'Ghost tower' skyscraper that cost £40 million has never had a resident live there

There's something ever so spooky about abandoned buildings; perhaps the fact they have provided the setting for so many horror movies over the years.

Nevertheless, they are certainly creepy, and this 49-storey skyscraper in Thailand's capital Bangkok is no different.

Having been affectionately named the 'ghost tower', the abandoned Sathorn Unique Tower looms over the city's iconic skyline, after being completely neglected for some 26 years.

The ghost tower boasts impressive architecture, but sadly, the building has fallen into complete disarray and is now covered in graffiti and mould.

Stephen J. Boitano / Contributor / Getty Images

Building began in 1990, when developers promised 49 floors of luxury condominiums for rich Thai families. However, seven years later, the work came to a sudden halt as a result of the Asian financial crisis in 1997.

The ghost tower was one of around 500 building projects forced to come to a standstill, but while many other projects have since resumed, the Sathorn Unique remains derelict.

In the years after its abandonment, the building became popular among 'urban explorers,' who would regularly climb the building for the purpose of creating content for social media.

However, in 2014 it was made illegal to climb the 185-metre tower over safety concerns, yet people continue to share photos and videos online from on top and inside the building.

Stephen J. Boitano / Contributor / Getty Images

The Sathorn Unique, which overlooks the Chao River, was designed and backed by architect and property developer Rangsan Torsuwan, who was charged with allegedly plotting to murder Thailand's Supreme Court president Pramsan Chansue, just three years after building began. The case dragged on for 15 years and in 2008, he was found guilty.

His son, Pansit, took over the project, and Torsuwan was later acquitted for the alleged crime in 2010.

In December 2014, the body of a Swedish man was founded hanged on the 43rd floor of the building and in 2015, Pansit announced he would be increasing security patrols to combat the increasing number of people trespassing on the tower.

Two years later, the construction became the backdrop for a 2017 horror film called The Promise, after suggestions the ghost tower could be haunted due to being built on a former graveyard.

As it stands, it's unclear whether the abandoned skyscraper will ever be developed into anything more than a derelict building, but until then, it will no doubt continue to fascinate tourists and 'urban explorers.'