Tobacco Monopoly Buildings Razed. Park Going In?

[ClutchClark]

Be interesting to see how long it stays a Park and not developed with new roadways cutting through.

Somebody certsinly made a pretty penny on the timbers in those old storage warehouses--100's of thousands of board feet in old growth timbers and with the current architectural demand for reclaimed wood...

Someone has made a small fortune.

[ClutchClark]

After what, 60 years of cigarette production, utilizing hundreds of chemicals, would it be too much to hope they've properly disposed of all the contaminated soil?

I have walked/biked/motorbiked and driven through a few thousand times over the past 20 years. There were huge piles of chemical drums scattered about, and some unique aromas when they were running new batches.

I assume some of the land will be developed, and that they will keep some of the administrative facilities open for a Bangkok presence? They did try to close the hospital, but the workers protested so that was kept open.

The warehouses all had concrete slab flooring.

The only area where the soil suffered much contamination would have been the mechanic yard immediately behind Benjakitti Park and a storage yard for barrels along the canal.

The cost for soil remediation of the entire property as you suggest would have been a wasted effort. But it was a nice opportunity to place another jab at Thai authorities, eh?

[ClutchClark]

Those condos down at the end of Soi 4 have just shot up in value I would guess!

As well as those residences on stilts on the opposite side of the canal.

Edited July 21, 2016 by ClutchClark

[Thian]

Nice pictures but i wouldn't call this a park. Even the vegygarden of my MIL looks far better.

Why the Thai always hire the most unexperienced designers for something very important? I don't like anything of it and wonder what kind of tree's they used.

Well at least the tree's on the pavement have some room to grow, many times they pour the concrete untill 5 cm away from the stem and it sure won't take long before the cracks come in the concrete.

[ClutchClark]

Nice pictures but i wouldn't call this a park. Even the vegygarden of my MIL looks far better.

Why the Thai always hire the most unexperienced designers for something very important? I don't like anything of it and wonder what kind of tree's they used.

Well at least the tree's on the pavement have some room to grow, many times they pour the concrete untill 5 cm away from the stem and it sure won't take long before the cracks come in the concrete.

Agreed.

This looks more like a parcel of land awaiting future commercial development.

Just enough money spent to prevent soil erosion and keep it from being an eyesore. Trees are cheap in Thailand.

But this "Park" has all the looks of a future building site.

[Thian]

Nice pictures but i wouldn't call this a park. Even the vegygarden of my MIL looks far better.

Why the Thai always hire the most unexperienced designers for something very important? I don't like anything of it and wonder what kind of tree's they used.

Well at least the tree's on the pavement have some room to grow, many times they pour the concrete untill 5 cm away from the stem and it sure won't take long before the cracks come in the concrete.

Agreed.

This looks more like a parcel of land awaiting future commercial development.

Just enough money spent to prevent soil erosion and keep it from being an eyesore. Trees are cheap in Thailand.

But this "Park" has all the looks of a future building site.

Well they obviously don't take their parks serious while they are very important for a well developed city.

In the subs of BKK they built very nice miniparks under viaducts and U-turns of mainroads. I have never ever seen anybody visiting those parks but they look great. They have a very nice fence all around and are even locked at night.

A mangofarm looks better then this orchardpark. I bet this won't be here within 5 years time, this is not a park but a temporary solution for something else, a bigger project.

Nope i will never visit this "park", our moobaan looks like a paradise compared to this orchard.

[TimTang]

I remember more than a few years back that the Queen wanted to make a park similar to New York Central Park going from Asoke all the way to Lumpini Park. Is this part of that plan that she proposed years ago?

[Buzzz]

The Queens birthday is next month, August, and they will certainly have a ceremony. This is 'her' land. The Queens Park.

I suspect allot of fencing will come down once the greenery is established.

The park area around the lake was completed around early 2004 but they delayed the opening until August and the gardens were better established.

Some pathways in the area around the lake actually lead up to the fence, dead end, so it's obvious the plan 'was' to extend them into the new area. I think they will.

Nong Nooch is the contractor and they are no slouches when it comes to gardening.

