In 1970, the Government of Thailand made available a site on which the United Nations could build new facilities for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The foundation stone-laying ceremony for the facilities, which comprised a Secretariat building and Service building, was conducted by the Prime Minister of Thailand on United Nations Day, 24 October 1972. The facilities were ceremonially inaugurated by HE King Bhumibol Adulyadej on United Nations Day, 24 October 1975.
The ESCAP premises in Bangkok annually hosts approximately 3,000 meetings, which are attended by more than 55,000 participants
The UN ESCAP premises in Bangkok presently comprise three reinforced concrete buildings, as detailed below:
The Secretariat building is a 15-floor high-rise reinforced concrete building with 1 basement, consisting of East (Block A) and West (Block B) wings connected through a central core (labelled “Elevator tower” or “Lift lobby” in the technical documents) by slabs and beams. The external building cladding is a combination of stucco and marble plates. The building comprises 29,500 sqm of total constructed area including 17,000 sqm of office space with 1,288 workstations. The building was constructed in 1975.
The Service building is a 4-floor reinforced concrete building with one1 basement floor, with a total of 19,727 sqm of constructed area including 5,826 sqm of office space with 456 workstations. The building was also constructed in the early 1970s.
The United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) is a 3-floor structure with two additional basement floors, with a total of 50,730 sqm of constructed area including a numbers of large conference halls, catering and dining facilities and 2,681 sqm of office space with 129 workstations. The building was built in the 1990s nearly 20 years after the other two buildings on the ESCAP premises were constructed.