Great video Pat, the ghost tower is an amazing building, only when your outside do you get a sense of the sheer scale of the place, I went around 6 months ago but no jo at all with getting in, there is only one clear way at present and thats just around the corner, there is a cafe there selling chicken and rice, its a clear walk from there but i sense the feeling the cafe owners knew exactly what i was doing there. I did get in the fish mall New World mall and that it another amazing place to see, a little bit of a climb up but well worth it worth it once your in. Steve
Thanks Stephen, the locals have seen it all, I didn't even ask for make a running dash to climb over the wall. Locals do have access but I doubt there's a way in now. All security in the past accepted too many bribes so putting it in charge of the locals maybe the best idea. The door was open when I was at New World for the Khao San video, but they were cleaning something.
Surprisingly to see that this place is still having quite a number of abandoned buildings / waste lands with its rapid development of new projects undergoing all over the town even in the current situation. Thanks Pat for another great video🙏🏼 Very informative 👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks you JP, from what I saw, plots of land will be cleared one by one on the river side of Charoen Krung until all down that side is new developments (apart from Wat Yawana, Wat Suthiwaram school)
The first grafitti i saw in Bangkok was "BKS" or "BKN" was 15 years ago . And now...? Many , some crap but some really good . I think the good one are "legal".
Much of the old graff is equivalent to the stuff you saw in the mid 80s in London, evolving...it's a lot better now and there's a proper scene. That canal is a legal spot as are many canals in Bangkok. If it looks nice and colourful they won't bother you!
nice one Pat ;-) funny thing, when I see all the cats nowadays, I remember when I lived in around the lower Sukhumvit soi's back in 2002 you never saw any cats, I simply thought the locals ate them.
Hey Ruskie, thanks. Ghost tower is watched over to keep the spirits away I think, that soi has so many, they sit and watch you walk past! I've seen the same few cats along Sukhumvit, over the last year while shooting in various parts. Less locals I suppose now.
There was another ghost tower on Sukhumvit Rd opposite soi 20 or 22. It was derelict for many years but recently was renovated and is now a modern looking building that is in use. I don't know how structurally safe the exposed concrete was but I hope it was not as corroded as concrete in the Derelict Sathorn Unique Tower. I have seen quite a few other derelict towers around Bangkok while traveling by car in various directions. I think a lot of them were a result of the Asian Financial Crisis on 1997. I wonder how many people know that the crisis was caused by the Thai government being forced to float the Thai baht, which was pegged to the U.S. dollar before. The crisis spread to much of East Asia and Southeast Asia and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown due to financial contagion.
The building on Sukhumvit seems to be doing ok, probably a decent structure unlike a few of the other many visible skeletons I used to see a lot when I first moved to Bangkok. Hard to believe the Ghost Tower hasn't been pulled but maybe they'll use the bottom 3 floors for something and dismantle the rest, which would cost a fortune I suppose.
So I watch videos on Bangkok most days. Why is it that the RU-vid algorithm has not bought me here before and I had to stumble across it through a link from the Thaiger? That video was probably the most professional "amateur" video I've seen on YT.
Thanks very much, I don't upload daily so the YT system doesn't favour my erratic schedule. YT favours quantity over actual content so if I made daily ''vlogs'' about my life I would probably have been recommended long ago. I take a bit longer to research and edit so it takes me longer.
Another great vlog Pat, I have driven past the ghost tower but never walked by on foot. Such an interesting area will need to add that to my todo list between your vlogs and Pete my next holiday will be a busy one ☺️☺️. The art graffiti bu the klongs are great, stay safe Pat look after yourself
9:53 One thing that sometimes brought me to tears were views from the poorest of slums looking up to luxurious condos and hotels. Or driving past all the slums built under the tollways near Phra Ram IX. I wonder how the people living there must feel seeing all that wealth and not having any of it. There is too big a gap between the rich and the poor.
I saw those slums under the Rama 9 expressway the other day, they went on a bit longer than I thought. And they really looked ramshackle. Shame about that although the govt are slowly building a relocating into social housing in some areas. They say it' will take a few years, but let's hope so.
WOW! Splendid video Pat! Love the narrative and vibe of the video. You do know how to give a story, starting with nothing, and make it interesting. Cheers from Alaska!!
Thanks a lot, it was a quite laid back kinda video to make, no noisy main roads and people to bother me while shooting (the general public can be a pain in the ass) There's more to the city than the big well known sights!
Thank you, Pat for another Fabulous video..! I love this area, and can't wait to get back so I can explore some more =) Helping to keep me somewhat sane while stuck in Canada....!
Hi Cheryl, thanks! I've got another video in that area next friday, Bangrak. It became 2 videos because I shot so much and I thought I could split it between the places either side of Sathorn Canal!
Hey thanks man, glad you enjoyed this one, I never thought it was possible to gte up there, not the last 3yrs anyway, too scary and I hate heights! Hope you're well!
Nice and really interesting VIdeo Pat. This small Khlong wit hall the graffities is awesome. The art on the walls was really nice comparing to the things the sprayer in my city put on the walls. Tons of cats and one free running dog. I ask myself why are in other cities the dogs are the dominant animal species on the streets and in Bangkok only the dominant species are the cats.
