Thai will never take a loss and would rather go bankrupt.

The creepy skyscraper has a great design and i bet if it gets finished it won't be hard to sell if the price is right of course. Chinese are waiting to invest here so sell the whole thing to them.

You "see" people going bankrupt everywhere in Thailand? Would love to read the details of the court proceedings you've been looking through.

Are you confusing Thailand with the US in 2008 where banks and mortgage lenders and major investment banks that had been dealing mortgage debt collapsed, went out of business, had to be bailed out by tax payers losing $ trillions??And while homes were being abandoned by "owners" who took a 100% hit on everything they had invested or else banks booted people out and repossessed property, having to write down billions of dollars because they were unable to dump the real estate on someone else?

Thais may just hold onto property because it's owned outright or purchased with private money rather than bank debt and eventually it will be sold or put to use. Selling everything at a 50% loss and sitting on unproductive cash when there are no attractive alternative investments around is hardly a sure-fire strategy.

Given the past decade or so in the US, Europe, Japan, etc, I'm not sure westerners are in a good position to be dishing out financial or economic advice.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Suradit69

[tolsti]

There's one overlooking the marina at Bali Hai Pattaya also....

[TheCruncher]

There is a whole row of never finished skyscrapers close to Impact muang thong thani expo hall. About 10 of them are there.

But what's the news about this tower? Can it still be finished? If not then better demolish it soon.

The whole row of never finish skyscrapers are slowly coming back to life, many were renovated and finish couple years ago. I haven't been back there for a while but that whole area is developing quite a bit.

This tower probably can't be finish as the owners do not have enough funds. Due to their records, it would be impossible for them to get such big loans. Their only other option is to partner up with a real estate firm to complete it, since there are so many rooms it would be difficult to sell.

Just take a look at condos at State Tower located very close. It is built in very same design, and there are still many empty units.

I don't know the state tower but if the units won't sell they are too expensive!

I see that everywhere in Thailand, the Thai will never take a loss and would rather go bankrupt.

The creepy skyscraper has a great design and i bet if it gets finished it won't be hard to sell if the price is right of course. Chinese are waiting to invest here so sell the whole thing to them.

You "see" people going bankrupt everywhere in Thailand? Would love to read the details of the court proceedings you've been looking through.

Are you confusing Thailand with the US in 2008 where banks and mortgage lenders and major investment banks that had been dealing mortgage debt collapsed, went out of business, had to be bailed out by tax payers losing $ trillions??And while homes were being abandoned by "owners" who took a 100% hit on everything they had invested or else banks booted people out and repossessed property, having to write down billions of dollars because they were unable to dump the real estate on someone else?

Thais may just hold onto property because it's owned outright or purchased with private money rather than bank debt and eventually it will be sold or put to use. Selling everything at a 50% loss and sitting on unproductive cash when there are no attractive alternative investments around is hardly a sure-fire strategy.

Given the past decade or so in the US, Europe, Japan, etc, I'm not sure westerners are in a good position to be dishing out financial or economic advice.

So you say that Thais don't go bankrupt and the condo's they build are all with private money?

So the foreclosure websites from the banks are just an imagination of mine, same are the entire floors in condominiums that have a sticker on each door, this property is owned by SCB?

[Thian]

There is a whole row of never finished skyscrapers close to Impact muang thong thani expo hall. About 10 of them are there.

But what's the news about this tower? Can it still be finished? If not then better demolish it soon.

The whole row of never finish skyscrapers are slowly coming back to life, many were renovated and finish couple years ago. I haven't been back there for a while but that whole area is developing quite a bit.

This tower probably can't be finish as the owners do not have enough funds. Due to their records, it would be impossible for them to get such big loans. Their only other option is to partner up with a real estate firm to complete it, since there are so many rooms it would be difficult to sell.

Just take a look at condos at State Tower located very close. It is built in very same design, and there are still many empty units.

I don't know the state tower but if the units won't sell they are too expensive!

I see that everywhere in Thailand, the Thai will never take a loss and would rather go bankrupt.

The creepy skyscraper has a great design and i bet if it gets finished it won't be hard to sell if the price is right of course. Chinese are waiting to invest here so sell the whole thing to them.

You "see" people going bankrupt everywhere in Thailand? Would love to read the details of the court proceedings you've been looking through.

Are you confusing Thailand with the US in 2008 where banks and mortgage lenders and major investment banks that had been dealing mortgage debt collapsed, went out of business, had to be bailed out by tax payers losing $ trillions??And while homes were being abandoned by "owners" who took a 100% hit on everything they had invested or else banks booted people out and repossessed property, having to write down billions of dollars because they were unable to dump the real estate on someone else?

Thais may just hold onto property because it's owned outright or purchased with private money rather than bank debt and eventually it will be sold or put to use. Selling everything at a 50% loss and sitting on unproductive cash when there are no attractive alternative investments around is hardly a sure-fire strategy.

Given the past decade or so in the US, Europe, Japan, etc, I'm not sure westerners are in a good position to be dishing out financial or economic advice.

Court proceedings? I don't need them to see a business being closed or empty all day.

And the mistake the Europeans made was trusting the Americans blindly...that caused the whole crisis which was felt worldwide.

[chopin2]

Its a turistattraction, just like Hashima island in Japan! It will never be completed or demolished.