Lumpini Park is real nice and this park will be larger once the tobacco operation finalizes their move in 3 years time.

There always is the possibility of development.

The next government might rip out the park? Perhaps the Army is rushing the park plan to foil some unscrupulous politicans future plans or some Army General has adjacent property and wants a park view? TIT.

[ClutchClark]

Buzzz,

Thanks for the historical insight.

I hope its as you say.

[Familyonthemove]

I think there must be future phases being developed - as the huge car park and the road up the middle of the new 'park' make no sense if this is the final footprint?

The original plans earlier in this thread seems to show a larger space than is currently being developed.

But in it's current phase I can't see why anyone would want to go there rather than Lumpini or Benjakitti.

Also can't the need for the huge car park - unless it's for markets or perhaps events in Benjakitti? There's an MRT and BTS station within a short walk as well as the elevated cycle way.

It also needs a pond - to attract some of those HUGE monitor lizards from Lumpini.

[thaihome]

Suspect the car park is mainly going to be used by the church on Soi 10. Two services on Sunday and cars are parked all along the road that is now between the two parks. The road is now much narrower. Might also be usefully for overflow from the convention cente, assume there will be shuttles. Otherwise, may likely be a good place to fly your drone.

Oh, and main vehicle access will be from convention center entrance off Asok.

TH

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Dunno if anyone here has noticed, but the nearby (and somewhat famous) Chuwit Park at Sukhumvit Soi 10 has been closed pretty continuously since the first week of June.

 

A sign up on the gate says it's been closed for renovation. But I pass by there pretty regularly at various hours of the day. And since the closure, I've yet to see anyone actually working inside the park grounds doing any kind of renovation. Nothing.

 

I don't know if there's any connection, but the closure of the park came not long after former massage parlor king Chuwit began serving a two-year prison sentence in 2016 for the original, illegal demolition of many beer bars on his property years ago that led, ultimately and later, to him donating that same land for use as a park.

 

[ClutchClark]

43 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Dunno if anyone here has noticed, but the nearby (and somewhat famous) Chuwit Park at Sukhumvit Soi 10 has been closed pretty continuously since the first week of June.

 

A sign up on the gate says it's been closed for renovation. But I pass by there pretty regularly at various hours of the day. And since the closure, I've yet to see anyone actually working inside the park grounds doing any kind of renovation. Nothing.

 

I don't know if there's any connection, but the closure of the park came not long after former massage parlor king Chuwit began serving a two-year prison sentence in 2016 for the original, illegal demolition of many beer bars on his property years ago that led, ultimately and later, to him donating that same land for use as a park.

 

 

Yeah, that Park is actually still privately owned property, right? 

 

What you have suggested sounds like more than a coicidence,.

 

It was a nice park and enjoyed by many in the neighborhood including young moms.

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

37 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Yeah, that Park is actually still privately owned property, right?

 

 

I've never been clear on that point, but I wish I knew the real answer.

 

The common description is that Chuwit "donated" the land. But does that mean he actually gave legal title to the land to the government/BMA parks? Or does that mean he allowed the BMA and/or government to use HIS land for a park, while retaining ownership?

 

I too like that small park very much, and used to use it quite frequently. It's worrisome that it's been closed for months now, and no sign that whomever is in charge there is actually doing anything inside.

 

The timing of the park's closure and Chuwit's detention probably is a coincidence, but it's an odd one, nonetheless.

[blackcab]

It means the Chanote is still in private hands.

 

If you look closely you will still see the street address carved into the front gate.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

41 minutes ago, blackcab said:

It means the Chanote is still in private hands.

 

If you look closely you will still see the street address carved into the front gate.

 

Sorry, can you explain/elaborate on your thinking on this?

 

What makes you believe the chanote is still in private hands, and what's the street address out front got to do with that issue?

[blackcab]

The street address so that the invoices for water and electricity can be delivered. Would that happen if it was a BMA park?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Dunno, but the address there was etched in stone, AFAICR, probably when the park was first developed and the surrounding walls erected.]

 

I'm guessing, they would not have sandblasted the address off the wall, just because/even if Chuwit had actually donated the land to the government.

