Asiatique

The waterfront promenade at Asiatique

Asiatique The Riverfront is a large open-air mall in Bangkok, Thailand. It is situated in the former docks of the East Asiatic Company, and faces the Chao Phraya River and Charoen Krung Road. The complex opened in 2012 after extensive renovation of the site.

History

The Denmark-based East Asiatic Company was founded in 1897 and was one of several Western firms conducting trade with Siam at the time. The company owned port facilities on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, which include several warehouses, the oldest extant building dating from 1907. The port ceased operations in 1947, and the facilities later fell into disuse. In May 2011 real estate company TCC Land announced its plans to renovate and develop the site into a retail/entertainment complex to be known as Asiatique The Riverfront.

Location and facilities

Asiatique is located on Charoen Krung Road in Bangkok's Bang Kho Laem District, facing the Chao Phraya River. It occupies 30 rai (4.8 hectares (12 acres)) of land, with plans for future expansion to include a total of 72 rai (11.52 hectares (28.5 acres)) of mixed-use development. The mall, featuring a historical theme from the period of King Chulalongkorn's reign (1868–1910), operates as an open-air night market and is open daily from 17:00 to 24:00. It features 1,500 shops and stalls and 40 restaurants, most of which are housed in the former warehouses. Other historical buildings and objects include an old sawmill and a World-War-II bomb shelter. There is an working replica of Bangkok's former tram system, and the site is decorated with bronze statues representing maritime activity. Performing venues for the Joe Louis Traditional Thai Puppet Theatre and the Calypso Cabaret show are also located here, as well as Asiatique Sky, the tallest Ferris wheel in Bangkok at 60 metres (200 ft).

Asiatique opened on 27 April 2012, and has been observed to fulfil a replacement role for the previously popular Suan Lum Night Bazaar, which had closed down in 2010. It is reachable by road (with a parking capacity of 2,000 cars) and by boat, with shuttle services from Sathon Pier. It is managed by Riverside Masterplan Co.,Ltd., a subsidiary of TCC Land.

References

External links

Coordinates: 13°42′22″N 100°30′17″E / 13.7060°N 100.5047°E / 13.7060; 100.5047

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, September 08, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.