Fish have taken over this abandoned mall in Bangkok.
Jesse Rockwell, professional cook, traveler and aspiring writer/photographer, posted the following on his blog "A Taste of the Road":
"Down a nondescript soi [ed.: Thai term for "side street"] in old town Bangkok lies a relatively unknown hidden gem. Without a good knowledge of Bangkok geography, one would be hard pressed to believe anything interesting lies behind this gate. The posted sign reads in Thai "strictly no entrance beyond this point."
Rockwell described waiting for a policeman sitting outside to leave, after which he went inside and explored what was once the New World Shopping Mall. A four-story structure, it was originally built as an 11-story building, which violated local zoning codes allowing for only four stories.
Rockwell says the top seven floors were demolished to adhere to the codes, and two years later there was a fire that further damaged the building. The remains have no roof, which keeps them in a perpetual state of flooding.
A mosquito problem eventually developed in the standing water, and locals introduced freshwater tilapia in the water to eat the mosquitos. The fish population soon took over the lower floors of the watery space, swimming around rusted escalators and other remnants. Visitors and locals, who feed the fish with fish food supplied by area stores for that purpose, have since added other types of exotic fish, such as Koi carp, to the mall mix.
Read more of Rockwell's adventures at his blog. Via Nerdcore.
Images Credit: Jesse Rockwell.
The gate designed to keep the public out of the watery space.