Walking on air. 314 metres above Bangkok.
PHOTO: The Nation
King Power International Group has opened what is being marketed as the world’s biggest glass-bottomed skywalk.
The new tourist (and local) attraction is on the rooftop of the 78 storey Mahanakhon building on Narathiwat Road in Bangkok’s Bang Rak district. Mahanokon is Thailand’s tallest building at 314 metres.
The glass skywalk has 360 degree panoramic view, vertically and horizontally. Standing on the glass platform you can see right around the Bangkok skyline and beyond. You can also look directly down, 314 metres below, to the street – not for the faint-hearted.
The building is equipped with a fast elevator which can reach the 74th floor from the ground in just 50 seconds.
King Power International (who have naming rights for the skyscraper) CEO Aiyawat Srivadhanaprabha said the glass-bottomed skywalk represents another important step and a pride for the Thai company.
“I believe that tourism is not just an engine to drive the country’s economy, but also a gate toward the building of sustainable confidence and promotion of Thai identity in the eyes of the global community,” said Aiyawat, an heir to the business empire of Vichai, the owner of Leicester City who died in helicopter crash recently.
The building features outdoor and indoor observation decks on the 78th and 74 floors respectively, modern shopping malls, varieties of both Thai and international food and duty-free shops (of course).
Scroll through to around 4.00 of this episode of ThinkingOfLiving to get a first peep at the new Bangkok icon.
