Condo Complex Faces Licensing Fiasco

[george]

Condo complex faces licensing fiasco

Project in trouble after Chatuchak district office chief files police complaint over alleged illegal construction

BANGKOK: -- A luxury condominium complex in Bangkok's Chatuchak district has allegedly not gained construction approval for one of its two buildings, prompting the district office director to file a police complaint for construction without permission.

Chatuchak district director Pornlert Phanwattana said yesterday that the project - named The Pulse by developer Prinsiri Plc - existed before he took up the post.

He was informed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Public Works Department after he joined the office that the developer did not apply for construction permission for one building.

Pornlert lodged the complaint at Paholyothin Police Station.

All sides must now wait for the police to summon them to give information for the investigation, he said. He added that officials had been trying to stop the condominium construction but had failed to do so.

However, Chaiwat Kovitchindachai, deputy managing director of Prinsiri, insisted his company had abided by the law.

"We applied for the construction licence under Article 39 (2) of the Building Control Act. We have filed the application and the approval is pending. If the construction plan is to be amended, we can re-file the application [until we meet the criteria]," he said.

Under the article, implemented in 1996, developers can start construction work after submitting an application ratified by its engineers.

The developer will then be issued with the construction licence after their plans meet the construction and environment criteria.

The rule was initiated after developers' complaints of slow approval of licences from the BMA.

The condominium, which has some 300 units in two buildings located in Phaholyothin Soi 37, is nearly complete, with Building A to be opened in May and Building B in August, a BMA source said.

Prinsiri, a well-known property developer, opened an office for purchase reservations late last year, with a starting price of Bt2.55 million per unit.

It was now 80 per cent sold, the source said. However, while one building had obtained construction permission, the other had not, the source said.

A Prinsiri executive said the company had no intention of violating the law and was fixing "what could be regarded as illegal".

The source said the firm would maintain its good reputation.

This issue emerged after the firm applied for permission at an environmental agency after the construction was almost complete, but the agency refused to issue approval as the firm failed to present the needed construction permission, the source said.

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said he had not been informed about this case but would order a probe to see if there was any violation and who was involved.

He said the agencies responsible were the BMA Public Works Department, the City Planning Department and the district office.

Another BMA source said it was impossible that district officials would not know about this and that they could not just deny responsibility regarding this project in their jurisdiction.

A sign in front of the site showed that another firm was constructing the condominium.

The sign showed the construction permission registration number, which was reportedly for only one of its two buildings.

-- The Nation 2008-03-04

Apirak orders 'The Pulse' investigated

Luxury condo allegedly built without a permit

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin has instructed city officials to look into a luxury condominium project, The Pulse, which is alleged to have been built without a construction permit.

The governor said he has yet to receive a report about the condominium, but has ordered relevant agencies to inspect the project, invested in by Prinsiri Plc (PRIN) and which is on Soi Phahol Yothin 37 in Chatuchak district.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's (BMA) Public Works Department, City Planning Department, and the Chatuchak District Office are the authorised agencies for the case, said Mr Apirak.

The fully-furnished condominium project is located on more than three rai of land and consists of two eight-storey buildings, each with 154 units. The price per condo unit starts at 2.55 million baht.

A source at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said yesterday the agency was notified of the case after the Office of National Environmental Policy and Planning refused to approve the project's environmental impact assessment (EIA) papers in the absence of a construction permit.

The Pulse Phahon Yothin 37 is one of the residential projects under PRIN, a listed developer of multi-billion-baht real estate investments.

Director of the Chatuchak district office Pornlert Panwattana said the construction project had started before he took office.

He learned of the problem from the BMA's Public Works Department shortly after he was named district office director, he said.

The district office has already filed a complaint with the police, he said, adding that the next process is to wait for a police summons for the parties concerned who will then be questioned.

Another source cast doubts on a claim by the Chatuchak district office chief that the agency had no idea about the project under its jurisdiction.

''The district office cannot deny responsibility. It is impossible that the authorities did not know. This is a big, expensive project. This means the authorities involved are incredibly reckless. It is known that the district officials are quick about these matters. When one repairs one's house without its permission, the district is able to find the house owner and punish him,'' the source said.

''I'm just afraid there is something fishy in this case,'' he added.

The construction was carried out by Built Right Co Ltd. The project started on March 14 and is expected to be finished on Nov 14. Now construction work for Building A is completed pending interior decorations, which are expected to be done in May when Building B is in progress and is about to be finished in August.

The project has had a reservation rate of up to 80% since late last year, according to a sales representative.

An executive from PRIN told the Bangkok Post in a telephone interview that the company had no intention of violating any laws.

The executive, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the firm was in the process of correcting the wrong in order to protect the company's corporate reputation as well as benefit its customers.

-- Bangkok Post 2008-03-04