Avatar attraction to anchor Asiatique renovation

SET-listed Asset World Corp (AWC) is planning an 8-billion-baht investment to redevelop Asiatique The Riverfront, transforming it into a family-oriented destination through global intellectual property (IP) brands such as Avatar.

Wallapa Traisorat, president and chief executive of AWC, said the company envisions the upgrade as creating a "global hub of experience", building on the site's 224,000 square metres of space.

The company is developing a new attraction dubbed "Avatar: Guardians of Eywa" in collaboration with EMM Williams Productions, featuring immersive experiences and live acrobatic performances that mark the debut of Avatar licensing in Southeast Asia.

The Avatar trilogy by director James Cameron is the world's highest-grossing film trio, generating more than US$6 billion in box office revenue and attracting fans of all ages. This makes it an appropriate theme for a new family attraction at Asiatique, said Mrs Wallapa.

The hospitality arm of AWC follows a similar model, operating hotels under global brands that already have extensive customer databases through their loyalty programmes, she noted.

The Avatar attraction is projected to span 4,000 sq m, forming part of the new Blue Dome project that covers 16,000 sq m. The project is being brought over from the Osaka World Expo's Blue Ocean Dome, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.

Blue Dome is slated to open later this year, with the Avatar experience scheduled to open in early 2027.

Mrs Wallapa said the company expects visitor traffic at Asiatique to increase to more than 50,000 people per day following the new launch, up from 30,000-40,000.

According to AWC, Asiatique recorded 81% occupancy in the first quarter, with visitor traffic growing 16% year-on-year thanks to the launch of the Jurassic project.

Last year, the company unveiled "Jurassic World: The Experience Bangkok" in collaboration with Universal Destinations & Experience, as well as the SkyFlyer swing ride and the "Better World Better Future" exhibition.

Other projects planned for Asiatique include new parking facilities to accommodate more visitors, expanded food and beverage offerings, additional attractions, a new cable car crossing the Chao Phraya River to connect with the Charoen Nakhon side, and the Mona Bangkok art museum.