Here is the new Australian embassy in Bangkok

[mfd101]

12 minutes ago, KamnanT said:

A frequent traveller (64 page) adult passport issued in Bangkok now costs A$510 (including the A$103 "overseas surcharge").  But the staff get a nice new workplace, albeit not that attractive.

It's called 'user pays (full cost)'. A perfectly sensible capitalist principle.

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, ellathai said:

Silly me.Expecting something that would make life a little easier for your own kind.Your standards must be lower than mine, glad you were not working for me when l had my business. It's called service.

Why would people, especially non-Australians, be holding Australian dollars in Thailand? You can't use them.

[avander]

You'd have thought they could have prettied it up a little by putting a little greenery in or maybe they couldn't afford "advanced" plantings.

Surely, security doesn't have to mean design it to look "ugly as....".   It looks so dated.

I am hoping the photo doesn't do it justice.......

[anon789561]

some horrible 1970's style architecture. there are such things as beautiful fortresses. they can be seen all over blighty. that to me looks like a real lazy effort at building design. sure it serves its purpose but if I was someone who'd purchased a place in life condos over there i'd be pretty annoyed with them building that crap on my doorstep

[mfd101]

16 minutes ago, avander said:

You'd have thought they could have prettied it up a little by putting a little greenery in or maybe they couldn't afford "advanced" plantings.

Surely, security doesn't have to mean design it to look "ugly as....".   It looks so dated.

I am hoping the photo doesn't do it justice.......

No, but security does require (1) robust build with blast-proof independent spaces and (2) clear sight all around the building. So eventual gardens will be well away from the building.

 

And don't forget that too much prettying-up and hordes of expats on this site will be complaining on how their money has been wasted on all those useless bureaucrats who only think of themselves and never serve the hardworking old men who want to pay less taxes but want more service ...

[anon789561]

2 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

No, but security does require (1) robust build with blast-proof independent spaces and (2) clear sight all around the building. So eventual gardens will be well away from the building.

 

And don't forget that too much prettying-up and hordes of expats on this site will be complaining on how their money has been wasted on all those useless bureaucrats who only think of themselves and never serve the hardworking old men who want to pay less taxes but want more service ...

so they couldn't have done better than that building then? looks like a lazy effort to me.

[chrisinth]

1 hour ago, johnarth said:

god they must hire half of Bangkok, you can not tell me they all work when I been there I only seen 6 people in total

Looks like the rest must be manning the parapets during working hours.......................

[mfd101]

4 minutes ago, Happy enough said:

so they couldn't have done better than that building then? looks like a lazy effort to me.

No doubt they could have done better, at twice the price ... whereupon hordes of expats etc

[anon789561]

Just now, mfd101 said:

No doubt they could have done better, at twice the price ... whereupon hordes of expats etc

whereupon hordes of expats etc . what do you mean?

[avander]

Just now, mfd101 said:

No, but security does require (1) robust build with blast-proof independent spaces and (2) clear sight all around the building. So eventual gardens will be well away from the building.

 

And don't forget that too much prettying-up and hordes of expats on this site will be complaining on how their money has been wasted on all those useless bureaucrats who only think of themselves and never serve the hardworking old men who want to pay less taxes but want more service ...

I had a "momentary lapse of reason" (pun intended) and forgot about our Aussie whingers.  I'm still proud of my country even though it has gone to the dogs in recent times and would have liked to have seen a better show instead of a "bunker".  

According to the Wikipedia definition this would have been better off out of sight underground. And with a nice Eucalypt native Aussie park on the "roof" full of CCTV and whatever else the security experts like. 

 

Call me a dreamer........  

[mfd101]

2 minutes ago, Happy enough said:

whereupon hordes of expats etc . what do you mean?

Reread my original quote to which you responded above!

[csabo]

4 hours ago, Will27 said:

They're based in Thailand so of course they accept the local currency or credit card.

 

I don't know why you would think they would accept Australia dollars just because they're the Oz embassy.

 

You can't pay for a Thai visa at a Thai consulate in Australia with Baht.

It's local currency.

 

 

Embassies are on foreign soil not local. 

[Lucky mike]

Looks like a cross between opera house and harbour bridge ?

[anon789561]

Just now, mfd101 said:

Reread my original quote to which you responded above!

no

[ThaidDown]

4 minutes ago, csabo said:

Embassies are on foreign soil not local. 

No, they are not.

 

[Will27]

7 minutes ago, csabo said:

Embassies are on foreign soil not local. 

And?

[lvr181]

4 hours ago, DGS1244 said:

Definitely. Where do they get the architects from? 

What architects?   

