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| Even beautiful Bangkok
has its bad points. Everywhere in the capital,
buildings of ambitious stature remain unfinished,
blemishes in the background. The crisis of
1997 certainly left its mark not just visibly
but obtrusively (potentially dangerous too).
The City of Angels would do well to rid itself
of this problem. |
| ©
http://www.bangkok-thailand.org |
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| Three buildings unfinished
buildings left in a sorry state on Rachadaphisek
Road, Bangkok (as seen from Asoke Road at
the crossing of the Sky Train and underground
rail works. |
 In
the early morning light in this abandoned
building still under construction, you can
make out signs of life that suggest the homeless
have found a refuge in this no-man's land.
In this construction site on Sukhumvit Road,
the concrete slabs have been transformed into
beds, washing area and kitchen from where
you'll see smoke escaping. |
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ruins |
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>> From a distance
it seems an illusion. One could be forgiven
for thinking that construction moves quickly
in Bangkok and that everything's fine - when
the construction industry's working, everyone's
working! Alas no, if you do spot the scaffolding
of a new building poking its beams around
the odd corner of the city, there are at least
several hundred other sites where grand scale
projects have been abandoned in mid flow since
the crash. Some of these buildings are still
impressive with their beautiful near finished
façades hiding their misery (see photos);
others are enough to scare anyone, especially
at night, with their apocalyptic silhouettes
standing out in the darkness.
The financial boom of the mid 90's saw an
impressive surge of big investors in property
in Bangkok. This was before the crash of '97.
Such a blow shattered the confidence of the
construction industry and its desire to build
big and bold. The sudden lack of cash on the
market, which was already suffering from the
economic slump, meant contractors were forced
to abandon their projects. Even today, 6 years
on, half finished construction sites can still
be seen dotted around the City of Angels.
No one knows what will become of these dismal
structures where access is strictly monitored
by unformed guards. Unused, except for the
odd floor for parking, uninhabited, except
for the occasional stray dog or the local
down and outs, these buildings don't really
have a future. However, something will need
to be done by the authorities as these places
deteriorate day by day. In the meantime, if
you happen to be passing by, consider crossing
the road because it won't be long before they
could become a real danger. (/LA) |
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Version française de
cet article 
|
| City Life |
 Le
bruit
et l'odeur
de
Bangkok 
 Sanam
Luang, la grande place royale de Bangkok
 Environment
Urban
ruins in
Bangkok
 Khao
San, the
backpacker's quarter in Bangkok
 Quand
Silom road devient piétonne, le dimanche
 Respect
et entretien pour une ville
propre
 Lumphini
Park
the more popular public park
 Pour
se loger
à Bangkok,
ce n'est pas difficile
 Krung
Thep:
learn the Thai
name of
Bangkok |
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