Who's still thinking of buying a high rise condo after the earthquake?

[ChaiyaTH]

Earthquake just adds to the list of reasons not to buy but if that was the only one it's not a reason. Only morons buy condo's in recent years with the unjustified inflated prices that are nowhere close reality. I'll buy one after I get my 40% discount.

[Marcous]

Try Tiktok for videos of damage to condos.

 

This one is in Chiang Mai.

 

 

[Marcous]

 

[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 that's the design ......     ??

 

[Stocky]

Hard to know these days

 

[steven100]

Just now, Stocky said:

Hard to know these days

 

That condo suffered severe earthquake damage.   

[Katatonica]

On 3/30/2025 at 11:04 AM, RUSirius said:

 

The people that don't want to live in the mud surrounded by poor people, thievery and meth heads??

 

The people that want to actually own what they've purchased?

Why on earth would you think condo buyers have a choice between buying a property and living amongst poor people, thievery and meth heads??

[Katatonica]

21 minutes ago, steven100 said:

That condo suffered severe earthquake damage.   

That was the highest building in Bangkok from 2016-8, King Power Mahanakorn, was wondering about it - spend a few weeks in a hotel right next door a couple of years ago. It has 200 units of Ritz-Carlton Residences in it, up to $17 million USD. Going to be a lot of peed off rich Thais there.

[Kinnock]

The damage to many high rise condos in Bangkok from an earthquake hundreds of km away seems to be related to the unstable land in Bangkok. 

 

Was there any damage to high rise buildings in Sriracha, Pattaya?  These cities are not that much further away from the epicentre than Bangkok.

[richard_smith237]

19 hours ago, Kinnock said:

I think you misunderstood my post .... if Bangkok was not built on a bog, then based on its distance from the quake, there would be minimal or zero damage.  I was just far enough from Bangkok to be on firmer ground, and felt nothing at all.  The unstable land magnified the risk.  

 

The location of Bangkok on unstable ground is the issue.

 

This is true...  

 

Seismologists sometimes call this problem the "Mexico City Effect" and Bangkok is often used as another example in modern textbooks because the physics are almost the same .

 

As a comparison this what the substrata of major Thai cities is made up of: 

 

Bangkok:

Age of Sediment: Holocene (up to 10,000 years old)

Characteristics: Soft clay, young alluvial deposits, thick layers (over 100 meters)

Stability: Low (high seismic amplification)

 

Pattaya:

Age of Rocks: Mesozoic (65–250 million years old)

Characteristics: Sandstone, siltstone, shale, crystalline basement rocks, igneous intrusions

Stability: Moderate (more stable than Bangkok)

 

Kanchanaburi:

Age of Rocks: Paleozoic to Mesozoic (250–540 million years old)

Characteristics: Limestone, sandstone, shale, igneous and metamorphic rocks

Stability: High (geologically stable)

 

Hua Hin:

Age of Rocks: Paleozoic to Mesozoic (65–540 million years old)

Characteristics: Sandstone, limestone, granite intrusions

Stability: High (less risk of seismic amplification)

 

Khon Kaen:

Age of Rocks: Mesozoic (65–250 million years old)

Characteristics: Sandstone, shale, siltstone (Khorat Plateau)

Stability: Moderate (stable foundation compared to Bangkok)

 

Chiang Mai:

Age of Rocks: Paleozoic to Mesozoic (65–540 million years old)

Characteristics: Igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, including granite, schist, and limestone

Stability: High (rugged, mountainous terrain with hard rock base)

 

 

To avoid any comments that there is blame against Thailand that its capital was 'built' on a poor geological setting' consider ancient settlement theory, access to shipping, lowest bridging points etc...  and the fact that at the time little was known of quakes or the area's geological setting.

 

There are plenty of other major cities around the world are that at similar or greater 'amplification risk' from an earthquake due to their geological settings.

 

 

Los Angeles, USA: Located on the Los Angeles Basin (soft alluvial sediments); ~50 km from the Pacific-North American Plate boundary (San Andreas Fault).

Salt Lake City, USA: Situated on soft lake bed sediments from ancient Lake Bonneville; ~400 km from the Intermountain Seismic Belt (within the North American Plate).