[Prbkk]

5 hours ago, midasthailand said:

I worked at the previous embassy on South Sathorn Road which was a lovely building that seemed to fit into the environment very well. This new monstrosity looks more like Stalag 13 than an Embassy! 

 

BTW when I worked there it was Australia's 4th largest Embassy world wide, mainly due to the AUSAID, DEETYA and AFP pesrsonnel.

That is a great building and worked well as an embassy until it became surrounded and overlooked by many high-rise office towers and condos. The new one looks like a fortress but I guess that's what embassies have to be these days.

[tandor]

4 hours ago, iang said:

From the looks of it, I think it's simply designed to be a fortress! Not a bad thing is these days of terrorism, shootings & bombings!

..room for a little billabong on the left there.

[anon789561]

7 minutes ago, tandor said:

..room for a little billabong on the left there.

room for improvement mate. its bloody awful

[natway09]

I gotta say it looks very 50's to me & certainly not beautiful in any way but then again I think Ayers rock is an ugly monolith as well, (which is where the so called "inspiration" came from). Now inside the Olgas,,,,, now your talking 

just magnificent.

Why the expensive move anyway?     You cannot tell me the old one was too small as the top floor I never saw used

[anon789561]

5 minutes ago, natway09 said:

I gotta say it looks very 50's to me & certainly not beautiful in any way but then again I think Ayers rock is an ugly monolith as well, (which is where the so called "inspiration" came from). Now inside the Olgas,,,,, now your talking 

just magnificent.

Why the expensive move anyway?     You cannot tell me the old one was too small as the top floor I never saw used

why the expensive move? I think the uk is doing one also. to save a bit of money. I actually think they'll lose money in the long term selling that land

[midasthailand]

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

I gotta say it looks very 50's to me & certainly not beautiful in any way but then again I think Ayers rock is an ugly monolith as well, (which is where the so called "inspiration" came from). Now inside the Olgas,,,,, now your talking 

just magnificent.

Why the expensive move anyway?     You cannot tell me the old one was too small as the top floor I never saw used

My understanding is that many years ago, even before 9/11 there was a plan to have a diplomatic enclave on the site of the old Military Prepatory School. After the Prep school moved to Nakhon Nayok the land was occupied by Suan Lum night markets. It took several years for the authorities to get rid of the night market vendors and I believe you will see more Embassies relocate to that vicinity.

 

The prevailing wisdom at the time was that it would be easier for the RTP to provide protection if all the embassies wee co-located...not sure if that is still the prevailing wisdom given the steep rise in terrorist attacks world wide over the last 20 years.

Edited August 8, 2017 by midasthailand

[Ganador]

Well here is my take... I dont care what the new building looks like... as long as the Thai staff there  will renew my passport when it is due  time....

 

About the new location... far more convenient  coz not to far from BTS station.

 

About the old site on South Sathorn... many good happy times there... especially the old Friday night  "Sundowners" booze up with beer and real meat pies flown in to the embassy  by Qantas... .... and then later the Sundowners crowd would hop over to Patpong for a night cap.... ahaha the mammories...

[4MyEgo]

It would have been nice if they put the money spent on this monstrosity into providing outposts for us who have to fly to Bangkok to get some papers done, waste of time and our money, going all the way to Bangkok sucks, because it usually costs a minimum 5,000 baht by the time you take into consideration flights, hotel, taxis and food, and this could blow out depending on how long you have to wait to get those papers back, in some instances 3 days, waste, waste, waste.

 

Oh and I hate the building for what its worth. 

[Monkeyrobot]

I think it's surpose to resemble Ayres rock. Did not see any dingos ,maybe there out stealing babies,  couple of soi dogs should blend in. What a ugly building looks like a jailhouse.

[Litlos]

11 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

I understand that the UK sent it's convicted criminals to Australia, but does that mean they have to build a prison in Thailand to remind them?

The UK also sent crims to the US.  The Bangkok US embassy certainly looks like a prison.  How about you tell them as they are real touchy about it.

 

Cheers

[Litlos]

Looks like something I would expect to find in the middle of the state housing slums apartments in Bentley, WA.  Every other state probably has a local equivalent.

 

Only good thing is near the MRT.  

 

Would much preferred they not rip me off so much for a passport and everything else and kept the old building.

 

Cheers

[csabo]

17 hours ago, Will27 said:

And?

And it would not be a surprise to use foreign currency on foreign soil. 

[csabo]

17 hours ago, ThaidDown said:

No, they are not.

 

Go climb the wall at the US embassy and split hairs with the Marines waiting for you on the "non foreign soil". Let us know if they share your opinion.