Thanks Franko, many cats along that ghost tower soi, they're sitting by the road watching you as you walk so I couldn't avoid shooting....many dogs will back off an angry cat I've seen!
thank you for this great video! I love that part of town, although it probably will change a lot too in the years to come. Wonder how many Ghost Towers there will be around in 10 years
Hey, thanks! Good to hear from ou again Hans. It's a nice part of Bangkok, old and new. When I first arrived in Bangkok there were still many empty shells that soon restarted again and are now finished. When will Bangkok stop building ? Probably when there's no space left sadly, it's all about glossy new things to them.
G'day pat , always a surprise that the tower still stands and some people do get in to see its view , maybe a side hustle for only the lucky few locals lol, it will cost too much to finish or just as expensive to demolish , but now it must be getting close to being an icon ... keep up keeping us interested , Catchya...
Hiya Steve, hope ya good mate. Great place to walk about in, would love to live in that area, so many places to duck out and get away from the pulse of the city, I didn't realise beforehand. Ghost Tower is now just an advertising hoarding, long may it continue. Unless of course the price of second hand concrete goes up...
@@BangkokPat G'day Pat , The last time i was there i did notice the rather large banners on the tower , fantastic icon to advertise from , so maybe the tower will stay as an advertising giant among giants , in melb in lock down 7.0 now sooo not happy but as i said keep on keeping on !! Catchya...
The art along that canal is incredible! Is that just graffiti artists taking that upon themselves or actually intentionally there from the city admin? Great video Pat, much appreciated.
A lot of places allow it in spaces along canals, not illegal, but I suppose it's gotta look decent! I think along there it was a bit more organised by the local authority. Gives them a canvas and looks great too
Man! Another great video. Its crazy how traffic has changed so quickly over the past 50 years! Such a big building going to waste, the one you’re showing at the end 😱
Thanks mate, hope you're enjoying Chaing Mai. The Ghost Tower will be standing many years from now....that was a fun place to explore, made a nice change.
15:37 I've seen these everywhere, but still don't know what they are. What are the concrete blocks going over the khlong? What do they do? I get that the ones with railings are bridges, but the rest seem slightly pointless? Is it a flood defense?
Flood defence to stop the canal overflowing. These are all connected to the river with watergates and take off the overflow when the river rises in monsoon season
Cheers Bangkok Pat for producing yet another interesting video. Whoever owns the ghost tower must have had some sleepless nights. It's amazing how it could remain like that for so long in such a good location.
Thanks a lot Ashley, I'm pretty sure the owners got sick of hearing about the explorers getting in and after all, his ass could be on the line if anything bad happens. Fortunately there weren't any tales of people falling off that I could find, suicides yes.
More than lived up to the hype!! Always been curious about this area and didn’t disappoint, thanks to you Bangkok Pat the Explorer. Very interesting sois. Places we would never have seen if not for this. Looking forward to checking out the artwork!
Great to catch you saturday, thanks for joining too. That artwork is non stop for about 1km on both sides so be prepared if you're taking pics, there's a lot to choose from!
Awesome video (again) and pics really don’t show the size of the ghost tower. It’s huge when you stand below it. The before abs after pics of bridge construction were great too. The colourful graffiti was a nice contrast to the drab grey concrete and with all your musical lyric puns in this one I’m surprised you missed a reference to Jefferson Airplane and a hookah smoking caterpillar (I’m sure you know the song and can match it to the graffiti you stood in front of) Thanks again for a wonderful video
Thanks for the kind words, it was indeed a fun place to shoot a video. Made a nice change. I don't actually know the Jefferson Airplane song you refer to! Is it really obvious?
@@BangkokPat I was referring to the Graffiti showing the white rabbit (That’s the song title with amazing lyrics). If you don’t know the song I strongly suggest you have a listen :-) Enjoy
Hi Luke, Cheers, thanks for the kind words, it's a very interesting area when you dig a bit further, that's why I take so long to shoot these, I often get lost!!! Just kidding but I keep going further..
Thanks mate, there are photo opportunities at every corner all over the city, I'll never tire of doing these videos. Always a new place to explore. Saphan Taksin area was a great eye opener because I went in without much expectation.
Finding all of your vlogs interesting and well presented and this was one of the best. Great visuals and lots of layered information. I like that even when you say " let's take a walk," You keep to stationery cameras and sometimes even still shots. It makes the experience less jarring and visually more pleasing. Well done again. Oh, and a fun array of music. Loved the short music intro at start of the 53 Bridge chapter [6:45]. Very groovy. Cheers!
Adventurous journey especially unexplored parts of Bangkok. Perhaps you can introduce each of the public rail system and highlight both the touristy and some interesting neighbouring unexplored vicinities
I'm absolutely have no idea The other side of Bangkok That's it's . True I were born There but never explore the whole city. But I do appreciate you for showing And sharing with me .
Loved every day of shooting that. Peace and quiet and a lot nicer around there than I thought it was. Charoen Krung Road is getting a bit developed on the river side though.
