The Sathorn Unique Building first began construction by the firm of architect Rangsan Torsuwan (who would be convicted of attempted murder a political figure in 2008 in 1990, a building which would stand out prominently on the skyline with It is 49 storeys, overlooking a large portion of the city. It was designed to become a luxurious apartment complex planned to have 659 apartments and 54 retail outlets, the spectacle was also the largest residential project ever undertaken in Thailand. The construction in process according to plan until, toward the end of the 90’s, the Asian financial crisis interrupted the construction to the point of abandonment.

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By 2000, the building was given the name “Ghost Tower” by locals. A building so modern, and only so young still sheltered enough negativity to deem it haunted. This is a rare case for such a modern building, the reasons for this being rooted in both the convincing nature of real events, stories told and of the looming gigantic scale, combined with its incomplete aesthetic.

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THE CULTURAL EFFECT

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The structure may be contemporary in style, which is unlike the typical setting for a ghostly presence but toward the late 90s and early 00’s, it was apparent that it had not taken long for the supposed luxurious building, created ironically for the affluent rich of Thailand, to become engulfed by dense tangles of trees, vines and weeds. Research suggests that the building’s human damage, both physically and figuratively has impacted the site (Tilstra 2016).

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“What was supposed to be an symbol of class and culture in downtown Bangkok, Thailand is instead a derelict building marred by graffiti, debris, and more than a few haunted rumors.”

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The building was polished and structurally intact in its abandonment which made the building a perfect haven for the homeless, drug addicts and packs of stray dogs. The locals who have dared to venture into the building have reported hearing ghostly voices and seeing specters, ghosts and wraiths walking the corridors and rooms. Some visitors have even refused to enter after becoming overcome by sudden, terrifying urges to escape the site. 

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This suggests directly how incredibly quick one site can become a home for people’s imaginations to run free. After reports of mysterious dead bodies turning up throughout the building, where a Swedish man was found hanged inside the building (Thai PBS 2014), it was clear that besides the apparent dangers an abandoned building can have it is not surprising that such reports would influence the visitor.

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THE ARCHITECTURAL EFFECT

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Frank McAndrew, Ph.D (2015) discusses one very important feature of haunted houses, perhaps a slowly becoming outdated stereotype portrayed in media – the isolation that a site can create (McAndrew 2015).

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“The prototypical haunted house is in a remote, isolated location, far removed from the rest of society (think of the off-season resort hotel in The Shining, for example). If bad things do happen, help would be a long time coming, even if communication with the outside world were possible.”

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However, modern horror disputes this – as we are exposed to yet more sub genres and creative directing, we are taken into new surroundings for horror. In Insidious: 3, the setting has moved on from the old isolated house setting from the first and second film. It seems that horror may be turning its head away from the very common “typical” haunted house and tapping into the fact that as time moves on, newer and more modern architecture will be becoming old enough, and tainted enough by tragedy, that even what we may consider as “modern” could fall into the category of hauntable.

Brent Swancer of Mysterious Universe (2015) describes the haunting nature of the building in his article Towers of Terror (Swancer 2015);

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“Today, [Sathorn Unique Building] stands as a decrepit, crumbling monolith which is in a sense a sad, forlorn gravestone for Bangkok’s former excess of the 90s. Transformed into claustrophobic shafts leading into impenetrable darkness.”

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Here, Swancer makes a point to draw attention to the spatial experience of the building, where on some floors, they are lit by dim lighting, much of the higher floors are pitch black. Combined with the looming height and overwhelming scale of this building, it is easy to harbor an instinct of the building being not only dangerous, but perhaps spiritually effected.

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CONCLUSION

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For a haunted building with this much conviction around the world and locally, it is difficult to dispute the fact that this gigantic spectacle, which has been the subject of murders, suicides and criminal activity, is anything but riddled with negative energy. In this case study it is apparent that the cultural effect has had less time to grow, and many of the reasons for apparitional experiences is due to the heavy suggestion. With a name like “Ghost Tower”, on first impression any regular person would become weary. However, is this underlying fear of the building created by the looming, dark aesthetics of one of Asia’s most infamous pieces of architecture.