Rear Facade of the Mike Mall

[LarryDarrell]

Why does the rear of the Mike Mall look so terrible with rebar coming out in all directions?  Every time I visit I am perplexed by this.  Was it left unfinished on purpose?

[JamesFerris]

I always viewed it as a microcosm of the local culture personally..

If you look at the front of the mall, it's beautiful, stylish, looks pretty attractive.  

Then you go inside, and all you can smell is 6-8 metric tons of mold that are growing within the walls, surely to Poison everywhere within a 40 kilometer radius with spores if and when the building collapses.  By the time you get to the rear of the mall, they've just completely abandoned any semblance of caring.

It's all about "face" and initial appearance - the reality of what lies behind or underneath simply doesn't matter.

[thinkingallowed]

Maybe the intention was to extend it at some point so they left that rebar sticking out so they could tie into the existing building. 

I saw a lot of this in Mexico and asked a local about it. He said that they could claim it was an unfinished building and avoid paying some sort of tax. 

[Scuba+]

The front was only modernised last year or year before i think. It previously looked dated but they did a good job. The rear has always looked unfinished. I guess the front being on beach road was more important to look good.

[just hanging]

3 hours ago, LarryDarrell said:

Why does the rear of the Mike Mall look so terrible with rebar coming out in all directions?  Every time I visit I am perplexed by this.  Was it left unfinished on purpose?

standard reason, when they get more money they will finish......

[Arnie85]

Yes it's bizarre.  At the top where the pool is there is custom wrought iron.  They put a lot of effort into some parts then totally forgot about others. 

[superdaws]

I have seen that before, I think some of the buildings around LK Metropole (the hotel not the street) have that.  I wondered myself why they would do that.  I figure either it is done to facilitate connecting another structure or extending the existing one, or it is faster and easier doing it that way.

[Saddic]

TIT...  That's all you need to know...

[Pattaya_Brian]

Union job.

[LarryDarrell]

Somewhere along the way I heard that this condition allows the building to escape a variety of taxes because it is technically "unfinished".  I have no idea if this is true.

[Pattaya_Brian]

1 hour ago, LarryDarrell said:

Somewhere along the way I heard that this condition allows the building to escape a variety of taxes because it is technically "unfinished".  I have no idea if this is true.

I don't have any problem believing that.

[questor]

Anyone seen Mike? He should know.

[Cerberus]

1 hour ago, LarryDarrell said:

Somewhere along the way I heard that this condition allows the building to escape a variety of taxes because it is technically "unfinished".  I have no idea if this is true.

Basically true, if you look at many buildings you will see rebro sticking above the roof and other strategic places. Therefore technically the building is not finished and certain taxes delayed.

[striderman]

on the subject of mike shopping mall the art and tattoo shops down the outside have moved to Tipp plaza and the old ones knocked down

[biggles]

Thanks, bought a few paintings there and planned to get another one

[Saddic]

1 hour ago, striderman said:

on the subject of mike shopping mall the art and tattoo shops down the outside have moved to Tipp plaza and the old ones knocked down

they had a bulldozer there this morning... obstructed by the debris...

[Scuba+]

on the subject of mike shopping mall the art and tattoo shops down the outside have moved to Tipp plaza and the old ones knocked down

I wonder why

[Billyboy294]

On 5/11/2017 at 13:28, scubascuba3 said:

The front was only modernised last year or year before i think. It previously looked dated but they did a good job. The rear has always looked unfinished. I guess the front being on beach road was more important to look good.

I am confused although i stayed at the Mike hotel for many years.

You say the "front' is on Beach Road and was only modernised last year. And the "rear" which i assume you mean on 2nd Road has always looked unfinished.

In fact it was what you called the 'rear' on 2nd Road that has been modernised in the past year or two and yes they did a good job..

[striderman]

14 minutes ago, Billyboy294 said:

I am confused although i stayed at the Mike Hotel for many years.

You say the "front' is on Beach Road and was only modernised last year. And the "rear" which i assume you mean on 2nd Road has always looked unfinished.

In fact it was what you called the 'rear' on 2nd Road that has been modernised in the past year or two and yes they did a good job..

there are 2 mike locations. 1 the old one mike shopping which has the hotel and the new facade facing second rd.

the other one which the OP is referring to is the new mike shopping which is about opposite soi diana. i use new but it's been there years

[Billyboy294]

Yes I just realised that scuba must be referring to the bigger Mike Shopping mall and I opened up to ammend my post. It was the fact he mentioned modernisation of the facade in the last year or two that confused me because the facade fronting on to 2nd Road of the smaller shop was also. modernised in the past year or two.

[Billy Shears]

3 hours ago, questor said:

Anyone seen Mike? He should know.

I'm pretty sure Mike passed away many years ago. Isn't Mike's the oldest shopping mall in Pattaya? Anybody know what year it first opened?

[davidge]

3 minutes ago, WhiteThai said:

I'm pretty sure Mike passed away many years ago. Isn't Mike's the oldest shopping mall in Pattaya? Anybody know what year it first opened?

The smaller one was there before I started visiting in 1987. The bigger one opened a few years after. I’d guess 1991-2?

Royal Garden opened a couple of years later.

[Scuba+]

Yes I just realised that scuba must be referring to the bigger Mike Shopping mall and I opened up to ammend my post. It was the fact he mentioned modernisation of the facade in the last year or two that confused me because the facade fronting on to 2nd Road of the smaller shop was also. modernised in the past year or two.

Yes i was referring to the bigger Mike Shopping mall which is what the Op was about, not the other one you're referring to

[questor]

I'm pretty sure Mike passed away many years ago. Isn't Mike's the oldest shopping mall in Pattaya? Anybody know what year it first opened?

Website suggests 1976: http://www.mikeshoppingmall.com/History.aspx

Pretty sure it's the oldest mall in Pattaya. (And not too sure there was ever a 'Mike').

[Billy Shears]

7 minutes ago, davidge said:

The smaller one was there before I started visiting in 1987. The bigger one opened a few years after. I’d guess 1991-2?

Royal Garden opened a couple of years later.

Was that the only shopping mall in Pattaya in 1987?