Bangkok is a city of many styles. Its history reaches as far back as the 15th century. Layers upon layers have been added over time, making its architecture some of the most diverse and interesting in the world. There are few places in the world where ancient temples, modern skyscrapers, and homes built every year for the past hundred or so all sit within a few miles of one another. Bangkok is one of those places. Here you will find an eclectic mix of concrete, wood, and even gold laden buildings next to one another.
While most of the architecture would be called beautiful, modern, classic, or any number of other adjectives, Bangkok is also home to some truly weird buildings. Below are a few of the weirdest. Whether you’re just visiting Thailand or looking to buy or rent a home or condo in Bangkok, these oddities are definitely worth seeking out.
The MahaNakhon
The MahaNakhon is one of Bangkok’s newest, and weirdest, buildings. Completed in August of 2016, this massive structure is currently Thailand’s tallest skyscraper. It’s also the seventieth tallest in the world. But the odd shape of this building makes it look like a post-apocalyptic, crumbling tower rather than a brand-new building. It’s located in Bangkok’s central business district, and has a variety of uses, from residential to business.
Elephant Building
Located in Bangkok’s north business district, this unique structure regularly shows up on lists of the world’s strangest buildings. That’s because the entire structure is shaped (loosely) like an elephant. Built in 1997, the Elephant Building also has offices and residential properties, as well as shops, banks, and restaurants.
Robot Building
In the Sathorn business district, there’s a strange tower that, unlike the first two on this list, has a shape that reflects its use. The Robot Building doesn’t house offices for robot designers or even scientists though. It was built to be the United Overseas Bank’s Bangkok headquarters, and its shape is supposed to reflect banking’s move towards computerisation.
Sathorn Unique Tower
The building itself may be unexceptional among the other, similar skyscrapers and condominium high-rises in downtown Bangkok. But the fact that construction of Sathorn Unique Tower was started in 1990 and halted in 1997, following the financial crisis, is. The tower, which is unfinished, now sits empty and crumbling. But you may not want to get too close to this oddity; recent surges in people breaking into the building has led to an increase in the number of arrests made for trespassing.
Samut Prakan’s Erawan Museum
While it’s not a traditional building, a 29-metre-tall, 250 ton, three-headed copper elephant is still worth mentioning. This massive sculpture stands guard on a pedestal in front of the Samut Prakan’s Erawan Museum. It’s meant to be a depiction of Hindu mythology’s Airavata, also known as Erawan. Part of the museum is even located in the elephant’s belly. The top of the inside of the belly houses a serenity room, with Buddha statues and other relics.
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