Unsafe Condos In Bangkok?

[FriscoKid]

Somebody sent me a list of about 30 condos in Bangkok that’s circulating online right now, along with some text in Thai language stating that the list was compiled by individual residents of these buildings from posts on Twitter.

 

The comments in Thai summarize reports from residents about earthquake damage to high rise buildings, with many expressing fear about returning due to structural concerns like cracked walls, damaged ceilings, and shaking buildings. Some condos have restricted access, only allowing residents to collect belongings, while others have reported significant damage, including structural cracks and even collapsed sections.

 

The information comes from social media posts by residents and has not been officially verified by engineers or government authorities. In the text, residents of buildings are advised to check for damage themselves or contact property management for an inspection before re-entering affected buildings.

 

I’m not going to post the list of buildings here since it hasn’t been independently verified and I don’t want to spread fear, but many of the buildings on the list appear relatively new, and some of the buildings were built by a few of the same developers.

 

On the list, there was also mention of one of the high-end shopping malls in Central Bangkok being unsafe. 
 

I saw a government news report yesterday stating that it’s safe to return to buildings in Bangkok, but the information circulating suggests otherwise.

 

I’m wondering if anyone else has come across circulation of a similar list or similar reports?

[Elkski]

From a picture I saw of a  hiso condo building in Thonglor with a bulging corner spanning many floors there are going to be many condemned.  All these guys bragging about how many rental condos the wife and them own might  be be hurting.    I don't see how you can fix fractured support beams and columns cheaply or timely.   Will it be cheaper to raze the building?  Do the owners have any say in that.    Who pays for a demo?  More construction dust and noise in bkk incoming.   Labor and material shortage.   

[FriscoKid]

32 minutes ago, Elkski said:

From a picture I saw of a  hiso condo building in Thonglor with a bulging corner spanning many floors there are going to be many condemned 

I wonder how many condos might be affected and how many Bangkok condo owners could end up homeless with no way to secure alternative housing as a result of having lost their full investment. 

 

There was a video on Twitter of Park Origin Thonglor, a three-tower development with two sky bridges on high floors connecting the three buildings. Both bridges collapsed. The towers themselves appeared intact, but who really knows. That condo was also mentioned in the list of 30 problematic buildings that was sent to me, and that project is only four years old. In fact, five of the buildings on that list of thirty buildings were all built by the same developer as that project. 

 

Details:

• Tower A - 39 floors, housing 375 units.

• Tower B - 53 floors, containing 478 units.

• Tower C - 59 floors, comprising 329 units.

 

From what I read, unit prices range from 10-30 million Baht in that project with an average price of close to 300,000 Baht per square meter. 

[short-Timer]

4 hours ago, FriscoKid said:

There was a video on Twitter of Park Origin Thonglor, a three-tower development with two sky bridges on high floors connecting the three buildings. Both bridges collapsed. The towers themselves appeared intact, but who really knows. That condo was also mentioned in the list of 30 problematic buildings that was sent to me, and that project is only four years old. In fact, five of the buildings on that list of thirty buildings were all built by the same developer as that project. 

 

Details:

• Tower A - 39 floors, housing 375 units.

• Tower B - 53 floors, containing 478 units.

• Tower C - 59 floors, comprising 329 units.

 

From what I read, unit prices range from 10-30 million Baht in that project with an average price of close to 300,000 Baht per square meter. 

 

Yeah, there are close to 1,200 units across the three towers, with the average unit selling for around 20 million Baht. That brings the total value of the project to around 240 billion Baht, or approximately US$7 billion. That's some serious money and who knows the future of those buildings. Anything above 35-40 floors is really sketchy now and two of the towers are above 50 floors. 

[BritManToo]

7 hours ago, FriscoKid said:

I saw a government news report yesterday stating that it’s safe to return to buildings in Bangkok, but the information circulating suggests otherwise.

 

I’m wondering if anyone else has come across circulation of a similar list or similar reports?

As of yesterday I found reports from government inspectors of 65 buildings in BK considered unfit for habitation, and 6 in CM. Don't know if that's permanent or temporary.

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

As of yesterday I found reports from government inspectors of 65 buildings in BK considered unfit for habitation, and 6 in CM. Don't know if that's permanent or temporary.

There goes that market   

 

You have to wonder, how many actually had earthquake insurance in the policy, if having at all.

 

We have no home insurance.  One story, well built, and not in 'red zone'.  Block & steel construction, so not even covered for fire.

[samtam]

We received a letter from the government this morning asking us to complete a survey report of the building with specific criteria.

Before that we had a civil engineer visit early this morning for site inspection, but it was not detailed. He will be returning to comply with the government's criteria.

