The New Dusit Thani Mega-Project

Bangkok will soon lose another historic modernist building, with the Dusit Thani hotel—as we know it—to officially close as of June 2018.

A press release from the Dusit Thani hotel and property-development company confirms operations will continue as normal until Jun 30 2018, after which the building will be demolished to create a "mixed-use" complex, including a renovated hotel, serviced apartments, office space, retail space and dedicated green space.

A partnership with Central Group, the mixed-use real estate development is worth B36.7 billion (about US$1.05 billion)—for comparison, that's about B16 billion more than Mahanakhon. 

The mega-project was first announced last week, raising fears the historic modernist hotel would get razed.

Following criticism from netizens, Dusit Thani has stated that it has plans to provide projects for its staff within the Dusit Thani chain during the construction period, ensuring that no one will lose their jobs. The hotel has also reiterated that this is not the "closure" of Dusit Thani, but rather a reconstruction to introduce a new, exciting version of the hotel that hopes to bring more value to Bangkok and Thai people. 

Built in 1970, Dusit Thani represents a charming blend of vernacular (gilded mosaics, pointed arches) and mid-century modern architecture. Since The Siam Intercontinental was razed to make way for Siam Paragon, the Dusit has become one of the last remaining hotels of the sort. The Indra Hotel on Ratchaprarop Road is another, but is not nearly as well preserved, surrounded as it is by billboards and telephone lines. 

Bangkok's richest man's reinvention of the Suan Lum Night Bazaar 

News recently dropped that the 104-rai space on the corner of Wireless and Rama 4 roads that once housed the popular Suan Lum Night Bazaar is soon to become a new mixed-used space called "One Bangkok."

The Bangkok Post reports that the billionaire tycoon behind Chang beer, Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, is behind a deal valued at around B120 billion to convert the neighborhood into Thailand's biggest mixed-use development when it opens in 2021.

For perspective, the mixed-use real estate development which Dusit Thani recently announced on the other side of the street is worth B36.7 billion, while Thailand's tallest building, MahaNakhon, is worth around B20 billion. 

What we're trying to say is, One Bangkok will be on-another-level massive. The total area of land is almost one-third the size of Lumphini Park. Charoen has plans for five office towers, five luxury hotels, three residential towers, plus plenty of retail space, art and culture facilities. In total, it's expected to hold more than 60,000 people, with 50 rai of the area earmarked for green space. 

The wasteland which became of the Suan Lum Night Bazaar has been a big Bangkok talking point ever since the popular market closed down in 2011. Over the past year, it has been used to house a cut-price Chang-branded theme park in much the same way that Sukhumvit's Dinosaur Planet is space saving for the Mall Group's third installment for the EM District. 

The announcement of One Bangkok comes on the back of a spate of mega project announcements for downtown Bangkok which look set to transform the city center. Directly across the road, Dusit Thani hotel's partnership with Central Group looks set to reinvent Silom, while the old Silom Center building on the other side of the skywalk is also earmarked for a shopping center makeover. 

Further along Rama 4 towards Chamchuri Square, Samyan Mitr Town is a similarly ambitious project from Golden Land (Park Ventures Ecoplex, Sathorn Square), the property development arm of Charoen's TTC Group.

Chulalongkorn's giant plans for Samyan

Last Mar 26, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn officially opened CU Centenary Park—the first stage in Chula's grand reinvention plans for Samyan (the area stretching from BTS National Stadium to MRT Sam Yan).

The 30-rai split-story green space is the centerpiece for a huge redevelopment of the 290-rai Samyan neighborhood which aims to create Bangkok’s very own mini Silicon Valley—a “smart city” home to innovation and startup businesses.

Ambitious and civil-minded but with plenty of commercial space too, the project is proving a focal point for those who would like to see Bangkok step away from high-rise developments and malls, and towards long-term urban planning.

But the total project isn’t all parks and exhibits. While 30 rai (roughly one-tenth Lumphini Park's size) is dedicated to CU Centenary Park, another 40 rai has been allotted to Samyan Mitr Town—a shopping mall, office space and 554-room condominium being developed by Golden Land Property Development Group (the building arm of real estate behemoth TCC Group) at Samyan’s Southern end. Read our in-depth look at the park here.

The opening follows Suan Pa Benjakitti, a 61-rai extension to Benjakitti Park that opened unofficially late last year. 

The long-delayed makeover of the corner of Silom and Rama 4 roads