Townhouse collapse in central Thailand raises safety concerns

[snoop1130]

 

A devastating incident occurred as a two-storey townhouse collapsed, causing damage to multiple properties in central Thailand. The calamity took place within the Teacher’s Village in Ban Khlong Suan, Phra Samut Chedi District, Samut Prakan last night. The authorities were alerted and emergency response teams were dispatched to assess the situation and provide assistance.

 

The area, roughly 5 kilometres from Wat Chankeawphet on the right side of Pracha Uthit Road, consists of 50 two-storey townhouses, divided into two clusters of 25. The collapse began from the left cluster, affecting four properties.

 

The damage was most severe at the rear of the houses, where kitchens and bathrooms were located. Fragments of bricks and plaster were scattered across the front of the properties, with walls and windows shattered, leaning towards the back of the houses.

 

The disaster response teams from Ban Khlong Suan Subdistrict Administration Organisation (SAO) closed off the site, prohibiting anyone unrelated to the incident from accessing the affected houses. The homeowners were barred from retrieving their belongings due to safety concerns surrounding potential further collapse.

 

One of the homeowners, 63 year old Lek, revealed that he had purchased the property from a retired teacher approximately 20 years ago for 500,000 baht (US$14,489). Initially, he lived there with his children and wife, totalling five to six people. However, over the past two to three years, as his children moved out, he lived alone.

 

He began noticing unusual sounds from an adjoining, uninhabited house around mid-October last year. The sounds occurred intermittently, sometimes every hour, other times two to three times a day.

 

On the day of the incident, at around 7.30pm yesterday, while watching television, he heard the same sounds resonating from his own house. Upon inspection, he noticed a significant amount of plaster falling from the rear of his house.

 

By Nattapong Westwood

Caption: Picture courtesy of KhaoSod

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-01-04

 

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[Banana7]

Famous Thai build quality. Lucky nobody was killed or injured.

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

On the day of the incident, at around 7.30pm yesterday, while watching television, he heard the same sounds resonating from his own house. Upon inspection, he noticed a significant amount of plaster falling from the rear of his house

Time to move....

[Scouse123]

Good job it wasn't a high rise, maybe time to look for a bungalow, it's not so far to fall when you are in bed.

[brianthainess]

Safety concerns in Thailand are you 'aving a tin bath, they are the same now as 20yrs ago when this was built.. not bovered init.

[Banana7]

Are there things like building permits, building inspections or occupancy permits in Thailand? All of these are steps to a safe building for habitation.

[gargamon]

10 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

Are there things like building permits, building inspections or occupancy permits in Thailand? All of these are steps to a safe building for habitation.

Nothing that can't be circumvented with some baht. TiT. 

[freeworld]

Seems like the foundation pilings have failed.

 

You see them driving piles for houses but I've always wondered if they ever do a static/dynamic test on a test pile and then at least one test on an insitu working pile for quality and verification of load and time.

Edited January 5 by freeworld

[nahkit]

23 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The sounds occurred intermittently, sometimes every hour

Cuckoo clock?