Doi Suthep View Destroyed!

[dragonwong]

Hi All!

Been living in Koolpunt village at Hangdong for a few years with my family happily...

Our bedroom has/had a great view of Doi Suthep...

Unfortunately, just a few weeks back, construction started on a golf driving range on the empty land just behind our house..

We thought initially it was gonna be a warehouse or something but only realized it will be a driving range when we saw the tall green struts being put up to hold up the net. And the struts were putup right beside the fence of our house(as well as our other neighbours' bordering them). Needless to say, all our view will be blocked by the net besides the din/danger that will come from the golf balls hitting the net...and I'm not kidding...there is absolutely no space between the struts and our fence!

We complained to the estate office(although the land does not belong to the Koolpunt estate) and even brought the issue to the local authorities but seems no one can help...

Any advice? Its so ridiculous place to putup a commercial sports facility right in the middle of a residential estate!

[alfieconn]

It could have been worst, it could have been a Hotel

[cmsally]

For buildings there is a law about spacing but its quite possible struts are not included in those regulations.

Which Kull development are you talking about - number nine or another?

If the golf range is on Kull property you might want to consider putting pressure on them via maintenance fees

[MESmith]

Probably be floodlit for evening golf practice.  Maybe time to move. Maybe a golfer would be interested.

[jdinasia]

You are thinking that the driving range is there illegally in violation of some zoning code? If not then the owner of that property is doing what they think is a good thing in developing their land to make some money.

Sadly this leaves you with 2 options --- move -- or buy the driving range.

[dragonwong]

Probably be floodlit for evening golf practice. Maybe time to move. Maybe a golfer would be interested.

Yes u r right about the floodlights, I forgot....shitzzz......this is gonna be worst than I thought....

Guess really time to move....

Tks!!!

[dragonwong]

You are thinking that the driving range is there illegally in violation of some zoning code? If not then the owner of that property is doing what they think is a good thing in developing their land to make some money.

Sadly this leaves you with 2 options --- move -- or buy the driving range.

yes yes! was thinking of zoning codes....not sure if such a thing exists in Thailand/Chiangmai....

My wife said she has spoken with the relevant authorities(forgot to ask her which) but was informed the range developers had all papers filed properly...

But still...its a beyond belief that the authorities will allow such a thing in a mainly residential area!

[MESmith]

Probably best to buy the plot of land in the middle of a housing development.  That way, you don't have a view to lose, & you'll be surrounded by other houses.  No factory or highrise overshadowing your garden.  Or better still, rent.  I haven't done either of those.  One day it'll be me in for a rude awakening.  Sorry to hear of your misfortune.

[dragonwong]

For buildings there is a law about spacing but its quite possible struts are not included in those regulations.

Which Kull development are you talking about - number nine or another?

If the golf range is on Kull property you might want to consider putting pressure on them via maintenance fees

tks cmsally!

yes its kool 9...

no the range does not sit on kool property...

[IanForbes]

By western standards... there is no logic in Thailand. Everywhere I see multi-million baht homes build right beside squalour shacks. I'm sorry to hear of you plight, but I doubt if you have any options other than moving.

[jdinasia]

By western standards... there is no logic in Thailand. Everywhere I see multi-million baht homes build right beside squalour shacks. I'm sorry to hear of you plight, but I doubt if you have any options other than moving.

In the past (not sure about now but I think nothing has changed) Houston Texas had no zoning laws at all. You could buy a multi-million dollar mansion in town and the guy next door to you could turn his multi-million dollar mansion into an adult massage parlor.

There are very few zoning laws here in Thailand.

[gotlost]

A friend of mine had a home built in an estate just off the Doi Saket Highway in San Sai between him and the highway was and still is a very large lot. A few months after he moved in guest what went up in the vacant lot, Karaoke Bars, yes not one but four of them. These bars were about 30 meters from his back walls. Sleep, what was that? Now he was not the only property owner affected by this. The owners and the estate owners thought legal advice but to no avail. By some chance the bars went up in smoke one night, since then no problem. This has been about 3 years ago. Oh yea, last year they looked out one morning and smelt something seriously bad and noticed a heap on the ground across their wall burning. The authorized arrived and found the corps of a Thai woman that had been dumped in the lot and set on fire. No word since then on that episode.

