This Abandoned Shopping Mall In Bangkok Has Been Taken Over By Fish

This abandoned mall in Bangkok, Thailand, hides an unlikely secret behind it’s walls – it is home to thousands of fish, which freely roam the mall’s flooded floor. The mall was closed in 1997, and a fire in 1999 left it without a roof. During the rainy season, the mall quickly flooded with water, which created a perfect environment for a mosquito outbreak in the area. To get rid of them, the locals came up with a great idea – to breed freshwater Catfish and Koi fish in the mall’s water so they could eat the insects.

Now the mall hides one of the biggest natural aquariums in the world. Professional cook, writer and photographer Jesse Rockwell visited this mall to take some photos, which tell a disaster movie-like story of nature reclaiming the land.

More info: Website (h/t: dailymail, colossal)

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“Without a good knowledge of Bangkok geography, one would be hard pressed to believe anything interesting lies behind this gate”, writes James on his blog.

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“At some point in the early 2000′s an unknown person began introducing a small population of exotic Koi and Catfish species. The small population of fish began to thrive and the result is now a self-sustained, and amazingly populated urban aquarium”– James explains in his blog.

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I joined Bored Panda as an image editor back in 2014, during its early stages. It's been quite a journey since then! Over time, I transitioned through different roles until I eventually became the Content Lead. In this position, I now oversee the creation of the viral content published here on Bored Panda. While my primary focus lies in raising awareness about important social issues like gender and race equality, as well as mental health topics, I also enjoy sharing lighter content, such as memes, cat images and intriguing world curiosities. Outside of work, you'll likely find me engaged in one of five activities: planning a vacation, browsing thrift stores, experimenting in the kitchen, watching movies, or spending quality time with my two cats.

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