Seattle, USA: Built on the Seattle Basin (soft alluvial and sedimentary layers); ~100 km from the Juan de Fuca-North American Plate boundary (Cascadia Subduction Zone).

Santiago, Chile: Located in the Santiago Basin (soft sedimentary deposits); ~100 km from the Nazca-South American Plate boundary.

Quito, Ecuador: Built on soft volcanic ash deposits and sedimentary basins; ~200 km from the Nazca-South American Plate boundary.

Athens, Greece: Built on soft alluvial deposits in some areas; ~100 km from the Hellenic Arc (African-Eurasian Plate) boundary.

Istanbul, Turkey: Partly located on soft, young sediments near the Sea of Marmara; ~20 km from the North Anatolian Fault (Eurasian-Anatolian Plate boundary).

Kathmandu, Nepal: Situated in the Kathmandu Valley (soft ancient lake sediments); ~50 km from the Indian-Eurasian Plate boundary (Himalayan Frontal Thrust).

Tehran, Iran: Built on alluvial deposits and loose sediments from nearby mountains; ~100 km from the Arabian-Eurasian Plate boundary (Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt).

Tokyo, Japan: Located in the Kanto Basin (soft sedimentary layers); ~100 km from the Pacific-Eurasian-Philippine Sea Plate junction.

Taipei, Taiwan: Built on the Taipei Basin (thick sedimentary deposits); ~50 km from the Eurasian-Philippine Sea Plate boundary.

Shanghai, China: Located on soft deltaic sediments from the Yangtze River; ~1,200 km from the Pacific-Eurasian Plate boundary (Japan Trench).

Wellington, New Zealand: Built on soft alluvial sediments and reclaimed land; ~30 km from the Pacific-Australian Plate boundary (Wellington Fault).

Cairo, Egypt: Partly built on Nile Delta sediments (soft, unconsolidated deposits); ~1,000 km from the African-Arabian Plate boundary (Red Sea Rift).

[Patong2021]

In 10 years time, how many people remember the event? The Russians, Chinese and other farangs are churned every few years. Even in 5 years, who will know?

 

One need only look at the Christmas tsunami catastrophe of 2004. Tourism had recovered by 2006. There are always people  motivated by "deals".

 

How many people are willing to pay for a extensive prepurchase inspection? Are property integrity inspections prior to purchase even a custom here? It's the anything goes approach to real estate transactions with buyer beware , the  guideline. You have condo buildings who don't even have proper reserve funds and that have neglected maintainance because condo owners don't want to pay for it, and you actually think, the unit holders will want to know if there are structural issues that require large investments to remedy? I don't think so. We have seen this syndrome in western countries, the most recent being the condo collapse in Miami Beach a few years ago. Toronto has newly built  condos that are plagued by  defective windows and  cracked water pipes. New home builds in the UK are ravaged by mold and poor foundations etc.

 

[StandardIssue]

10 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

In 10 years time, how many people remember the event? The Russians, Chinese and other farangs are churned every few years. Even in 5 years, who will know?

 

One need only look at the Christmas tsunami catastrophe of 2004. Tourism had recovered by 2006. There are always people  motivated by "deals".

 

How many people are willing to pay for a extensive prepurchase inspection? Are property integrity inspections prior to purchase even a custom here? It's the anything goes approach to real estate transactions with buyer beware , the  guideline. You have condo buildings who don't even have proper reserve funds and that have neglected maintainance because condo owners don't want to pay for it, and you actually think, the unit holders will want to know if there are structural issues that require large investments to remedy? I don't think so. We have seen this syndrome in western countries, the most recent being the condo collapse in Miami Beach a few years ago. Toronto has newly built  condos that are plagued by  defective windows and  cracked water pipes. New home builds in the UK are ravaged by mold and poor foundations etc.

 

 

Shall, I take that as a no? You won't buy? Or buy if a qualified evaluation is done?

[hotsun]

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

This is true...  

 

Seismologists sometimes call this problem the "Mexico City Effect" and Bangkok is often used as another example in modern textbooks because the physics are almost the same .

