Bangkok's Ghost Tower

Bangkok's Ghost Tower

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Architects of a luxurious skyscraper in Bangkok may well not have foreseen their creation being dubbed the Ghost Tower, after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis stymied construction of the upscale apartment block.

The abandoned 49-storey building, known as Sathorn Unique, now attracts visitors who clamber on its graffiti-covered skeleton. The climbers are rewarded by views of the Thai capital’s skyline and ferryboats passing on the nearby Chao Phraya River.

. BANGKOK, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

The skeletal tower wasn’t the only casualty of the financial turmoil in the region back then. Asian and global emerging market crises began in 1997 and set off serial currency collapses worldwide.

In the Bangkok of today, a military-led government that seized power last May has struggled to revive growth in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy as exports and domestic demand have remained sluggish.

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Slideshow

Visitors stand inside the skeleton of an abandoned building.
. BANGKOK, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Visitors stand inside the skeleton of an abandoned building.

The “ghost tower” has views over central Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River.
. BANGKOK, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

The “ghost tower” has views over central Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River.

Visitors climb on an unfinished structure covered with graffiti.
. BANGKOK, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Visitors climb on an unfinished structure covered with graffiti.

Visitors sit on the rooftop with the Bangkok skyline behind them.
. BANGKOK, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Visitors sit on the rooftop with the Bangkok skyline behind them.

A man walks in the “ghost tower” near fittings for a bathroom that never was.
. BANGKOK, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

A man walks in the “ghost tower” near fittings for a bathroom that never was.

A couple enjoy a sunset on the Bangkok rooftop.
. BANGKOK, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

A couple enjoy a sunset on the Bangkok rooftop.

A visitor jumps, straddling a “broomstick”.
. BANGKOK, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

A visitor jumps, straddling a “broomstick”.

An advertising billboard hangs on the “ghost tower” by night.
. BANGKOK, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

An advertising billboard hangs on the “ghost tower” by night.