Bangkok's Consumer Council has named 50 high-rise condominium projects it says may be in breach of fire-safety access rules, after finding that fire engines and rescue vehicles could face difficulties reaching the buildings in an emergency.

The council said its latest inspections found that several projects had still not corrected problems around their buildings, despite earlier notifications to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). The findings were published by the Consumer Council's Facebook page on July 28.

The projects include well-known condominiums in central Bangkok and along mass-transit routes, according to the council. The full list was published through its online announcement.

For foreigners renting or owning a condo in Bangkok, the warning is a reminder to check emergency access and building management arrangements, particularly in dense developments near BTS and MRT stations.

The issue does not automatically mean a building is unsafe or that residents need to move, but access for emergency services can be critical during a fire or structural incident.

Six-metre road requirement

Under building-control rules cited by the Consumer Council, buildings at least 23 metres high - roughly eight storeys - or those with a combined floor area exceeding 10,000 square metres, classified as extra-large buildings, must have a road at least six metres wide around the structure.

The requirement is intended to allow fire engines to circulate, deploy aerial platforms and bring rescue equipment close to the building during a crisis. The council stressed that this is a basic life-safety standard, rather than simply a planning or design matter.

It said previous building collapses and fires had demonstrated that time is decisive in saving lives. If fire engines or rescue vehicles cannot reach a building promptly, assistance can be delayed, potentially worsening loss of life and property damage.

Council says earlier requests brought no result

The Consumer Council said it had previously sent the BMA a list of high-rise condominium projects where it had concerns about space around the buildings, calling for oversight and corrective action.

However, following fresh on-site inspections, it said several locations had not been brought into line with the law. Some projects had reported that work had been completed, but the council said its checks found that the sites still did not meet the required standards.

The council has called on the BMA and other relevant agencies to carry out urgent inspections and enforce the rules seriously, saying this was needed to protect the rights and safety of people living in high-rise buildings.

Residents, including overseas owners who may not be in Thailand year-round, can ask their juristic office or building manager about fire-engine routes, whether access areas are kept clear, and the building's evacuation and emergency procedures.

Picture courtesy of Consumer Council

Join the discussion?

30 July 2026

View full article

Good to see that a list of the 50 properties has been included in the article.

Such naming should happen more often ... Thailand ... defamation laws ....

A textbook case of “fail to plan, plan to fail”!

The fact that the Bangkok Consumer Council is only now publishing a list of 50 condo projects with inadequate fire-engine access shows how reactive the oversight has been.

These aren’t obscure developments either, many are in prime locations along BTS and MRT lines, which makes the lack of compliance even harder to excuse.

The six‑metre road rule isn’t some bureaucratic detail, it’s a life‑safety standard!

Fires and collapses don’t wait for red tape, and if emergency vehicles can’t reach a building quickly, the consequences can be catastrophic. What’s most troubling is that the council had already flagged these issues to the BMA before, yet inspections found little had changed.

Sadly, that suggests enforcement is either toothless or ignored, which undermines public trust.

For residents and foreign owners, this is a wake‑up call to check whether their building management is actually keeping access routes clear and compliant. In dense urban settings, where every metre of space is monetized, safety often gets sidelined until tragedy forces action.

It feels like the bigger question is whether Bangkok’s urban planning culture prioritizes developer convenience over public safety, and whether the BMA enforcement mechanisms are strong enough to make these rules more than just words on paper.

Obviously they just gave them a notice and didn’t follow up until now. They need to do something but how are they supposed to make the streets wider? It’s not like they can move the building. Who approved these buildings? Shouldn’t they be in hot water? Obviously they used their brown envelopes to get it built and approved. What is the action they are going to take? Close the condo, tear it down or what are the options and consequences now. Something needs to be done, but it’s much harder now after the fact. Kinda sounds like nominees companies so just fine them, take them away from the owners that illegally built it. It’s illegal and they knew it. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

going to be interesting to see how long it takes BMA and the big boss to actually cause things to change. I imagine that, like a lot of things, there were a few people who gained a better social standing by looking the other way.

