Hello again, Bangkok! Apart from landing at your wonderful Suvarnabhumi Airport (without visiting the city), we haven’t seen each other for 5.5 years. Last time we strolled around Chinatown, cruised along the Chao Phraya River, peeked into the Portuguese Quarter, visited Buddhist temples, and fed turtles… This time, coming on a tour from Pattaya, we’ll find ourselves on the roof of the MahaNakhon skyscraper, drop by the huge ICONSIAM shopping mall, and also enjoy an exciting evening cruise on a paddle-wheel boat along the Chao Phraya River.
https://youtube.com/shorts/237mGMJ8LUI?feature=share A short from the scene)
From Wikipedia: MahaNakhon (Thai มหานคร, lit. “Great Metropolis”) is a multifunctional skyscraper located at 114 Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road (Bang Rak District, Bangkok, Thailand). The 314-meter-tall building is the second-tallest in Thailand and the 63rd-tallest in Asia.
Since YouTube is pulling me deeper into the realm of creation (all right, creativity!), I was mostly shooting video. The clip will appear on my channel.
The most memorable feature of the MahaNakhon skyscraper is the rooftop observation deck with its transparent glass floor. It’s on the 74th floor and offers a 360° view.
The ride in the high-speed elevator is reminiscent of the ascent at Burj Khalifa (hello, UAE!) and hardly comparable with the lift to Top of the Rock. As far as I remember, that New York high-rise has the most ordinary elevator without any lights or high speed (at least, that was the case when we visited).
Did I like it? Yes, very much. Even if I still lived in Moscow, visiting a skyscraper’s observation deck in a megacity is an unforgettable experience. And considering that I spent the previous five years living in Cyprus – a small, relaxed island in the Mediterranean (and in its smallest city, Paphos, which has no skyscrapers) – Bangkok, to be honest, pleasantly stunned me.
By the way, the full name of this attraction is King Power Mahanakhon.
If you want to step directly onto the glass-floor section of the roof, you need to do two things:
- Take off your shoes and get a pair of those cloth… um-m-m… moccasins…?))
- Part with your phone, placing it on a shelf or handing it to someone to take photos. The guide suggested this is to prevent a person who slips on the glass roof and falls from scratching its surface (with the phone).
I have two theories why smartphones aren’t allowed on the glass roof:
- Yes, if someone slips, they will make very sharp, chaotic movements, waving their arms trying to keep balance. As a result, the phone can easily fly out of their hands and, vaulting over the glass barriers, fall from a height of 314 meters onto the city street. The possible consequences are unpleasant to imagine.
- People will simply STAY TOO LONG ON THE GLASS ROOF! Trying to take 100,500 photos of their feet over the glass abyss, selfies standing-sitting-lying, video greetings to followers, friends, relatives, Aunt Nadia from Saratov, and all that. Without smartphones, they stroll around for 10-15 minutes, posing for those who have their devices. And that’s it, no queues.
Although in the “shoes” they give you, it’s extremely hard to slip. That’s why they issue them.
Сегодня тусим в столице, снова здравствуй, #Бангкок!🙂🇹🇭
Высота точки съёмки почти 314 метров. Красота 🙂 pic.twitter.com/bItqmXQHMJ— WEBLINER (@wblnr) June 11, 2023
With a smartphone in someone else’s hands, you can get great shots.
It reminded me of a similar one taken 7,000 km from here.
How Much Is a Ticket to the Mahanakhon Observation Deck?
The price list at the time of posting is as follows. Ticket prices for visiting the KING POWER MAHANAKHON SKYWALK vary by age. If you are under 15 or over 60, the cost is 250 baht. If you do not fall into these age categories (that is, you are between 15 and 59), then a walk on the glass roof of MahaNakhon will cost you ฿880.00. Here is the price list on the official website (it seems these are not the lowest prices, as during writing I saw figures about 10 percent lower on other sites).
The video “Bangkok: MahaNakhon skyscraper, Buddhist temples, ICONSIAM mall, Chao Phraya River cruise” is already ready, here it is.
