BANGKOK – Announcing what it calls “Thailand’s newest historical attraction,” the Tourism Authority of Thailand officially launched guided tours of the ruins of the Suan Lum Night Bazaar.
The ruins, which are in “remarkably good shape,” according to a TAT brochure, can be toured by foot or by tram from 9am to 6pm daily. Included with the entrance ticket price is a detailed booklet mapping out various points of interest among the rubble of the once-thriving marketplace.
Highlights include the Old Fake Angkor Entrance, the nearly-intact SCB ATM vestibule, and the reportedly haunted Parking Lot C.
“History junkies can get their fill of early 21st-century Bangkok life by wandering among the empty stalls and refreshment stands,” said Nattaporn Witsakulrat, the new head of the Suan Lum Historical Division of the TAT. “Some of the original lights are still there at the beer garden stage.”
The famous night market, which supported hundreds of small business and was loved by tourists, expats, and bargain-seeking Thais alike, was shut down last year when the Crown Property Bureau declined to renew its lease, choosing instead to honor its earlier agreement to let Central Pattana Group build luxury condominiums and a premium shopping complex.
Central Pattana’s construction plans will eventually clear away much of the ruin site, but according to their office, if the tourism proves popular enough, some part of it may be preserved as an indoor attraction contained within the new luxury mall.
The TAT hopes that the new tourism business, which is co-owned and operated by Lumco Tours, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Pattana PLC, will help compensate for the economic losses of shutting down one of the city’s most popular attractions.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya has expressed support for the project, even hinting that any surviving ruins could be a candidate for eventual UNESCO Heritage status.
“I can’t think of anything that better represents our Thai heritage than the story of Suan Lum Night Bazaar,” he said.
