Greek island mall opens in Thailand

A theme park inspired by the Greek island of Santorini has opened in Thailand’s holiday district of Cha-am, two hours from capital Bangkok.

Developed by garment retailer and manufacturer Pena House Group, Santorini Park is designed to attract tourists as well as shoppers in the area.

The 80,000 square meter mall features little white houses with blue-painted windows, windmills and stone-paved streets as well as shops, restaurants, a double-decker carousel and a 40-meter tall ferris wheel.

Developers hope to attract some of the 4 million tourists that flock to the nearby Hua Hin beach resort every year.

Pena House Group has said it plans an expansion of the park if the project proves a success. So far there are no plans to build a volcano.