Nox rises: Check out Washington’s 20 billion baht Bangkok embassy add-on

Architects in New York have designed a massive expansion to the U.S. Embassy compound that incorporates shaded outdoor Thai terraces and Lanna features from the north.

Ground was broken Friday in a ceremony overseen by Charge d’ Affaires Michael Heath and Thai VIPs on what’s modestly coined an “annex” to the embassy property on Wireless Road, a US$625 million (THB20.21 billion) development aiming for a 2025 opening.

The New Office Annex, dubbed The Nox, will be used to house additional diplomatic, security and commercial services while also modernizing the 1960s-era embassy’s consular services. It will also house U.S. agencies currently spread across Bangkok, with the embassy saying it will help centralize operations and strengthen bilateral ties.

Why a price tag rivaling Thailand’s overwrought new parliament building? We can only hope it includes one…