In the Pathumwan district of Thailand's capital last week, the removal of some scaffolding from a 30-storey luxury hotel, the Rosewood Bangkok, sparked fear among city dwellers, as the building appeared to be leaning to one side.

The Bangkok Post reported that photos of the building were widely shared after they were posted on Twitter, with concerns expressed that the Rosewood was on the verge of tipping over onto an adjacent apartment block, the Noble Ploenchit.

But after local police received complaints and sent officers to investigate, they established that it was just an optical illusion created by the new hotel's distinctive architectural design.

"We have found out that the rumours are not true. It's just that this building is designed differently from others," Superintendent Pol Lt-Colonel Duangchot Suwancharas told The Nation.

The building's "lean" extends from the 10th floor to the 33rd floor, but it is only external.

The social media swarm also prompted the project's technical director, Dr Assawin Wanichkorkul, to hurry to the site to confirm nothing was wrong.

An artist's impression of the Rosewood Bangkok. Source: KPF.

The shape of the Rosewood is inspired by the Thai greeting known as the "wai", and its two connected towers will provide "opportunities for terraces, shrinking floorplates, and unique, occupiable spaces", according to the project website.

Construction is due to be completed and the hotel ready to open in 2019.

Downtown panic as new building seems to tilt https://t.co/IQOKk25XGQ pic.twitter.com/GBOhoqUxaO??? Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) August 15, 2017