Bangkok's Super Tower

Higher than a bird, almost as high as some planes. It's Super Tower. And it's coming to Bangkok.

A Thai property developer has announced plans to build a skyscraper in the Thai capital that will be among the 10 tallest buildings in the world when it is completed in 2019.

The 125-storey tower will rise 615 metres and include a luxury six-star hotel with 260 rooms, offices and an observation deck with panoramic views of the Thai capital and rooftop garden, developer Grand Canal Land Public Company said.

According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which maintains a database of the tallest skyscrapers, the Bangkok "Super Tower" will be the world's ninth tallest if it is built on schedule. It would be the second tallest if built today.

The tower will dwarf the tallest building currently in Thailand, the Baiyoke II tower, which tops out at 328 metres on its 85th storeys.

The tallest building in the world is currently Dubai's Burj Khalifa, which has 163 floors and is 828 metres high. The Petronas twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, the tallest building in Southeast Asia, stand at 452 metres. The tallest building in Hong Kong, the International Commerce Centre, is 484 metres tall.

The Thai developer intends the tower as the centre of a new business, shopping and residential district in Bangkok costing 100 billion baht (HK$24 billion). It will be built on almost 12 hectares of land in the city. A competition will be held to decide the name.

"This skyscraper is going to be the new landmark of Thailand, a world-class attraction that everyone must visit at least once in his or her lifetime," Grand Canal Land chairman Yotin Boondicharern said.

The ambitious plans are a vote of confidence in the Thai economy, which has struggled to grow during several years of political strife.

The military seized power from the elected government on May 22, the 12th coup in Thailand since the end of its absolute monarchy in 1932. Martial law remains in place but business and daily life continues as normal.

Source: South China Morning Post