Neighbor violating building violations (less than 3m to wall for 3 story building)

[maskedman2]

Seems like everyone is saying to find another plot. I've spent over a year looking for plots or houses and haven't come up with much. Is it a huge downside having a neighbor that close? I understand a bit of privacy and cooking smells, but if I build my house say ~6m from the wall, it doesn't seem like much difference (despite a little extra cost). 

 

I'm not looking to sell anytime soon so not worried about price fluctuations that much. 

[CH1961]

13 hours ago, maskedman2 said:

I'm looking to buy a plot of land

 

13 hours ago, maskedman2 said:

I could complain and have them block off all the windows

You can't buy, so you can't complain too. 

[MikeN]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Build a 3 storey wall that blocks all their windows!

Or just plant bamboo alongside the wall so that it shades them out and drops leaves all over their side

[fondue zoo]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Build a 3 storey wall that blocks all their windows!

yes yes, they are referred to as Spite houses.    <cue evil finger tenting>

 

...now I want to start a business called Revenge Construction.

 

 

[jippytum]

I am not suggesting you should buy this particular plot .

However regarding planning. I have found the planning dept in Banglamung very responsive and helpful regarding a building adjacent to my bungalow. The owners decided  to purposely disregard  building regulations .City hall officials where very firm with the builders on site and weeks later inspected the site to ensure the offending property conformed to current building regulations.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Or, even better, don't buy in Thailand

My rule #1 in LOS- NEVER, EVER buy land or buildings.

Waaaaay too many potential pitfalls to be worth it.

As for those happy with their purchase, everything is OK till it's not.

Are you feeling lucky, are the omens auspicious, did you win the lottery recently?

[thaibeachlovers]

39 minutes ago, maskedman2 said:

Is it a huge downside having a neighbor that close?

Yes.

[maskedman2]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Yes.

What is the main problem? To be honest I didn't even know it was a rule until somebody pointed it out to me. 

[JackGats]

Tell the buyer of the plot you'd have been glad to pay a good price for his plot if it were not for the neighbour impinging. Then walk away and let them sort out the mess between Thais.

[BritManToo]

51 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

My rule #1 in LOS- NEVER, EVER buy land or buildings.

Waaaaay too many potential pitfalls to be worth it.

As for those happy with their purchase, everything is OK till it's not.

Are you feeling lucky, are the omens auspicious, did you win the lottery recently?

No but my home is 90% financed by SCB bank.

Any problems (with her or the house) and I can just walk away.

 

My neighbours built right up to the property line against local and Moobaan rules.

Then they put a gutter overhanging the wall, I told them to move the gutter or I'd pull it down. They moved the gutter and never talked to me again. Didn't care about the wall.

[Iamfalang]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I told them to move the gutter or I'd pull it down. They moved the gutter and never talked to me again

Neighbors hating neighbors.  Thais hating falang.  Oh, I've seen it soo many times. 

 

This is not going help when you are reincarnated!!!!  lol.    I'm sure you will never be invited to his birthday party.   

 

LOS...... where eventually you will stop talking to everyone.  lol

[jesimps]

15 hours ago, maskedman2 said:

The rest of the area is really nice. My wife seems concerned that someone knowingly violating the rules wouldn't be a great neighbor. 

Your wife is right.

 

[jesimps]

4 hours ago, crazykopite said:

I’ve purchased  properties in Thailand and have walked away with good profits . I now have a secluded beach front property with several foreigners who have given me their contact details should I wish to sell with that in mind I regard your comment “ don’t buy in Thailand “ as a stupid remark 

Not so stupid. I've had   land + house for 15 years now and if I had my time again. I'd rent. I'd love to have the freedom just to walk away if I wanted.

[khunPer]

18 hours ago, maskedman2 said:

Any suggestions?

Building rules in my area says, one meter from neighbor, and only 50 centimer if no openings, i.e. doors/windows. Two meters inside own land when facing public area and road, 3 meters from water edge.

 

Have you checked the local building regulations..?

[newnative]

7 hours ago, crazykopite said:

I’ve purchased  properties in Thailand and have walked away with good profits . I now have a secluded beach front property with several foreigners who have given me their contact details should I wish to sell with that in mind I regard your comment “ don’t buy in Thailand “ as a stupid remark 

   Same here.  Made a profit on every property sold; mostly seaview condos but also 1 house on Pattaya's Darkside.   Nothing wrong with renting if that suits but buying can have some advantages.  Partner and I like owning our own space to do with what we want to, while saving on rent--with a likely profit as an extra benefit when we sell.

[Boomer6969]

7 hours ago, crazykopite said:

I’ve purchased  properties in Thailand and have walked away with good profits . I now have a secluded beach front property with several foreigners who have given me their contact details should I wish to sell with that in mind I regard your comment “ don’t buy in Thailand “ as a stupid remark 

Well you might be one lucky idiot, but in Thailand the rule I was given is to rent everything, and that include wives.

[MrJ2U]

Depends on the view?

 

If its a beach view or a view of a rice Paddy.

 

Blocked seaview will drop the value of your land.

 

Blocked view of rice fields not so much.

 

What a quandary.  

[newnative]

6 hours ago, maskedman2 said:

Seems like everyone is saying to find another plot. I've spent over a year looking for plots or houses and haven't come up with much. Is it a huge downside having a neighbor that close? I understand a bit of privacy and cooking smells, but if I build my house say ~6m from the wall, it doesn't seem like much difference (despite a little extra cost). 

