Interesting place for a fish pond!

There's something inherently cool about modern ruins — the bigger the better! This abandoned shopping mall in Thailand, built in the 80's, was closed in 1997 for being in violation of building regulations. The New World Mall in Bangkok, at eleven floors, was seven floors higher than the approved blueprints (yikes). In 1999, a fire swept through the mall destroying the roof and a few years later, the top seven floors were demolished and removed.

In the years since, rainwater filled the building and it became a breeding ground for mosquitoes. To control the mosquitoes, locals introduced freshwater tilapia which reproduced into the thousands!



Opposing Views source
Daily Mail source

EDIT:

I found this picture from higher up on anothermag.com



and this recent picture of the outside at bangkok.coconuts.cc:

that's cool. reminds me for some reason of andrei tarkovsky's 'Stalker' .

a reply to: theantediluvian

That's awesome.

That's an expensive fish pond...lol....

Neat idea though.

Simply awesome, love me some urban decay

They were doing something similar in post Katrina NOLA if I remember correctly. One of the things they did was to go and find swimming pools that were holding water and seed them with mosquito fish to try to help hold down the mosquito population while they were trying to get the city back on its feet.

originally posted by: ketsuko
They were doing something similar in post Katrina NOLA if I remember correctly. One of the things they did was to go and find swimming pools that were holding water and seed them with mosquito fish to try to help hold down the mosquito population while they were trying to get the city back on its feet.

You're quite right and I found an article about it at National Geographic.

Why is there a huge Talapia venue in VA but everything at the market is
from China? We should be able to have AMERICAN farmed fish if we choose...
I have never seen Talapia from VA only exported from china...

Our Fish farms are cleaner than abroad....

Cheers
Ektar

originally posted by: RoScoLaz
that's cool. reminds me for some reason of andrei tarkovsky's 'Stalker' .

I have never watched that one. I just pulled it up and did a quick skip through. I appears to be very Lynchian, like your avatar. I'll sit through it when I have the time.

a reply to: skunkape23

it's a great (if slow paced) movie.

a reply to: Ektar

Because Tilapia is a tropical fish from Africa. It is farmed anywhere tropical hence china. I see most of the Tilapia in the local stores near me from central America. Some tilapia is added to places warm enough like the southern part of the Colorado river to help keep it clean. Tilapia live off of plant matter floating down stream.

Watch out with Tilapia raised is shady places. A lot of Tilapia farms are at the mouths of rivers. Just before it gets too brackish. Guess what else floats down stream and collects near the opening of major rivers...human garbage! What do you think a lot of the Tilapia harvested in those fisheries sometimes eat.

SO no Tilapia will be found farmed from VA unless the fishery wants to do some elaborate and expensive heated water system for the fish.

Personally I don't like tilapia. I fish my own Sand bass, rock fish, vermillion snapper, skulpin (ugly but tasty) halibut, calico's, blue cat, some channel cat n flathead (yech) blue gill, various trout and stripers. Whoooo stripers are fun to catch. But I won't eat tilapia for the same reason I don't eat shrimp or lobster or crab.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

Thanks BP! It's something I had always wondered about... I'm right
with you on fishing & catching me own.
It was the constant labels at the market, always Talapia from China
& there is a huge farm in VA, & I never saw VA fish in any market...
I would think if buying farmed it would be cleaner here than in china?

Food chain has so many problems...Thanks for your time!

Cheers
Ektar

a reply to: BASSPLYR

I moved from LA to East Coast & Talapia & Trout are served as Sushi here...
I bloody miss me CA Sushi!

Cheers
Ektar

neat but id never eat that breed of fish
dont know if its true but one of my frinds from china told me the locals wont eat it so i figured i wont ether

a reply to: markovian

Every fish pond around here has Talapia.. The favorite way of cooking them is over charcoal. The preparers take a wad of spicy grass and cram the grass fully down it's mouth and throat. Then the fish is rolled in sea salt. It is then placed over the charcoal fire skin, salt, and all. When done and served you can take a fork and lift the skin and scale off like a warm blanket. It is a white meat that does not have a very strong fishy smell or flavor; kinda like a poor man's Mahi Mahi.

Most seem to be around 2 pounds when caught and served. I am not a big fish eater but I can actually eat Talapia when fixed that way. When growing up we fished for Bass, Perch, and the occasional catfish. Almost always fried.. The method described above for preparing Talapia keeps the meat soft and juicy.. not dry.

I may install or make a hydroponic garden over a small fish pond I am thinking about building.. My wife thinks I am crazy because all we have to do is stick a seed in the ground and it will grow... She does have a point... Women!

a reply to: Ektar

Damn I got a great sushi place two buildings down the street on my block. I might just go there tonight. Yeah the sushi in LA is pretty good. I wonder hat the sushi is like in kansas or somewhere. that must be weird. I remember going to collage in boston and being really saddened at their idea of mexican food. The one mexican restaurant in faneuil hall was so bad it made me want to cry.

I've lived in Bangkok for the past 2 years and haven't heard about this so I'll be asking and looking as soon as I get a chance....

Ok, I'm back. Just asked my girlfriend (a Thai national) about the place. According to her many people died in the fire and the place is considered haunted and as she said, very creepy... Many Thais are afraid to go into the old mall. I want to go, take a recorder and get some EVP's? Anyway she said she won't go in but I can... We'll see.

Many complained about the yung pronounced yoong (mosquitoe) but nothing was ever done so some locals took it upon themselves (the Thai way) and dropped a few fish into the water to quell the swarms of mosquitoes. After a time there were so many fish that they were almost out of control... Not sure what's happening now?

I'll try to get down and take some more recent pics if I get in, I'll post them if anyone is interested.


I didn't know about this, very sad story about the fire,

a reply to: spookysully

Ok, I'm back. Just asked my girlfriend (a Thai national) about the place. According to her many people died in the fire and the place is considered haunted and as she said, very creepy... Many Thais are afraid to go into the old mall. I want to go, take a recorder and get some EVP's? Anyway she said she won't go in but I can... We'll see.

AND it's supposedly haunted? This place is sounding more interesting by the minute.

I'll try to get down and take some more recent pics if I get in, I'll post them if anyone is interested.

Please do!

I didn't know about this, very sad story about the fire,

Yes. There was no mention of people dying in the fire. There's no mention of fatalities during the fire which happened two years after it was shut down. I wonder if maybe if there's some conflation there with the CentralWorld Mall protest and fire?

a reply to: theantediluvian

I know its a bit of this topic but I just wanted to let you know that...Almost everything you read about the unrest in Thailand is so ridiculously exaggerated that it's really quite funny.

I've only been here for a little over 2 years but in that time I've lived in the Northeast (Isan), the north, both Chiang Rai and Chiang mai and because of my job, have been living in Bangkok for the past year and I can assure you that everything I see on a daily basis from going to the market for food, going to work, going to visit friends or going out with the little lady is as relaxed and even keeled as it was back in 2011. Nothing has changed and seeing what the idiots from the MSM have been trying to terrify people with is laughable!

The Thai people are a beautiful, friendly and caring bunch. I meet the occasional asshole for sure but they're most definitely the minority...Mostly taxi drivers.

As far as the police and the army go...They're all smiles! I've been very busy of late and haven't had time to get down to the blah or fish yet. I have my first gallery show here in Bangkok and with all that's going on, I'm swamped.

I really will try to get you some pics of the place I promise!!!

Chok dee! (cheers)

a reply to: spookysully

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