Temple must pay if project is scrapped, company owner says

The management of the century-old Chinese temple in Bangkok has mounted strong opposition against Station1@China Town project out of concern the building might get turned into a hotel or an establishment involved in morally questionable activities.
“We asked to see the project’s expense list, but our request was denied,” Pisitchanon Niwattanakul, a member of the temple’s board, disclosed yesterday. “We are ready to compensate the project’s owner, but only based on the actual expenses.”
Located in Bangkok’s Chinatown or Yaowarat area, the Leng Noi Yi temple has great cultural, historical and spiritual value. The Station1@China Town will be developed on a plot adjacent to the temple.
Sontaya Noicharoen, a legal counsellor for the project, has insisted the project’s owner is a Yaowarat resident and understands the significance of the temple.
“The project will definitely not feature a spa, a karaoke bar or hotel,” he said.
He said the first floor of the building would be devoted to jewellery stores and coffee shops, while the second and third floors have been earmarked for clothes shops, and the four floors above that will be made into flats.
“We will also proceed in line with the law and submit our plans to relevant authorities for approval,” Sonthaya said.
Jessada Anujaree of the Lawyers Council of Thailand, who has stood by the Leng Noi Yi Temple in its stance against the project, said the temple management was worried the flats might get rented on a daily basis, which would be very much like a hotel.
According to the sales team, the Station1@China Town project should be completed by March next year.