February 12, 2007
The writing is on the wall
The controversy surrounding the proposed close-down of Bangkok's popular Suan Lum Night Bazaar at the end of March to make way for a new development has all the classic elements of a Thai boxing match. In the one side of the ring is the market's management company who - along with 3,700 or so vendors - refuse to budge, citing breach of contract. In the opposing corner, the Crown Property Bureau (CPB), who manages the land, has warned it will take legal action to forcibly evict anyone still occupying the premises by April 1 this year. As the deadline draws nearer, both opponents are no doubt gearing themselves for a legal showdown.
At the center of the dispute lies the uber-prime 127-rai site on the corner of Rama 4 and Wireless Roads, managed by the CPB for its owner, His Majesty the King. The land was leased to P. Con Development (Thai) Co (also known as Bangkok Marketplace Co) in 2001 for a renewable three-year period. When the lease expired in March 2004, it was extended for a further two years. March 2006 saw neither another extension, nor the by-now very popular market vacating the premises.
The start of a heated battle
In a bid to resolve the issue amicably, the CPB offered P. Con a deal that would extend the lease until April 2007, providing the company gave written confirmation that it would leave the site. This offer was revoked after P. Con refused to sign the agreement. In September last year, the CPB decided to offer vendors a six-month, rent-free grace period to find alternative trading venues, and in exchange for their assurance that they would vacate the site. Vendors failed to do either, and P. Con allegedly continued to collect rentals.
This marked the start of a heated battle, with the CPB delivering the first blow when it took legal action against P. Con, claiming it improperly collects rent from tenants. It also accused the company of sub-leasing the property at an inflated price, building a structure without obtaining an official permit, and failing to pay 32 million baht in property tax. P. Con has denied all these allegations, hitting back by claiming the CPB is violating the conditions of the renewal agreement.
From a shaky start to star attraction
After a shaky start in 2001, Suan Lum Night Bazaar is now firmly on Bangkok's must-do-attractions list, with many people preferring to browse the stalls here at night when it's cooler - rather than, say, the pressing heat of Chatuchak Weekend Market. Although P. Con is fighting to stay on, the site has always been earmarked for greater things. Previously occupied by the Armed Forces Preparatory School - and before that controlled by first the Thai Navy and then the Army - there have been expectations that the area would eventually be used for educational, cultural and recreational purposes. But now the land is being eyed by seven bidders, all of whom have grandiose visions for commercial developments.
Bangkok's tallest building - or maybe the world's!
Amongst the bidders is the Central Pattana Group, said to have a skyscraper in mind that would be Bangkok's tallest and redefine the city skyline. There's even been talk of a building called 'Siam Tribute' that would be the tallest building in the world - at the site of Lumpini Boxing Stadium. A competing bid envisages a floating market with a 600-seat restaurant, and yes, yet another mega-mall for Bangkok might be on the cards too. The CPB has said it will announce details of the winning bid by April. Rumours have it though that a development that has various commercial components - offices, retail outlets, condominiums, entertainment venues and a hotel - is very likely to get the green light.
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Meanwhile, even though legal arguments around the future of Suan Lum continue, the writing seems to be on the wall for the more than 3,700 stallholders, their families and employees whose livelihood depend on the market. Whether they will have an equally well-positioned, alternative night bazaar that can continue to attract busloads of tourists and locals en masse, appears less certain. Earlier plans to find a suitable location already proved unsuccessful. BEC Tero Hall, the popular concert venue, and Lumpini Boxing Stadium, however, have already announced plans to relocate to more modern premises.
Due to the matter being so sensitive and 'sub judice', pending the outcome of legal disputes, the CPB and P. Con could not be approached for comment. |
