Chiang Rai News
Constuction to Begin on Chiang Rai’s “2.5-Billion-Baht” World’s Tallest Flagpole Project
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CHIANG RAI – Construction of the world’s tallest national flagpole will begin soon in Chiang Saen District of Chiang Rai Province after engineers complete soil testing and other on-site technical inspections, project head Trin Nilprasert said on Monday.
The 189-metre flagpole, equivalent to a 63-storey building in height, had been designed to withstand strong winds and earthquakes, Mr Trin said.
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The world’s tallest flagpole, along with other structures, will be built on 269 rai in Moo 1 village of Ban Huay Kiang in tambon Wiang, Chiang Saen district.
Located two kilometers from the Mekong River, it will be seen from a distance of 20 kilometers.
The 2.5-billion-baht project was financed by a consortium of Thai, Malaysian and Chinese companies. It aims to create a new landmark and tourist attraction for Chiang Rai, a strategic location under special economic zone development.
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The freestanding pole costs about 500 million baht to build. The rest of the budget would be spent on a botanical garden of local and international flowers, including rare species; a duty-free shop; an Otop centre, an international convention hall, art and exhibition halls, as well as a historical learning centre.
The construction of the pole will be completed next year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the national flag, Mr Trin said.
The chairman of Trin Innovation Group added the flag to be flown on the pole has already been made by a foreign manufacturer. Weighing almost 600kg, it is roughly the size of a futsal pitch.
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The pole will be built by California-based Trident Support Corporation as its eighth project. The company has built seven flagpoles at record heights, including those in Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates.
The world’s tallest flagpole at present is in Saudi Arabia. It is 169.7m tall and is known as the Jeddah Flagpole. When completed in 2004, it supplanted the flagpole in the capital of Tajikistan, which is 164.89m tall.
By Cheewin Sattha