Abandoned New World mall will finally be pulled down
Bangkok’s famous New World mall, which became a tourist attraction over the years, will finally be demolished.
The structure in Bangkok’s Banglamphu area, which has been abandoned for 33 years now, even served as an art exhibition site for Silapakorn University students in 2020.
However, the Phra Nakhon district office said on Monday that the owner has been contacted and has agreed to demolish the building.
District chief Vason Boonmuenwai said the structure was not stable and could pose a danger to residents.
The site had been cordoned off for demolition work on Monday, and Vason reckons the job will take between eight and 12 months.
The New World mall, which opened in 1983, was once bustling with shoppers but had to be shut down in 1994 when the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) took the owner to court for illegally adding seven floors to the building. In 1997, the court ordered that floors five to 11 be removed and in 2004 a part of the building collapsed killing a passer-by.
The building was closed in 2004, but holes in the roof allowed rain to get into the building, flooding the lower floors, which then became a breeding ground for mosquitos. The locals then released fish into the water, inadvertently turning it into a tourist attraction.
However, the site was cordoned off in 2014 and the fish removed.
The owner Kaew Pooktuanthong also owns Kaew Fah Plaza, which suffered similar problems.