2 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

Good to see that a list of the 50 properties has been included in the article.

Such naming should happen more often ... Thailand ... defamation laws ....

Agree. Naming the projects sends a strong message to future condo developments. Defamation laws can't bring lives back.

The council stressed that this is a basic life-safety standard, rather than simply a planning or design matter.

Life & safety standards are optional in Thailand

Nothing will happen this is smoke and mirrors !! Safety is the last thing thai think about, cost to much baht lives are cheap in thailand

9 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

several locations had not been brought into line with the law

Three cases in point: the Ashton Asoke condominium, the Aetas hotel and the Aetas Residence despite Supreme Administrative Court rulings as far back as 2014!

BMA incompetence or something more insidious?

2 hours ago, Hotchilli123 said:

The council stressed that this is a basic life-safety standard, rather than simply a planning or design matter.

Life & safety standards are optional in Thailand

In practice all too often.

9 hours ago, Jim Waldron said:

A textbook case of “fail to plan, plan to fail”!

The fact that the Bangkok Consumer Council is only now publishing a list of 50 condo projects with inadequate fire-engine access shows how reactive the oversight has been.

These aren’t obscure developments either, many are in prime locations along BTS and MRT lines, which makes the lack of compliance even harder to excuse.

The six‑metre road rule isn’t some bureaucratic detail, it’s a life‑safety standard!

Fires and collapses don’t wait for red tape, and if emergency vehicles can’t reach a building quickly, the consequences can be catastrophic. What’s most troubling is that the council had already flagged these issues to the BMA before, yet inspections found little had changed.

Sadly, that suggests enforcement is either toothless or ignored, which undermines public trust.

For residents and foreign owners, this is a wake‑up call to check whether their building management is actually keeping access routes clear and compliant. In dense urban settings, where every metre of space is monetized, safety often gets sidelined until tragedy forces action.

It feels like the bigger question is whether Bangkok’s urban planning culture prioritizes developer convenience over public safety, and whether the BMA enforcement mechanisms are strong enough to make these rules more than just words on paper.

No such thing as plan n Thailand. They just do and worry about it later. 🤷🏼

I'd love to see a sub-forum on this site where news items like this each have their own thread, so updates/follow-ups or lack thereof can be easily seen. Can provide interesting timelines, such as 14 years worth of updates on Kid Red Bull.

10 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

Nothing will happen this is smoke and mirrors !! Safety is the last thing thai think about, cost to much baht lives are cheap in thailand

That is - Until something happens and a couple dozen people are killed - then they can come out and say “We told you so, now face the consequences - drag it out for twenty years, then statute of limitations kicks in. Peace

Edited July 30Jul 30 by Explorator en Action

sharing my recent experience about building security

I rented a condo for two months on the 18th floor, Building A of the Base complex on Pattaya Second Road. The building is ten years old. On July 17th, around 9 PM, an alarm sounded briefly. I went outside, but the elevators weren't working. There were no emergency phone numbers on the elevators. I took the exit where the fire escape was located. I realized there was no way to get back to my floor because the door handle was missing. I walked down the stairs and noticed that some floors had a handle and others didn't. Finally, I managed to get out through the parking garage. I went to the guard post at the entrance where the security staff were supposedly located. I counted five security guards controlling entry and exit. In fact, I got the impression that the security was only there to check the entry and exit of vehicles and the prostitutes and ladyboys who were going to do their business in the buildings. First, I should point out that on my floor, the 18th, there's no longer a door handle. I swear, there were five of them, and not one of them understood English. I simply wanted to explain the problem of the missing door handle on my floor. Then I asked if there was a phone number to report a problem. The answer was no, and they all had their personal numbers, which aren't used by tenants. For those who might doubt it, this laborious exchange was done via Google Translate with very little success. The message was that I had to contact the office, which, of course, is only open during office hours. In short, if anything serious happens in this building, and I suppose in most others—like an assault, theft, fire, or other problems—it's impossible to reach anyone in charge. Welcome to Thailand, and I hope there aren't any problems, otherwise you're screwed.