 

As a comparison this what the substrata of major Thai cities is made up of: 

 

Bangkok:

Age of Sediment: Holocene (up to 10,000 years old)

Characteristics: Soft clay, young alluvial deposits, thick layers (over 100 meters)

Stability: Low (high seismic amplification)

 

Pattaya:

Age of Rocks: Mesozoic (65–250 million years old)

Characteristics: Sandstone, siltstone, shale, crystalline basement rocks, igneous intrusions

Stability: Moderate (more stable than Bangkok)

 

Kanchanaburi:

Age of Rocks: Paleozoic to Mesozoic (250–540 million years old)

Characteristics: Limestone, sandstone, shale, igneous and metamorphic rocks

Stability: High (geologically stable)

 

Hua Hin:

Age of Rocks: Paleozoic to Mesozoic (65–540 million years old)

Characteristics: Sandstone, limestone, granite intrusions

Stability: High (less risk of seismic amplification)

 

Khon Kaen:

Age of Rocks: Mesozoic (65–250 million years old)

Characteristics: Sandstone, shale, siltstone (Khorat Plateau)

Stability: Moderate (stable foundation compared to Bangkok)

 

Chiang Mai:

Age of Rocks: Paleozoic to Mesozoic (65–540 million years old)

Characteristics: Igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, including granite, schist, and limestone

Stability: High (rugged, mountainous terrain with hard rock base)

 

 

To avoid any comments that there is blame against Thailand that its capital was 'built' on a poor geological setting' consider ancient settlement theory, access to shipping, lowest bridging points etc...  and the fact that at the time little was known of quakes or the area's geological setting.

 

There are plenty of other major cities around the world are that at similar or greater 'amplification risk' from an earthquake due to their geological settings.

 

 

Los Angeles, USA: Located on the Los Angeles Basin (soft alluvial sediments); ~50 km from the Pacific-North American Plate boundary (San Andreas Fault).

Salt Lake City, USA: Situated on soft lake bed sediments from ancient Lake Bonneville; ~400 km from the Intermountain Seismic Belt (within the North American Plate).

Seattle, USA: Built on the Seattle Basin (soft alluvial and sedimentary layers); ~100 km from the Juan de Fuca-North American Plate boundary (Cascadia Subduction Zone).

Santiago, Chile: Located in the Santiago Basin (soft sedimentary deposits); ~100 km from the Nazca-South American Plate boundary.

Quito, Ecuador: Built on soft volcanic ash deposits and sedimentary basins; ~200 km from the Nazca-South American Plate boundary.

Athens, Greece: Built on soft alluvial deposits in some areas; ~100 km from the Hellenic Arc (African-Eurasian Plate) boundary.

Istanbul, Turkey: Partly located on soft, young sediments near the Sea of Marmara; ~20 km from the North Anatolian Fault (Eurasian-Anatolian Plate boundary).

Kathmandu, Nepal: Situated in the Kathmandu Valley (soft ancient lake sediments); ~50 km from the Indian-Eurasian Plate boundary (Himalayan Frontal Thrust).

Tehran, Iran: Built on alluvial deposits and loose sediments from nearby mountains; ~100 km from the Arabian-Eurasian Plate boundary (Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt).

Tokyo, Japan: Located in the Kanto Basin (soft sedimentary layers); ~100 km from the Pacific-Eurasian-Philippine Sea Plate junction.

Taipei, Taiwan: Built on the Taipei Basin (thick sedimentary deposits); ~50 km from the Eurasian-Philippine Sea Plate boundary.

Shanghai, China: Located on soft deltaic sediments from the Yangtze River; ~1,200 km from the Pacific-Eurasian Plate boundary (Japan Trench).

Wellington, New Zealand: Built on soft alluvial sediments and reclaimed land; ~30 km from the Pacific-Australian Plate boundary (Wellington Fault).

Cairo, Egypt: Partly built on Nile Delta sediments (soft, unconsolidated deposits); ~1,000 km from the African-Arabian Plate boundary (Red Sea Rift).

Nice post. I was wondering why CM didnt have it worse

[StandardIssue]

 

[Patong2021]

10 hours ago, StandardIssue said:

 

Shall, I take that as a no? You won't buy? Or buy if a qualified evaluation is done?

