Nakhon Thai in Silvertown would be replaced under plans submitted to Newham Council reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

A restaurant with a paved walkway in the foreground — Nakhon Thai restaurant at Victoria Dock, Silvertown (Credit: Studio Egret West)

A Thai restaurant in Silvertown could be demolished and replaced with a 16-storey long-stay hotel under plans submitted to Newham Council.

Real estate developer General Projects wants planning permission to redevelop Nakhon Thai at the Expressway Studios, by Silvertown Way, opposite London City Hall.

Proposals say the redevelopment would come amid “significant change” at the Royal Docks.

Nakhon Thai moved to its home in Victoria Dock in 2004 and has been open there ever since.

However a planning statement submitted with the application indicates the building’s owner Waterfront Studios Trustee Limited wants to redevelop it as part of the area’s wider regeneration.

It says: “The surrounding area is undergoing significant change and there are mixture of development proposals evolving around the site.”

The statement adds that redevelopment will “revitalise the site” and “support local regeneration”.

General Projects has been in conversation with the council about demolishing Nakhon Thai for an apart-hotel since December 2024, according to the planning statement.

The statement says developers had five meetings with council planning officers prior to submitting the application.

It says that in their second pre-application meeting, in May 2025, planning officers confirmed that it would be acceptable to build an apart-hotel on that site.

However it suggests that planning officers and councillors raised concerns about the proposed length of time that guests would be allowed to stay.

Hotels are generally allowed to let guests stay for up to 90 days. However the proposal says developers want guests to be able to stay for up to a year, and rooms would include a kitchenette.

The planning statement says that at a meeting with councillors in January, “some councillors requested evidence of the need for extended stays and for apart-hotels in the area”.

In response, the planning statement suggests the longer stays would benefit people coming to work in Canary Wharf for a medium period of time, as well as tourists and people preparing to move into longer-term housing.

It says guests could include: “business travellers in short-mid-term secondments and project-based contract work (there has been strong feedback received from multiple Canary Wharf based businesses which have highlighted a specific need for this type of accommodation).”

It adds: “Young professionals settling into the area whilst looking for a permanent place to reside, graduate students and interns on 3–6-month programmes, temporary workers, new arrivals into London, etc are also considered to be identified demands for this longer-stay accommodation who require a longer stay.”

General Projects submitted its planning application to the council on Monday, 18th May. It became available to view on the council’s planning website on Thursday, 4th June.

The application can be viewed and commented on using reference number 26/01106/FUL.

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