 

We are an older building, and whilst there are cracks, they appear mostly superficial, and the structural columns are intact. Our management is dealing with this in a very methodical way, but there are the usual suspects who spend their lives blaming them for any manner of things.

 

I think many people, (myself included) who have been traumatised by their experiences, and there is a delayed shock that is manifesting itself in rather selfish and unattractive behaviour.

[FriscoKid]

Sounds like the number of buildings in Bangkok is still growing and could reach over 1,000 to be inspected.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2990489/over-700-cases-of-bangkok-quake-damage-to-be-reviewed 
 

Over 700 cases of Bangkok quake damage to be reviewed 
 

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will inspect more than 700 cases of structural damage in the capital following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar that sent shockwaves across Thailand on Friday, according to Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt.

 

The governor said on Saturday that the BMA has received 2,000 reports of damage resulting from the quake. An initial review has prioritised these reports, with the most severe cases inspected first.

 

"We will act immediately from today. Our Traffy Fondue system allows us to pinpoint GPS coordinates for initial inspections," Mr Chadchart said. "Volunteer engineers will conduct surveys without having to visit each site for basic screening."

 

Bangkok deputy governor Wisanu Subsompon said a decision has been made with the department of public works that it will inspect government structures, while the BMA checks on reports submitted by citizens.

 

Over 700 cases are set to be tackled within the day, with inspections conducted in order of severity, he added.

City Hall announced on Friday that Bangkok has been declared a disaster area following the Myanmar earthquake, with the Bangkok governor in charge of coordinating the disaster response.

 

[josephbloggs]

3 minutes ago, FriscoKid said:

Sounds like the number of buildings in Bangkok is still growing and could reach over 1,000 to be inspected.

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2990489/over-700-cases-of-bangkok-quake-damage-to-be-reviewed 
 

Over 700 cases of Bangkok quake damage to be reviewed 
 

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will inspect more than 700 cases of structural damage in the capital following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar that sent shockwaves across Thailand on Friday, according to Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt.

 

The governor said on Saturday that the BMA has received 2,000 reports of damage resulting from the quake. An initial review has prioritised these reports, with the most severe cases inspected first.

 

"We will act immediately from today. Our Traffy Fondue system allows us to pinpoint GPS coordinates for initial inspections," Mr Chadchart said. "Volunteer engineers will conduct surveys without having to visit each site for basic screening."

 

Bangkok deputy governor Wisanu Subsompon said a decision has been made with the department of public works that it will inspect government structures, while the BMA checks on reports submitted by citizens.

 

Over 700 cases are set to be tackled within the day, with inspections conducted in order of severity, he added.

City Hall announced on Friday that Bangkok has been declared a disaster area following the Myanmar earthquake, with the Bangkok governor in charge of coordinating the disaster response.

 

I wouldn't take too much notice of the numbers. The BMA's Traffy Fondue is open to anyone to send coordinates and pictures of their buildings and the BMA will send someone to evaluate it for free. I suspect most of them will be cosmetic damage (we've never experienced anything like this before in Bangkok and people are understandably scared). So having 700 on the list means nothing.

Obviously there is damage to buildings. It remains to be seen if any are structural and, if so, when they were built.

For now I am reserving judgement as should everyone else. Wait and see. 

[Celsius]

14 minutes ago, FriscoKid said:

Volunteer engineers

 

Thats every person on this forum . Did you apply?

 

What a joke lol

[josephbloggs]

1 minute ago, Celsius said:

 

Thats every person on this forum . Did you apply?

 

What a joke lol

Engineers who will volunteer their time. 

Not people who are not engineers volunteering to try engineering. Did you really need that explaining?

[FriscoKid]

25 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

Thats every person on this forum . Did you apply?

 

What a joke lol

Do you need a license to say such foolish things?

[Celsius]

17 minutes ago, FriscoKid said:

Do you need a license to say such foolish things?

 

no.

 

Do you need a license to be a volunteer engineer?

[FriscoKid]

Just now, Celsius said:

 

no.

 

Do you need a license to be a volunteer engineer?

You do the math. But surely they should require a license for asking such buffoonerous questions.

[Celsius]

1 minute ago, FriscoKid said:

You do the math. But surely they should require a license for asking such buffoonerous questions.

 

Do you think these "volunteer engineers" will show up with their cell phone, take a few pics with Lumpini cleaning staff and proclaim "nothing worry"?

[Andyfez]

Cracked walls and ceilings doesn't necessarily mean unsafe.

one-up on settlement cracks.

A building is designed to flex, and plaster will always crack.

Suspect this list going round is not very reliable.

[Wuvu2]

15 hours ago, FriscoKid said:

Sounds like the number of buildings in Bangkok is still growing and could reach over 1,000 to be inspected.

