Rumors continue to persist that the British government will look to sell the British embassy compound on Wireless Road. Pattaya Today was informed by people close to the situation that the eight-acre property could potentially be sold to the highest bidder. The land the embassy sits on is estimated to be worth as much as THB10 billion. An official decision from the British government on what to do with the property isn’t expected until later this year.
This is not the first time land at the British Embassy site would be put up for sale. A four-acre frontage located at the intersection of Wireless and Ploenchit roads was sold in 2006 for THB2 million to Tiang Chirathivat Real Estate which is a part of the Central Group. The sale was one of Thailand’s largest property sales when it was concluded but has since been surpassed as prices for Bangkok’s prime real estate have increased significantly during the past decade.
The embassy was established at its current site in 1922 and features a number of buildings including the ambassador’s residence as well as tropical gardens and a statue of Queen Victoria. However, the British government has been consolidating its presence in Thailand during the past few years and in 2012 the British consulate in Pattaya was shut down. Pattaya Today noted that Great Britain’s consulate in Chiang Mai was closed in 2015 as the UK government tried to centralize services in the country as it has done elsewhere in the world.
Should the government decided to sell the property, staff and services would be relocated to another property in the city or move to an office space in the CBD, Pattaya Today speculated. Some of the embassy’s services including the issuing of passports and granting of visas to non-residents has already been delegated to outside agencies in some cases. The British government has not responded to the rumors and no one has gone on record confirming what the plans for the property are at this time.
Image: British Embassy Bangkok via thebeaumontpartnership.com
