Bangkok property boom rises above bubble fears

A 77-storey skyscraper is set to become the latest, and tallest, addition to Bangkok's ever-changing skyline, already transformed by a construction boom that has raised fears of a property bubble.

Variously described on Internet forums as looking "like it has been eaten by giant termites" and reflecting "the chaos of Bangkok", the MahaNakorn -- Great Metropolis -- will tower over the Thai capital when it is finished in 2014.

At 314 metres (1,036 feet) it will be the city's tallest building, but size was not what mattered, said Sorapoj Techakraisri, head of PACE Development, which began building the skyscraper in June.

"I just wanted something unique, something interesting," he told AFP.

 Source: AFP