 

We're definitely going to need some bigger little brown envelopes 😂 

[crazykopite]

Those renting should consider moving out if there are signs of structural damage to parts of the building those who own then theres not a lot they can do just hope that the sinking fund they paid into has sufficient monies in there to carry out structural engineering reports . In my humble opinion high rise property sales will be non existent and will be only for those who enjoy taking risks even the high rise swimming pools will be expensive to repair and I would imagine a lot are damaged I will in future look at low buildings hotels normally I would request above the 15th floor !

[J Branche]

Watched a small YouTube channel of a guy in Bangkok.  He showed a Crack approximately 1 inch wide from top to bottom of wall.  I told him that if this is just 1 condo unit how many others have similar cracks.  Informed him you only need to be wrong one time before you die.  Who knows when the aftershock will occur and if it happens to a building with support structures that are  compromised there could be serious problems.

 

I would definitely delay in plans to stay in Bqngkok for a while, until they have had time to inspect the buildings.

 

I've heard many inspectors from around the globe are possibly traveling to Thailand to assist with inspections.

 

[crazykopite]

On 3/30/2025 at 6:59 AM, BritManToo said:

As of yesterday I found reports from government inspectors of 65 buildings in BK considered unfit for habitation, and 6 in CM. Don't know if that's permanent or temporary.

A structural inspection takes hours to do so I cannot see how 65 buildings could be condemned within a few hours so called engineers in Thailand are not to the standard of engineers from other major countries attending a two year course in engineering is a joke 

[ExpatOilWorker]

There are 38 building in the list, but interesting the below two building are NOT on the list.

 

[crazykopite]

22 hours ago, samtam said:

We received a letter from the government this morning asking us to complete a survey report of the building with specific criteria.

Before that we had a civil engineer visit early this morning for site inspection, but it was not detailed. He will be returning to comply with the government's criteria.

 

We are an older building, and whilst there are cracks, they appear mostly superficial, and the structural columns are intact. Our management is dealing with this in a very methodical way, but there are the usual suspects who spend their lives blaming them for any manner of things.

 

I think many people, (myself included) who have been traumatised by their experiences, and there is a delayed shock that is manifesting itself in rather selfish and unattractive behaviour.

A lot of damage can not always be seen by the human eye my house insurance only covers me for above ground level and not below the surface and that includes no cover on my swimming pool or my 60,000 litre rainwater underground concrete tank snd I’m only a single storey building 

[steven100]

BMA currently has over 6,000  applications for building earthquake inspections.  

 

Even if they had 100 engineers / civil inspectors  and 10 teams ....   it would still take years to complete 6,000 sites.   And by that time there will likely be another 6k more to do.   

[steven100]

Do you think this building has twisted or do you think it's the design as it should be   ??

 

 

[Celsius]

15 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Do you think this building has twisted or do you think it's the design as it should be   ??

 

 

 

looks good 

[Fiskebolle]

On 3/29/2025 at 11:26 PM, FriscoKid said:

Somebody sent me a list of about 30 condos in Bangkok that’s circulating online right now, along with some text in Thai language stating that the list was compiled by individual residents of these buildings from posts on Twitter.

 

The comments in Thai summarize reports from residents about earthquake damage to high rise buildings, with many expressing fear about returning due to structural concerns like cracked walls, damaged ceilings, and shaking buildings. Some condos have restricted access, only allowing residents to collect belongings, while others have reported significant damage, including structural cracks and even collapsed sections.

 

The information comes from social media posts by residents and has not been officially verified by engineers or government authorities. In the text, residents of buildings are advised to check for damage themselves or contact property management for an inspection before re-entering affected buildings.

 

I’m not going to post the list of buildings here since it hasn’t been independently verified and I don’t want to spread fear, but many of the buildings on the list appear relatively new, and some of the buildings were built by a few of the same developers.

 

On the list, there was also mention of one of the high-end shopping malls in Central Bangkok being unsafe. 
 

I saw a government news report yesterday stating that it’s safe to return to buildings in Bangkok, but the information circulating suggests otherwise.

 

I’m wondering if anyone else has come across circulation of a similar list or similar reports?

Pls PM share link with list of building affected

[Fiskebolle]

Can anyone please share the link with list of buildings affected that OP was talking about in initial post?

[Watawattana]

2 hours ago, J Branche said:

I've heard many inspectors from around the globe are possibly traveling to Thailand to assist with inspections.

I hope this is true.

[CallumWK]

2 hours ago, J Branche said:

 

I've heard many inspectors from around the globe are possibly traveling to Thailand to assist with inspections.

 

They will be told, we don't need your help. You are not my father

[madone]

16 hours ago, FriscoKid said:

surely they should require a license for asking such buffoonerous questions.

would that license extend to making up your own words?