World's first garden bridge opens over river in Bangkok, Thailand

World's first garden bridge opens over river in Bangkok, Thailand

An abandoned railway line in Thailand has become the world's first public park across a river - similar to the garden bridge that was proposed over the River Thames in London.

Thai architects studied the scrapped rail line over the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok and designed the country's first green park over a river.

The 280 metre long park took just one year to complete and opened on June 24.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha held an opening ceremony and said the pedestrian bridge would boost river tourism .

The garden bridge is 8.5 metres wide and runs alongside a road.

Officials said the Chao Phraya Sky Park is Thailand's first elevated public garden park spanning a river.

It is also believed to be the first in the world, reported the regional newspaper, the Bangkok Post.

The project cost 122 million baht (3.2million pound sterling), which is less than the proposed 202.6 million pound sterling cost of the Garden Bridge project over the River Thames in London.

The project in the UK was branded a shambled and junked in 2017.

Architects said that the cost of the bridge in Thailand has been a fraction of the scheme proposed in London because the bridge uses the existing structure of the abandoned Lavalin Skytrain project, which started in 1984 but was scrapped half-finished in 1992.

Project designer Professor Niramol Serisakul from the prestigious Chulalongkorn University's Centre of Excellence in Urban Strategies said the Chao Phraya Skypark was the world's first skypark above a river.

She said the garden bridge ''improves the quality of life and promotes urban well-being''.