I suspect the cross beams are there to stop walls of klong from caving in. They are there to hold klong walls up and klongs open. If it isn't done that way far stronger walls would need to be built. I have seen walls supported by drilling holes sideways through the columns in the walls into the surrounding land putting steel cables into the horizontal holes and securing the cables in the with some sort concrete mixture. The cables are held in place by the friction between the concrete mixture and the land surrounding the concrete mixture. In short, the land and weight of buildings next to klongs put a lot of pressure on the klong walls and the beams are there to deal with the pressure on the klong walls. But, that is only my guess. A civil engineer is needed is answer the question.
i remember being in a car going across Saphan Thaksin bridge on New Year’s Eve 2002. traffic stopped as everyone watched the amazing fireworks. i lived on Sathorn Soi 17 next to a small Muslim community and mosque, adjacent to it is an enormous Chinese cemetery. all definitely worth exploring. i find myself getting a bit nostalgic watching these. it’s amazing to see how much hasn’t changed too. thanks for the videos.
That's a nice area, I was pleasantly surprised doing this video, especially the back streets and canals, finding the unexpected. I did actually live off Sathorn for a short time in 2016, in a place called Marvin Suites on soi 11.
Thanks Pat for another great video. 👍 I lived in area for about 5 yeas a few years ago. It is great place to live. It has a great local vibe, which is strange because there is 100,000s of tourists who use the BTS Saphan Taksin station to go to the Sathorn Pier to travel on river boats to the Grand Palace etc etc, There are also the traditional 5 star hotels, Shangri-La, Mandarin, Peninsula, the New Four Seasons and, of course, the Icon Siam mall (which I understand is very much on your to do list, after the MBK mall). There is no night life scene for tourists in the area. A few local restaurants, but nothing like Sukhumvit etc. The tourists just pass through during the day and hotel guests basically just go from the hotels to the BTS station and Sathorn Pier. There are far fewer expats living in the area than one would think. It is far more expensive than upper Sukhumvit and accommodation options are relatively limited. There are plenty of accommodation options available near the Criminal Court, but a bit too much Thai style for most expats. That area, I found to be interesting as it seemed like a square kilometre of town houses was built in the 1960s. You missed the Robinson Department Store (intentionally) , which I understand was the 'first' shopping mall in Bangkok. Although I believe the 'shopping mall' adjacent to the Mandarin Hotel, O P Place must be older many many decades. You didn't find the lake on the map. You didn't fit the Criminal Court building into the video. That is indeed a very strange building. Or more correctly it is s building built in the wrong place with absolutely no understanding or scale or proportion. It is a huge building with a huge neo-classical facade, very tall Greek columns facing onto a small soi maybe two cars can pass. One stands on the narrow footpath and looks straight up at the front of building with the tall Greek columns etc. Also there is a wholesale fish market and the cemetery for foreigners, CofE and Jewish faiths. The grave stones have interesting stories. The land next to that small soi you walked must be worth 100s of millions of baht.
Thanks very much, glad you liked it. This is actually just half of what I shot in total, the other half is the other side of sathorn canal going towards Silom Road, along Charoen Krung, Roninsons area, Bangrak Market, sois 50-42 and the opposite side as well, the alleyways around the old theatre in the middle of it. All very interesting indeed! I shot so much there that I had to break it into 2 parts.
Wonderful video! So glad that someone's going deep into Bangkok and exploring all these places that are off the beaten track. And the cats! We picked up our own feral cat in Phnom Penh and he's been with us for more than 8 years, now in Tokyo (see profile pic).
Thanks Andrew, nice of you to say so, it's a tough job getting lost, but off the beaten track is where others don't go so it suits me fine. It's an urban jungle out there! The street with the ghost tower was literally crawling with cats, watching you as you go by. Maybe keeping the evil spirits away. Nice story about the cat, and it's great he's got a chance of a better life, I'd love to save them all!
Great vlog, love the Technique shirt. Bit of a Mr Ben vibe going on with the costume changes!! But understand, hot weather and a few days filming getting it right.
That's pretty much spot on Bob, thanks mate. I always play back what I've done that day and get another idea. I stopped hiding this after a couple of videos, it's not possible. I've been shooting bothe videos over 2 weeks so it's inevitable. Bangrak is the other installment from this area, it was meant to be all one video but you always find extra stuff when you start exploring. Classic electronic album from 1988-90, there were a few faves in those 3 years, Violator, Introspective, Technique to name a few
...another awesome video from the best video content creator in Bangkok/Thailand! Intelligent, interesting and entertaining - thank you for giving us a "Patucation" of Bangkok.
Thanks very much and I've learned a new buzz word, it may catch on if I get a few more views on this video, the guys vlogging the usual mainstream areas/topics get all the acclaim these days, and thousands more viewers than me.
@@BangkokPat True but your content is underrated in my opinion. I miss Thailand and i like to watch those mainstream youtubers filming yet another centralworld or asoke area but at the end it’s always the same. With you, it’s a different type of locations with some investigation work behind. You really have your own style and it’s good to see something different.