 

[orientalist]

Well, the new park is open and it is called Benjakitti. I was there today, pretty much alone.

 

At the northern end of the car park is a small gated area next to the klong with some old trees, and not open to the public yet.

 

 

View from the northern end of the car park to the gate.

 

 

The gate is not at the centre of the park. The new park is square and a road to the right of the gate runs through the centre.

 

 

Looking back at Asoke.

 

 

Plenty of trees in straight lines.

 

 

The section bordered by the fence looks a bit better with the old park's big trees in the background.

 

 

There is a gate and a sign at the southern end of the central road but it isn't open at present.

 

 

There's even a special room for VVIPs.

 

 

The road beside the old park has been resurfaced and lines painted. It doesn't look there will be a connection to the old park unless it is an overhead bridge.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks much for the interesting photos and descriptions.

 

I haven't been to the new park yet. But from the photos, it looks like the construction materials were done more on the cheap vs. the original park area there. In particular, the hard surfaces look more like plain concrete, whereas the original park has nicer materials. And the solitary white metal bench looks kind of sad and uncomfortable.

 

The original park there also has different elevations, some knolls, etc. The new area looks like one big flat expanse that was layed out with military (?) precision. The original park also has some designed/built-in uses, with the lake and paddle boats, the bicycle and walking/running tracks around the perimeter, etc.  Other than sitting out in the hot sun, I'm not sure what anyone would actually do in the new park area.

 

Is there anything about the new park section that actually makes it an inviting place?

 

Edited September 5, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[ClutchClark]

Great photos. The new park is really great and many of the old tobacco property buildings still stand and are in continued operation.

 

The elevated footpath from Soi 10 to Lumpini is still open.

 

In a few years the trees will have matured nicely. Its a great destination.

[orientalist]

I wish they hadn't put all the trees in straight lines, but perhaps the idea is to ensure that every inch of the park will be shaded when the trees are bigger. They should plant the same kind of trees they have in Chuvit Park, which didn't need supports and are now huge.

[berybert]

On ‎05‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 4:01 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Thanks much for the interesting photos and descriptions.

 

I haven't been to the new park yet. But from the photos, it looks like the construction materials were done more on the cheap vs. the original park area there. In particular, the hard surfaces look more like plain concrete, whereas the original park has nicer materials. And the solitary white metal bench looks kind of sad and uncomfortable.

 

The original park there also has different elevations, some knolls, etc. The new area looks like one big flat expanse that was layed out with military (?) precision. The original park also has some designed/built-in uses, with the lake and paddle boats, the bicycle and walking/running tracks around the perimeter, etc.  Other than sitting out in the hot sun, I'm not sure what anyone would actually do in the new park area.

 

Is there anything about the new park section that actually makes it an inviting place?

 

That is a different park is it not ?

This one is at the back of that park. BOGOF.

[orientalist]

Here's the walk from the Benjakitti 2 to Lumpini.

 

 The small section of park north of the car park.

 

 

The start of the cycling path. A few big trees but it's pretty ugly with the steel fencing and foul-smelling klong.

 

 

 

Looking back.

 

 

A steep bridge over the end of Soi Nana.

 

 

Another steep bridge over the expressway.

 

 

 

 

The Indonesian mosque. Who knew?

 

 

The Holy Reedemer Church used to be a temple.

 

 

Doggie hangout.

 

 

Bridge over the road to Lumpini.

 

 

I only saw 2 cyclists along the path. If it rains, there isn't much shelter unless you go down the occasional steps and under the bridge. It took me 50 minutes from Asoke BTS to Ploenchit BTS walking fairly slowly.

 

[orientalist]

I read in an online article recently that the new park has been dubbed (by who?) "Benjakitti Forest Park." What a joke. The part they have just completed is 61 rai. Phase 2 will add 170 rai and phase 3 another 89 rai, to be completed by 2020.

 

Meanwhile, the old Benjakitti Park has lost its attractive lush, slightly overgrown look, with all the foliage cut back, paths painted bright colours and signs everywhere. It looks like it is being managed by the military or some raving control freak.