A Legend's Second Act

From former rice fields to its present urban heart, Bangkok's Silom Road is arguably one of the world's most famous thoroughfares. Equally legendary is the former Dusit Thani hotel, which is now in the process of its physical metamorphosis into the 46-billion-baht Dusit Central Park development.

- Mark Lean

POST-PANDEMIC BANGKOK is possibly not the same as it was at the start of 2020. Parts of Ratchadamri are poised for redevelopment, while farther down the street at the intersection of Silom Road and Rama IV Road, the site where the former Dusit Thani hotel once stood is readying itself for its second spectacular act.

The upcoming Dusit Central Park will be a collection of branded residences, the second iteration of the 259-key Dusit Thani Bangkok hotel, the 80,000sqm Central Park shopping centre, and Central Park Offices, a grade-A 40-level office tower with a built area of 90,000sqm.

The 46-billion-baht development, a partnership between Dusit Thani Public Company Limited and Central Pattana Public Company Limited, will be embedded on a 3.68-hectare plot of land overlooking Lumphini Park, Bangkok's foremost inner-city green lung.

According to La-ead Kovavisaruch, CEO of Vimarn Suriya Company Limited, the developer of the Dusit Central Park project, it is Dusit's timeless legacy that remains dominant in peoples' minds. Dusit International was founded by Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui. The founder had a dream, a vision to see Thailand as a leading global tourism destination. This was just after the Second World War. Now 50 years later, Thailand is on the top five list of leading countries for tourism. So her dream then was to build a five-star hotel that represents Thailand and Thai culture with an international level of service comparable to the highest global standard, says Kovavisaruch.