Russian Embassy
Posted by Stuart at 12:41 PM on March 25, 2005My working life continues, as I have been working about 10 days straight since I returned from the US. But, it's all good; a lot of my work has been in preparation for a business trip to Australia coming up soon.
I'll talk about that trip later, but for now, I wanted to make a quick link to some very cool pictures found on the always excellent 2bangkok.com. They visited what used to be the Russian Embassy on Sathorn Road. Over the next couple of years, this historic site will be turned into Bangkok's most expensive apartments and shopping center. For now, the building is a great example of Thai turn-of-the-last-century architecture.
So go take a look at 2Bangkok.com visits the Luang Sathorn Mansion/Russian Embassy. As the 2bangkok site says, "The vacant and mysterious Luang Sathorn Mansion and former Russian Embassy. See soundproof and metal-lined rooms, a labyrinth of windowless chambers, and rooms with no apparent way in..."
Exciting stuff!
I was quite impressed by the mansion, not only for its( Thai-Victorian?) architectural style, but because such a nice building actually served as a Soviet embassy (judging by the Aeroflot calendar, haha). Nothing against Soviet architecture, but it tends to be...hideous (including its embassies), just check at any new building in Havana after the Revolution or any of those capital cities in the old Soviet stans (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, etc, etc).
2bangkok.com has been blocked by The Communication Authority of Thailand!!! can they do that?
what's going on?
TNOP: Yes, unfortunately you are very right: 2bangkok.com has been blocked. What a huge disappointment. Can they do this? Yes they can. And they (the Thai Government) does it all the time. Usually it is just porn and gambling sites, but now... I don't know what their reasoning is.
By the way, in case you haven't noticed, there is no such thing as "Freedom of the Press" in Thailand.
VERY interesting pictures ..... makes one wonder what all went on inside those walls ... why padded and metal lined rooms? what was hidden where? Why was it left looking as though they left it in a hurry? and there has GOT to be a secret passageway somewhere off of the "Stairway that leads to nowhere" I refuse to believe otherwise!!! :-)
Even though it's turn of the last century Thai architecture, there is a majestic Russian flair to it as well.
Thank you for sharing!
Love you!!
P.S. Tomorrow will make it 11 more weeks which equals 2 months and 3 weeks until I get to see you!! oh yeah --- and that whole getting married thing that Craig and I decided to embark upon .... hehehehehe!!!! HA! :-) Love you!!! (our invitations came in the mail yesterday)