New Condo Projects - No More Carparks

[grantbkk]

CONDO PROJECTS

No more carparks

Published on Apr 3, 2008

Only those without cars may soon be living in condos near mass transit stations, if BMA deputy chief has his way

In a bold attempt to tackle Bangkok's notorious traffic snarls, the city administration suggests that condominium blocks along Skytrain, BRT and subway routes should be free of parking lots.

"This will reduce the number of private cars on roads and traffic problems will ease," Deputy Bangkok Governor Panich Vikitsret said yesterday.

He will propose the idea to the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning.

"Shop houses should also only have few parking lots," Panich added. If his plan sails through, he believes real-estate developers will see their investment costs fall because they will not have to construct car-park buildings anymore.

Cheaper condos-

"As a result, people should be able to buy condo at a lower price," Panich said.

He added that residents in these condominium blocks would no longer have to worry about not having a car. "There are convenient rail-based transportation systems for them," Panich added.

BRT starts August-

In addition to Skytrain and subway services, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is going to launch its BRT or Bus-Rapid Transit system in August.

The first BRT route will stretch 15.9 kilometres from Chong Nonsee to Ratchaphruek.

Given that residents in Bangkok's inner zones enjoy greater convenience than people in the suburbs, Panich said he was now considering a plan to collect more household tax from those in the inner zones.

"I think this should be fair. I will raise the issue with the Finance Ministry," he added.

By Jeerawan Prasomsap

Daily Xpress

I have to say that after being slightly burned by the April Fool's Day - ZIP Code Portability story generated on TV a few days ago I was leery of this one. However, this story is running in the Daily Xpress on April 3rd and it may not be a joke. The Deputy Governor even expects this plan my sail through the regulation process and condo owners will no longer need to own or operate a car. This is so funny it is scary. This is what happens when people who have no business talking begin to propose their thoughts processes to others.

I apologize in advance if this is a April Fool's joke.

[steveromagnino]

I have to say that after being slightly burned by the April Fool's Day - ZIP Code Portability story generated on TV a few days ago I was leery of this one. However, this story is running in the Daily Xpress on April 3rd and it may not be a joke. The Deputy Governor even expects this plan my sail through the regulation process and condo owners will no longer need to own or operate a car. This is so funny it is scary. This is what happens when people who have no business talking begin to propose their thoughts processes to others.

I apologize in advance if this is a April Fool's joke.

this is somewhat in line with international practise; one of the causes of traffic in THailand is the fact that offices and condos have to set aside so much space for car parks.

Reduce the places to park and suddenly you will reduce the number of cars as people won't be able to park them.

Melbourne, Auckland, Tokyo, Singapore - many places have major parking controls.

Of course....a better way to go would be to encourage a reduced number of parks and then sell them to the units wanting car parks as is common practise abroad. Not eliminate entirely. However, I suspect this will be part of the credits system as per the EIA green spaces etc.

Developers are looking forward to this a LOT! No more need to spend money building worthless parking spaces!!! (actual cost....about 50-100,000b per space)

[naka]

No doubt the Thai policymakers do not live in condo's

Naka.

[Jefferson]

LOL..

In Thailand you're never sure when April Fools Day ends.

Sure, property developers will be real happy not being able to sell parking space with a condo.. Bet they're extatic eh!

As some replied seriously: Places like Hong Kong and Singapore actually have the mass transit infrastructure to make this feasible. Bangkok however you have to be one of the select group who can stick to the Sukhumvit Farang Ghetto, or else you will find you desperately need a car!

[bruceboy]

This debate will be fun.

[lardy]

Wahooooooo good news for us condo owners who rent them out and already have units close to the BTS with parking should shove the prices up even more resale will be a breeze if they do it!!

[Doudou]

Sorry steveromagnino but this is NOT in line with international practice. In order to restrict parking space and ask people to use public transport, you first need to have public transport that covers a big part of town. What do you do if you live next to a BTS station, but your office is far from one (which is my case)?

I lived this a few years back in Lausanne Switzerland. Parking spaces have be suppressed to reduce traffic. Result: people spending more time driving around to find a space, so traffic got worst.

There is a better idea that could be implemented easier. Park and rides. BTS lines are being extended. It would be easy to add large parkings (free for the day) on Tomburi side. It should also be possible to do the same in the On Nut area.

[TopDogger]

He's 2 days late......

[ThaiPauly]

What drivel.

Skytrain stops at midnight, and some of those taxi drivers look dodgy to me.

Nothing beats having yor own car.

If they did bring this in people would desert the skytrain routes in favour of other locations and use their cars MORE

[Huey]

Horray! I have a Car Park with mine being built on BTS ThongLo. Although the attempt at veiling the Bribe is very very thin..I mean come on, really. Everyone knows the developers paid this guy to drop this requirement and it sure as hel_l won't translate into cheaper condos for the buyer.

[JetsetBkk]

"This will reduce the number of private cars on roads and traffic problems will ease," Deputy Bangkok Governor Panich Vikitsret said yesterday.

If his plan sails through, he believes real-estate developers will see their investment costs fall because they will not have to construct car-park buildings anymore.

Yes, because car parks are so complicated to build and the developers have to give them away for free.

"As a result, people should be able to buy condo at a lower price," Panich said.

People like him shouldn't be in public office.

[AFKAFSinLOS]

He's 2 days late......

My thoughts exactly .

Initially at least. Then after another couple of seconds:

"2 days late?"