 

No. I do not live or work in Bangkok, so have no need.

[Dexxter]

On 3/30/2025 at 1:44 PM, connda said:

I have two houses on a rai of land.  Who wants a condo?

 

We don't all want to live in a village in the back of Nakhon Nowhere.

[CallumWK]

1 minute ago, Dexxter said:

 

We don't all want to live in a village in the back of Nakhon Nowhere.

 

There are plenty of houses available not in Nakhon Nowhere

[JonnyF]

I wouldn't buy high rise anyway.

 

Pain in the neck getting stuff up and down, fire evacuation issues, waiting for elevators that are full, often inadequate parking that takes 10 minutes to get to etc.

 

 

[Sigmund]

There will always be falang fools (like myself) to buy a condo or a villa in Thailand, only to realise later, on the many issues that arise. And should there be visible cracks or damage, the wonderful local construction contractors or developpers will repair in the Thai method; just paint it over or at best put some cheap putty to block the hole and then repaint.

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, Sigmund said:

There will always be falang fools (like myself) to buy a condo or a villa in Thailand, only to realise later, on the many issues that arise. And should there be visible cracks or damage, the wonderful local construction contractors or developpers will repair in the Thai method; just paint it over or at best put some cheap putty to block the hole and then repaint.

 

I think its the same with any construction.

 

We've owned a Condo here before - sold it after about 7 years or so. Didn't make a profit, but we effectively lived rent free for those years - so worth it, I couldn't call foreigners or anyone who own a condo here foolish.

 

Our house (owned) has had leaks.  Then compare to the UK where there are also horror stories.

 

I think the construction industry on the whole has a disproportionate amount of crooks combined with labor who will spend an hour trying to save 10 mins.

 

 

The difference of course now is that Thailand has just suffered a natural disaster...  quite extenuating circumstances.

 

The issue now of course is that there are a lot of people who have had to move out of their apartments and Landlords are keeping the deposits - & its not fault of the tennent who may not be able to afford a deposit on another condo etc.

 

Conditions such as this bring out both the best and the worse in society.

[ExpatOilWorker]

On 3/30/2025 at 1:37 AM, josephbloggs said:

Can you share some links to these videos showing structural damage or "superstructure damage" of the many high rise buildings that have been weakened? (Aside from the six that were declared unsafe by the BMA).

Do you have the names of the six unsafe buildings?

[ChipButty]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I think its the same with any construction.

 

We've owned a Condo here before - sold it after about 7 years or so. Didn't make a profit, but we effectively lived rent free for those years - so worth it, I couldn't call foreigners or anyone who own a condo here foolish.

 

Our house (owned) has had leaks.  Then compare to the UK where there are also horror stories.

 

I think the construction industry on the whole has a disproportionate amount of crooks combined with labor who will spend an hour trying to save 10 mins.

 

 

The difference of course now is that Thailand has just suffered a natural disaster...  quite extenuating circumstances.

 

The issue now of course is that there are a lot of people who have had to move out of their apartments and Landlords are keeping the deposits - & its not fault of the tennent who may not be able to afford a deposit on another condo etc.

 

Conditions such as this bring out both the best and the worse in society.

I just read a post on FB about a guy who had some damage to his rented condo, wanting to know where he stands, the landlord a Thai is not interested, I dont think the tenant wants to live there, now obviously the apartment is not in a condition he wants to live in, I think there will be a lot of that going on, 

[josephbloggs]

8 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Do you have the names of the six unsafe buildings?

No I don't.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

I just read a post on FB about a guy who had some damage to his rented condo, wanting to know where he stands, the landlord a Thai is not interested, I dont think the tenant wants to live there, now obviously the apartment is not in a condition he wants to live in, I think there will be a lot of that going on, 

 

Yeah... Its a tricky one... 

 

People naturally wont want to live in a rented damaged condo...  but owners area also taking a huge hit on having to repair any internal cosmetic damage... 

... They won't want to be giving up any money.

 

A lot of people renting are going to have to walk away from their deposits - I wonder what the legal stance is on this. 

 

This is also something the government 'should' be handling under their 'state of emergency powers' - that landlord owners cannot hold back the deposit of those wishing to move out of damaged buildings.