Thread: British Foreign Office sells Bangkok embassy for £420m

The Foreign Office has sold its British embassy in Bangkok for £420m, the biggest property sale in its history.



Money raised from the sale will be used to renovate other embassies around the world.

British diplomats in Thailand's capital city will move to a modern tower block in 2019.

The colonial-era embassy was built in 1922 when the British government bought the nine-acre site on the outskirts of Bangkok.

The Wireless Road compound includes its own tropical garden in a busy part of the capital, but large parts of the embassy have fallen into disrepair.
'Best value for taxpayer'

A statue of Queen Victoria will remain in the compound but a war memorial will be moved to a new site.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: "Britain is a leading player on the global stage and I'm determined to ensure that our diplomats have all the necessary tools to do their job effectively.

"This includes working in modern, safe, fit for purpose premises not just in Bangkok but around the world."

He added that the new state-of-the-art premises would "only enhance our trade links" with Thailand.

The sale price is nearly half the FCO's annual core budget of £1.2bn, and the money could also be used to buy new compounds, improve security, and increase earthquake protection.

The projects will include new electrical wiring in the Paris embassy, refurbishments in Cairo and a new compound in New Delhi may be bought.

Simon McDonald, permanent under-secretary at the FCO, said that the move offered "the best value for the taxpayers" in a "tight fiscal environment".

Foreign Office sells Bangkok embassy for £420m - BBC News

Shame.

Attended many highly enjoyable Ploenchit Fairs there.

A particular highlight was 'The Bastards' doing 'God Save The Queen'.

Another restful reminder of yesteryear disappears...

same old tory filth - selling off the countries silverware. The new site will be rented of course and the sale money will be fed to their crony mates.

Sounds similar to when the Indonesian Ambassador sold their embassy in Singapore. He forgot to tell his government and decamped to parts unknown. This case will need some specialist money laundering to get the funds to their correct owners.

Originally Posted by pseudolus

same old tory filth - selling off the countries silverware. The new site will be rented of course and the sale money will be fed to their crony mates.

Was actually Labour who started the sell off in 2007.

The scale of financial pressure on the British diplomatic service has been underlined by a Foreign Office announcement that it is raising £420m by selling its embassy in Bangkok.


The sale is the largest land deal in Thai history and the Foreign Office’s biggest ever sale. The department said the proceeds would be reinvested elsewhere in the overseas estate and would fund 30-40 modernisation projects around the world, including in Washington DC.

The Foreign Office has long complained that its budget is being cut to the bone at a time when the parallel budget of the Department for International Development is booming. The UK foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, has been looking to see how he can capture parts of the DfID budget without breaching international rules on the definition of aid. A series of pooled budgets have been established, including the conflict security and stability fund. The transparency of the spending in these budgets has been repeatedly challenged.


The Bangkok embassy is being sold to a joint-venture consortium of Hongkong Land, a member of the Jardine Matheson Group, and Central Group. The new Bangkok embassy building will be based in the AIA Sathorn Tower in the central business district.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...sy-up-for-sale

half a billion for some land in a third world country capital ? Bangkok has really gone overpriced

Originally Posted by buriramboy

Was actually Labour who started the sell off in 2007.

Correction - it was TORY Blair.

I don't like to play the red blue left right divide and conquer game, but the tory filth really are blatant insipid mercenary scum - the labour mob have to be a bit more circumspect.

Originally Posted by Looper

British Foreign Office sells Bangkok embassy for £420m

Brits need the money to help pay Brussels to get out of the EU.

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

half a billion for some land in a third world country capital ? Bangkok has really gone overpriced

Got to pay our Brexit bill somehow.

^ edit, beat me to it.

One hopes the diplomats are moved into the same building where the visa are "discussed".

No way will the hoi polloi get to see those guys, whatever the new premises are like.

90% of the contact will be with overworked Thai staff.

I thought i read that land was given to them by the King

Originally Posted by OhOh

One hopes the diplomats are moved into the same building where the visa are "discussed".

India.

Funny that people think that embassy and diplomat are int he slightest bit concerned with VISAs and helping their citizens.

They are trade missions who exists solely to develop markets for big business, crush competitors, and force weaker countries to comply with the demands of said businesses.

indeed, they are worthless

it's hideouts for public servants so they can live the life of the rich and beautiful on a budget

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

half a billion for some land in a third world country capital ? Bangkok has really gone overpriced

Quite a staggering wedge innit.

How many hectares is the compound?

It's a sizeable but not enormous area, but of course it's the area slap bang there in the centre of the city.

Originally Posted by pseudolus

same old tory filth - selling off the countries silverware. The new site will be rented of course and the sale money will be fed to their crony mates.

Agreed, Tories doing what they know best...asset stripping.

I guess they'll stick the new embassy where it belongs, in the third world belt.

Originally Posted by Troy

Agreed, Tories doing what they know best...asset stripping.

I guess they'll stick the new embassy where it belongs, in the third world belt.

Check your history Corbyn lover, Labour started the asset stripping of the Bangkok embassy in 2007.

^ Check yours and go back a little further. How about Peter Walker ?

Corbyn Lover? Me? My word you really don't get it do you?

There is no political divide to Brexit. It's a divide between those with common sense and those who vote Brexit...

As Dillinger has pointed out, the embassy was sited on land given to the British, in perpetuity, as an inducement to move their legation from their offices by the river because it was getting too crowded. The reason for the sale, the compound's accommodation had fallen into disrepair and needed refurbishment, is bollox too - selling a slice of the compound, 9 rai, to Central group in 2006 realised huge sums and financed the build of new quarters to house staff previously billeted off site.
The real reason is I suspect the fact that the compound was simply too fucking big for them. Britain's influence here is worth diddlysquat compared to the big boys and given the decreasing numbers of embassy staffers, the entire visa section is soon to be shipped back to Blighty, there is no justification for the Ploenchit site. Frankly, I shouldn't think they would have more than twenty accredited diplomatic staff in total - HE,DHM, a management officer, one spook, NCA representative, technical bod, a few secretaries/personal assistants, military attache, DfID bod, DTi wallah, regional UKVI representative plus 1 UKVI officer to deal with fuck-ups and trouble shooting/liaison with Trendy, Two airline liaison officers and a Consular officer with the rest of the skivvies being locally engaged.

The sale of the site will devalue the surrounding area.

Property situated close to a British Embassy has always been viewed as prestige and demanded higher than average prices.

Similar to a Waitrose being built in an English village, raising the value of the residents properties.

Originally Posted by Begbie

Sounds similar to when the Indonesian Ambassador sold their embassy in Singapore. He forgot to tell his government and decamped to parts unknown. This case will need some specialist money laundering to get the funds to their correct owners.

I think they should use bitcoin, quick, easy and untraceable.

Originally Posted by Chittychangchang

The sale of the site will devalue the surrounding area.

Property situated close to a British Embassy has always been viewed as prestige and demanded higher than average prices.

Similar to a Waitrose being built in an English village, raising the value of the residents properties.

Massive exclusive condo project to eclipse what they built on the other bit bordering Sukvit, value will soar.