Thailand's highest rooftop bar, the Mahanakhon Skywalk, is now (since end of 2018) open to public.
https://kingpowermahanakhon.co.th/skywalk/
https://kingpowermahanakhon.co.th/
https://www.facebook.com/KingPowerMahanakhon/
To avail myself of their promotional entry price (765 THB until 31jan2019, now 1,050), I went on 29jan2019. That was not an easy endeavor: I don't like direct sunlight, so wait for a partially covered sky. Borrow binoculars from a friend who lives in walking distance, so he has to be at home. It has to be a working day afternoon to avoid crowds. And it almost failed for air pollution, which made the news at end of January. My visit in chronological order.
Lift with video tour of Bangkok on the walls:
The lift takes you to Indoor Observatory on 74th floor. Payable (2x10 THB coins) binoculars and the highest point where you can look down on the N and S side of Mahanakhon (the view is blocked by lift and glass tray on higher up floors, I didn't know and missed taking a close view on what's below).
The best view from any Bangkok bathroom?
Escalator up to 75th floor (and once you are on the escalator, there is no return to 74th floor) with nothing special. Either take lift or spiral stairway up to 78th floor (rooftop 310 m above ground), and then walk stairs up to very top (rooftop 314 m above ground). Indeed, for pollution can't see the horizon. View SE.
View NE to Lumpini Park.
View N. Is 314 m highest elevation by chance or inspired by Pi?
View S through glass tray down on skytrain, The Ascott Sathorn and Robot Building.
ChristianPFC sitting on the glass tray, 310 m above ground. Free fall to ground would take 8 s. No use of camera or mobile phone allowed while you are on the tray, and shoes covered to protect the glass floor. But staff was helpful and took picture of me.
View N over The Royal Bangkok Sports Club and to Baiyok 2 Building, former tallest building in Thailand.
View N to Wat Hua Lampong.
View W to Icon Siam, which surpassed Mahanakhon as tallest building in Thailand.
The building [Mahanakhon] was recognised as the tallest building in Thailand until the Magnolias Waterfront Residences at ICONSIAM breaks the record in 2018 with the height of 317 metre.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Power_MahaNakhon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Thailand
At 314 meters and 78 floors, it [Mahanakhon] is recognized as Thailand’s Tallest Building (2016 – 2018), certified by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in April 2016.
http://story.kingpower.com/en/store-mahanakhon-en/
Sunset.
It's getting crowded, and I have spent over 2 hours, time to leave.
Elevator down to 4th floor, and then through a labyrinth of shops.
Verdict: worth every Baht. I might even go again at 1,050 THB entry when conditions are perfect (weekday afternoon, covered sky, clean air, borrow binocular from friend).
Mahanakhon does not allow smoking or consumption of food or drink brought from outside or drone flying. However a friend flew a drone from nearby and took pictures of Mahanakhon.
These pictures show as well what the view is on a clear day (16dec 2018), Bang Krachao and beyond is clearly visible here.
I wrote about light show for inauguration in 2016:
https://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2016/10/mahanankorn-inauguration-29aug2016.html
Copyright 2019 ChristianPFC
Now you have me seriously jealous as I can't wait to step on that glass at earliest opportunity
ReplyDeleteAm going to HuaHin but its very quiet, do you still have contact with the boy there, can you let ne have his contact, thanks Mark
ReplyDeleteYes. I wouldn't want to post it here, but you can contact me on the gay Thailand forums or write your email here, which I will delete afterwards.
DeleteAgree with your verdict. The best tall building visit I've made anywhere
ReplyDelete