Laws, Bylaws Or Convents Of A Thai Housing Development

[bruceeverett]

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of exterior remodeling of a house such as it might apply to the laws, bylaws or convents of a development.

From the Thai houses I have seen in developments, not many people make big changes to the outside of their houses. To give you and idea of what I am talking about: Say a house has a big side yard and you want to put up a privacy fence so you can have a private patio or pool, or you want to install a sliding glass door in a living room wall, or you want to raise the perimeter wall so you don't have to look in your neighbors living room. Are things like this permissible, or they constrained or controlled by they housing development?

[trogers]

There are two separate constraints for housing developments: developer's convenants and city's bylaws.

New developments usually are sold with convenants that have to be observed by property buyers for a limited number of years stated in the sales and purchase agreement. Such convenants seek to maintain orderliness of the development - thus house extension, fence extension, purpose of use are main areas covered in the convenants. If not, your neighbour may convert his big side yard into an open restaurant as you put in your private pool.

Some modifications can be within your developer's convenants - like sliding glass door at the living room wall, a patio, or a small fish pond or spa pool. Submit your intentions to the maintenance office. One thing such convenants do not cover is the planting of high shrubs or trees to maintain privacy, but maintain them so that they do not intrude into your neighbour's property.

BMA's bylaws are less limiting. Extension to the house should be away from the sides and rear of the property line by 2m if the wall has a window or door. A solid wall can be just 0.5m from the property line. This is to prevent fire spreading from one house to another. The front should be 3m clear. Extension less then 4 sqm (in aggregate) need not be submitted to BMA for approval. So you can build a shrine or spirit house or a pet kennel.

Structures exceeding 1.2m in height shall require submission for BMA's approval with drawings and design calculations.

If property is changed from residential to commercial use, separate submission has to be made to the district office - remember Santika pub?

Edited March 9, 2009 by trogers