 

I'm not looking to sell anytime soon so not worried about price fluctuations that much. 

    It's not necessarily a 'huge downside' having a neighboring house close by.  My single-story house and my neighbor's 2-story house only have about 5 meters separating them, with a tall privacy fence in the middle.  Even though the houses are close, I'm not really bothered by the closeness due to how my house was designed and oriented.  That is key.

    My house is a wide U-shape with the major rooms oriented in the opposite direction from my neighbor, with 5 large sets of sliding doors facing the pool area in the middle of the wide 'U'.  There are some tall, narrow windows facing his house for sunlight but no big windows.  Looking out in that direction from the narrow windows, you see only plantings and the privacy wall.  

    Although the neighbor's house is 2-stories and close, my partner and I are not aware of it much because all of our outdoor activities are either on the other side with our pool/patio area, or at a backyard lawn area, also looking in a different direction.  We can't even see his house when we are out in the large pool/patio area--the bulk of our house blocks his house and gives us complete privacy. 

    If you really like this land plot, it could be worth meeting with an architect to see what sort of build options you might have.  There may be a way to site your house on the land plot to minimize the impact of the house next door.   

    

     

[Harveyboy]

On 10/23/2022 at 9:47 PM, maskedman2 said:

The rest of the area is really nice. My wife seems concerned that someone knowingly violating the rules wouldn't be a great neighbor. 

understatement!!!

[rickudon]

Just make sure the external units for your air conditioners blow hot air straight into their windows .......

[Delight]

As far as I can remember the measurement between 2 buildings is one meter on either side of the boundary line.

2 meters if the walls have windows in them.

[DrJack54]

Bit off topic however thought would share this pic to show building issues can occur anywhere.

The pictures (actually one is a zoom) shows a recently built condo complex central Bangkok.

 

Since then some inventive neighbours have played "let's build some trees houses with left over junk.

How would you feel if you had purchased one of the condo rooms opposite the junk pile. 

 

 

 

[ChaiyaTH]

On 10/24/2022 at 5:41 AM, Lucky Bones said:

A 3 story house can be a good idea until you get older.

Those stairs can be killers.

But, if they have 6 kids bludging off them.....?

Why you can just buy one of those electric rails with a seat, they aren't that expensive, specially in asia.

[ChaiyaTH]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Bit off topic however thought would share this pic to show building issues can occur anywhere.

The pictures (actually one is a zoom) shows a recently built condo complex central Bangkok.

 

Since then some inventive neighbours have played "let's build some trees houses with left over junk.

How would you feel if you had purchased one of the condo rooms opposite the junk pile. 

 

 

 

I would feel like a idiot condo buyer, as the view is not good in the first place and you can expect anything to happen on that size of land.

 

I know condo's that have had a view on the green lush of bangkok and river for 20 years, to then suddenly see a huge condo develop, even it is 100 meters away, so big and tall, it blocked bottom to top units on the entire side their view. Turned valuable and beautiful units into suddenly another ordinary room with <deleted>ty view, I am sure nobody is paying what they did before.

 

And to say you could see it coming? No, that entire area used to be developed already with old houses like you also show in your picture. Worst part being is that that new condo is not even populair or filled (way too small unit size and high price).

 

To not forget, 2 years of noise, almost daily, even late nights. Lucky it was someone i knew owning it, not myself.

[Bill Dauterive]

On 10/23/2022 at 9:35 PM, Iamfalang said:

Don't buy there.

 

problem solved.    

 

Best advice. Look further.

[IvorBiggun2]

On 10/23/2022 at 9:23 PM, maskedman2 said:

it is building a house that looks to be in violation of the building code.

And that specific code is? They have a highway code in Thailand but rarely do people pay any attention to it.

[falangUK]

On 10/24/2022 at 12:19 PM, BritManToo said:

No but my home is 90% financed by SCB bank.

Any problems (with her or the house) and I can just walk away.

 

My neighbours built right up to the property line against local and Moobaan rules.

Then they put a gutter overhanging the wall, I told them to move the gutter or I'd pull it down. They moved the gutter and never talked to me again. Didn't care about the wall.

Clever! How did you structure the deal with SCB? 10% is yours I guess? 

[BritManToo]

On 10/24/2022 at 5:01 PM, newnative said:

Partner and I like owning our own space to do with what we want to, while saving on rent--with a likely profit as an extra benefit when we sell.

If you were paying for everything, I'd like owning 'our own' space as well.

(especially if 'our own' space was solely in my name)

Just wondering how much cash she your partner contributed to the purchases?

[Mickeymaus]

On 10/24/2022 at 9:32 AM, crazykopite said:

I’ve purchased  properties in Thailand and have walked away with good profits . I now have a secluded beach front property with several foreigners who have given me their contact details should I wish to sell with that in mind I regard your comment “ don’t buy in Thailand “ as a stupid remark 

There are good reasons why you should be careful to buy property in Thailand. Here are some of them:

 

You cannot own land. Of course you can use a fake company. But the government can end this at any time and they discussed this years ago already.

 

In addition it is hard or impossible to get laws enforced. So many things are not up to you but up to them - whoever this is.

 

Then you are only a tourist here. You might get another retirement extension year after year. But they can stop this at any time. You have no right to get it. Or they change the visa requirements and you can no longer fulfill them. 

[Bangkok Barry]

On 10/23/2022 at 9:47 PM, maskedman2 said:

My wife seems concerned that someone knowingly violating the rules wouldn't be a great neighbor. 

That's the norm in Thailand. How long have you been here not to know that?