Isn't that "early" by Thai standards

[steveromagnino]

Sorry steveromagnino but this is NOT in line with international practice. In order to restrict parking space and ask people to use public transport, you first need to have public transport that covers a big part of town. What do you do if you live next to a BTS station, but your office is far from one (which is my case)?

New Zealand has this policy without a major public transport system other than buses which pale in comparison to the plethora of options available to city folk - BTS, BRT, MRT, bus service, rail, 'rot dtoo', motorcycles, cheap taxi service.

Countless apartment dwellers in the city are perfectly happy living without a car now - FACT. The reason for the big carpark is legal, not demand driven. Ever wondered why most of the LPN type middle class developments have massive empty carparks?

Getting rid of ALL carparks is stupid. But reducing the number and making people pay is going to reduce the number of cars and encourage people to use more public transport. This is coming from a push from developers as well as the reality that 3-4 years from now, the need to own a car will be even less than it is now IF you live right on the route of public transport (as the transportation system expands).

I don't know where you work now....how do all the Thai workers get there now without cars? (which is most likely the majority of them).

Or is someone now going to make a case that in Bangkok you MUST have a car, impossible to live life without one etc etc, and make all the millions of Thai people who live without a car now feel like they are missing out and should rush out to buy a Honda Jazz???

Thaipauly - I always enjoy your posts, but I kind of disagree with your analysis, on the basis that many of the people moving into condos on the skytrain route are doing precisely so because it means they don't have to own a car. By getting rid of the carpark, the unit is going to be even cheaper and more within the reach of buyers. At my old company, many of the younger ladies were buying condos within reach by bus to the sky train, then avoiding buying a car, but instead buying a second unit to rent out. Smart thinking; cars are not an asset, they are an expensive way to travel and a depreciating asset.

Just because most foreigners cannot use the public transport system and all its facets has little bearing on the market demand for low cost apartments near the sky train stops.

I don't think banning is the answer; but the idea of restrictions and making people pay for parks is a great plan.

The next step should be ramping up the cost of parking at offices and shopping centres in the CBD, then using this cash to expand the mass transit system even quicker. A tax of 5b per hour per occupied park would start to add up pretty fast. Bring it on!

[PattayaParent]

This reminds me of a previous comedian in a previous governmetn whose solution to the traffic problems was to stop the sale of new cars!!!!

steveromagnino - a comparison with NZ is not applicable 'cos the population of Bangkok is greater than the population of NZ as a whole!!

[steveromagnino]

This reminds me of a previous comedian in a previous governmetn whose solution to the traffic problems was to stop the sale of new cars!!!!

steveromagnino - a comparison with NZ is not applicable 'cos the population of Bangkok is greater than the population of NZ as a whole!!

exactly. Which is why there is even more reason to address the pressing traffic issues.

Right now I am captivated however by a fire in the area around Worajak maybe; out past MBK towards the river.... maybe that is the fires of discontent in the BMA 55555555555555555

[esprit]

Perhaps it has been mis-reported and translated. What the Deputy Gov may have said was that they were going to allow only car parks to be built and no condos. That way the traffic would improve as no body would be living anywhere and therefore traffic would become a non issue.

[clausewitz]

Sorry steveromagnino but this is NOT in line with international practice. .

In Auckland, there is no proper public transportation but that is exactly what planners did. These genius' reasoned that by doing so it would force the govt./councils to provide a quality transportation system. Almost 20 years on and still not even a soild plan has materialised- but at least the local govt. gets a huge amount from parking fines.

Never underestimate the studpidity of leftwing, liberal greenie nuts.

[TokyoT]

Melbourne, Auckland, Tokyo, Singapore - many places have major parking controls.

I was not aware that Tokyo had such major limitations in regard to parking spaces? I know they have recently passed legistaltion cracking down on illiegal parking in an effort to reduce congestion. But I thought the building codes in Tokyo actually required a certain number of parking spaces be include in/under the building on large scale contruction projects?

I have not lived in Tokyo for several years now so maybe those requirements to have parking spaces included is an outdated law?

[steveromagnino]

Melbourne, Auckland, Tokyo, Singapore - many places have major parking controls.

I was not aware that Tokyo had such major limitations in regard to parking spaces? I know they have recently passed legistaltion cracking down on illiegal parking in an effort to reduce congestion. But I thought the building codes in Tokyo actually required a certain number of parking spaces be include in/under the building on large scale contruction projects?

I have not lived in Tokyo for several years now so maybe those requirements to have parking spaces included is an outdated law?

I was just there meeting with developers and that is what they told me; they didn't expand into a of detail, but it was pretty clear that even building a lane to meet with the main road on a major development (e.g. Tokyo midtown) is a major major task; they did say that in Thailand we had it very easy as in their opinion we could do whatever we wanted compared to what they were allowed to do.

Certainly, from eyeballing the buildings, seemed like very very few car parks for the size of development. Plenty of buildings appeared to have no carpark facilities at all and the massive allocations required in Thailand for shopping malls just aren't required there.

As pointed out, the two do have to occur in parallel; Tokyo appears to have a solid public transport system. But it also stops at midnight AFAIK, and yet most of the Japanese I met didn't own cars there either; if they get caught out too late; they seem to either party until the AM or taxi it or presumably engage in ilicit activities starting with 'watching a movie' which is a euphamism if ever I heard one.

but then again, I've only been in Japan for less than 7 days, so not exactly the biggest expert on things. That would require a stay of 14 days and possibly a stint as an engrish teacher or bar host :-)