The Thai government yesterday approved a four billion-baht expenditure, about $117 million, to begin construction on Bangkok Observation Tower, which will be the tallest structure in Thailand and a new attraction once it’s complete.
The project was approved without calling for bids. According to a government spokesman, Thailand will select the contractor who can prove to be best at traffic management, environmental conservation, and community development, reported Bangkok Post.
The construction cost will be funded by the government, Bangkok Observation Tower Foundation, which is a private organization, donations, and loans from financial institutions.
The tower will be built on a state-owned land plot in Khlong San, the up-and-coming arts district near the Chao Phraya River, close to where The Jam Factory sits.
With its 459-meter height, Bangkok Observation Tower will surpass MahaNakhon in height, adding more than 100 meters to that building’s already impressive 315-meter height. The modern-looking, mixed-use skyscraper had just earned “tallest building” status when it opened in August.
The planned Observation Tower would push Bangkok into the elite club of world cities with skyscrapers topping 350 meters, with its planned height just edging it past the Willis Tower (aka the Sears Tower) in Chicago at #15 in the world.
In Southeast Asia, only Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers would stand taller.
The admission fee will be THB750 (USD22) for foreigners while Thais will receive a 50 percent discount. The completion date has not yet been announced.
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