Raimon Land set to dominate the River of Kings
The political landscape of Thailand has always been somewhat volatile and at every turn the Chao Phraya River has usually been a silent inexorable witness to these historic and momentous events.
The River of Kings, as it is grandiosely referred to, has inspired writers such as Joseph Conrad and Somerset Maugham. It was and in many ways remains the lifeblood of the capital and arguably Bangkok’s most salient and important feature.
Now, the highly-respected developer Raimon Land is set to add a very impressive and significant feature to the ever-evolving skyline of the Chao Phraya.
This project, which was commissioned for design in late 2007 and once building begins is expected to take three years to complete, has been given the subtle moniker of The River.
Why go for a grandiloquent cognomen when something so simple, yet so immediately recognisable will suffice.
A two-tower monolith, it will rise about 250 metres above the ground, thereby creating yet another significant landmark alongside this most impressive of watery thoroughfares.
While comparisons can be made with London’s Thames and Paris’ Seine, the reality is that the Chao Phraya River is arguably much more of a ‘working’ waterway than the aforementioned pair. Certainly when one thinks of the prominent capital city rivers of Southeast Asia, there’s almost no doubt the Chao Phraya is the pre-eminent in terms of a mixture of working waterway and that almost indefinable factor called ‘character’.
The Red River in Hanoi, the Pasig in Manila, even the Mekong in Vientiane don’t resonate in the same way as the Chao Phraya.
The Singapore River has a measure of character, as one might expect given its colonial past and modern maritime position as an entrepot port. Yet the Chao Phraya is surely on par with Singapore given its own tumultuous part in the history of Thailand over the past 200-plus years and its continuing role as a working thoroughfare.
For those who take up the opportunity of purchasing a piece of The River will almost certainly find they haven’t just obtained a piece of valuable real estate but will, in their own small but significant way, be entering into the fabric of the history of the River of Kings.
Raimon Land are well aware of what they are trying to achieve with this landmark development. As their promotional brochure notes, ‘A premium was placed on the ability to create an environment of space, privacy and luxury. Building position and orientation were extensively studied in order to ensure unobstructed views out from every unit and an unprecedented level of privacy and exclusivity.’
It must have been quite a task to arrange for what will be a north tower consisting of 311 units and a south tower with 522 units to not only be luxurious and impressive but to ensure each and every one will possess some kind of view of the Chao Phraya while at the same time providing privacy to the occupants.
Priced from 90,000 to 280,000 baht per square metre, the total of 833 units are divided into studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments, duplexes and penthouses with sizes ranging between 55 and 397 square metres.
The River, which will almost dominate the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya on completion will give its residents views of other significant landmarks such as the revered Oriental Hotel as well as the more modern Peninsula and Shangri-La Hotels.
The River will possess almost 100 metres of Chao Phraya frontage and have its own pier with a direct service to the Taksin BTS station. Basically, a resident could leave his or her apartment and within half an hour or less be strolling some of the high-end shopping malls in central Bangkok.
It’s arguably the best of the best of worlds: live in an impressive building that will no doubt become iconic, overlooking a vibrant working river, yet retain your privacy and the ability to be in the midst of the capital in minutes.
