Scuba divers save historic Bangkok mansion | Thailand News | NewsRme

As Bangkok continues to ruin its architectural legacy at an alarming rate, a 200-year-old Chinese palace in Bangkok's core seems an unlikely spot to open a dive school.

His family's teak-walled So Heng Tai, which Poosak Posayachinda has held for eight generations, lives on owing to his choice to turn it into an underwater dive school.

The building's survival is a remarkable success story in a city that has little passion - or legal safeguards - for old architectural marvels. It was initially constructed as a residence and office for the family company dealing birds' nests with China.
Gleaming shopping centers and luxurious residences have sprung around the city in the last several years, while historic structures like the art deco Scala movie theater and the British consulate from the 1920s have been demolished.