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Bangkok's abandoned 'ghost' towers




Bangkok's "ghost" towers have become a popular destination for photographers like Dax Ward, who has documented around 20 abandoned locations in Thailand. The American's images form part of a photographic genre he calls "abandonia." Upon its completion in 2016, the 314-meter MahaNakhon was named Thailand's tallest building. Offering luxury shopping and some of the most expensive properties in Bangkok, the glitzy skyscraper symbolizes a city on the rise. But amid a construction boom in the Thai capital, the skeletons of long-abandoned buildings remain part of the expanding skyline. They stand as monuments to an economic crash that is slowly fading from view. Less than a 20-minute drive from the MahaNakhon, a dilapidated high-rise called Sathorn Unique Tower has stood empty for two decades. Its crumbling walls are juxtaposed with million dollar views of the city's skyline.  Aug. 23 http://edition.cnn.com/style/article/bangkok-abandoned-ghost-towers/index.html






This news item appeared on CNN just a day after the solar eclipse of Aug. 21. A chart for the eclipse at Bangkok has Neptune on the MC and Saturn and TNP Cupido on the descendant in a paran aspect.  Here the meridian serves the purpose of bringing to life  the now waning Saturn-Neptune square.

The Saturn-Neptune cycle is fairly common - we experience a major aspect between the two planets (Conjunction, Square or Opposition) every 9 years. But that frequency doesn’t diminish its important role. Metaphorically, interactions between Saturn and Neptune can express on the high end as “sobering up.”

Saturn brings the energies of discipline and judgment to balance Neptune’s imaginary and escapist leanings. The square suggests the dance isn’t a comfortable one. We may find ourselves in tense moments in which our escapism is brought to our awareness in the harsh light of day. If so, our challenge is to accept this new insight, and take responsibility for the actions that brought us to this place, and start taking steps to change our behavior.

Among other things, the TNP Cupido is linked to houses and real estate [1] so that the Saturn-Neptune square acting on Cupido is a sobering influence on the real estate market in Bangkok.



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