[neverdie]

By western standards... there is no logic in Thailand. Everywhere I see multi-million baht homes build right beside squalour shacks. I'm sorry to hear of you plight, but I doubt if you have any options other than moving.

In the past (not sure about now but I think nothing has changed) Houston Texas had no zoning laws at all. You could buy a multi-million dollar mansion in town and the guy next door to you could turn his multi-million dollar mansion into an adult massage parlor.

There are very few zoning laws here in Thailand.

Firstly, I doubt that I will ever be buying a multi-million dollar mansion and secondly, how convienant.....do you get a neighbours discount?

ps: Sorry to hear about ur misfortune OP, these sort of things happen everywhere in Thailand and I feel the only sort of land I would want to own here is acerage where you can own the immediate land around your dwelling & not be effected by idiot neighbours.

Edited February 25, 2010 by neverdie

[Bill97]

I feel the only sort of land I would want to own here is acerage where you can own the immediate land around your dwelling & not be effected by idiot neighbours.

About how many rai of land do you think you would need to not be effected by neighbors who have pig and chicken farms and keep their discos open until 3am?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

1. In Thailand if you want a view and keep it, you need to buy the view.

2. Yet another reason why renting is better than buying.

[Boksida]

Houston Texas had no zoning laws at all. You could buy a multi-million dollar mansion in town and the guy next door to you could turn his multi-million dollar mansion into an adult massage parlor.

I think it would be worse if the guy turned it into one for kids.

[singa-traz]

Since there are other houses/families affected, you could have a chat with them go to the ampur together to register your complain.

You might not be able to have the project stopped, but at least you should be able to negotiate an arrangement to avoid the worse.

Good luck!

[neverdie]

I feel the only sort of land I would want to own here is acerage where you can own the immediate land around your dwelling & not be effected by idiot neighbours.

About how many rai of land do you think you would need to not be effected by neighbors who have pig and chicken farms and keep their discos open until 3am?

Good point Bill, sorry I am Australian, we have the largest farm in the world in Australia, when I talk about decent acerage, I would rather not be able to see the neighbours place.

[BigWheelMan]

It could have been worst, it could have been a Hotel

Dead right.

This is Thailand and here providing the money is right, you can build anything you want, at any time, in any place.

Beware if thinking about purchasing that lovely piece of land with the beautiful scenic views, because it`s only a matter of time before someone builds a whacking great monstrosity that by law can be erected only 0ne metre from the boundries of your property.

Quick answer to the OP; he is powerless to do anything.

Edited February 25, 2010 by BigWheelMan

[ManilaLover]

If you bought the house how about the decrease in value due that crap ???

[WinnieTheKhwai]

That's a risk you take when buying.

[mcgriffith]

Hey, I know this won't make the OP feel any better.

But in a similar vein- I live in an apt bldg, far west near CMU. Pretty much a paradise neighborhood, until....

2 yrs ago, they razed a small plot next door, built a 5 story dental clinic/office building. Bang bang, clang clang for about 2 years. From 7:30 AM till 9PM, seven days a week.

Then opposite the Phucome, on Huay Kaew down a bit, started another big apt complex.

Then in the soi just to the east (Soi Wat Chang Khian) another big one. Still banging away day and night on that one.

Then over across Huay Kaew, the Moc M'ol has the makings of what looks like a very substantial building going up.

Bang bang, clang clang.

It's everywhere. Even in the hi-so district.

[neverdie]

Hasnt happened near my castle, but i am surrounded by water on 3 sides

[Benjie]

Put a billboard up facing the driving range and sell advertising on it.

[NADTATIDA1]

At least your game will improve

[rohitsuk]

Heartfelt sympathy as I live in dread of my p&q being devastated by some crap or other happening on the vacant land / houses which surround us in our tranquil secluded little backwater of AM.  

We bought our house two years ago but I am seriously considering letting it and moving a bit further out of the city where it is less likely, although not impossible, that shit may happen.  I am also considering renting, if I can find the right place so that when the karaoke, welding workshop, knocking shop, noise factory or indeed golf driving range opens, I can forfeit the deposit and move on immediately.

A golf driving range opened opposite our apartment in Bangkok and whilst it was nice to see the green grass, ponds and fountains during the day, came sunset and the floodlights with the clang, clang, clang of the balls hitting the metal nets and hel_l drew nearer. I came to hate golf and golfers - bloody silly game but compared to karaoke it's pure heaven and golfers are veritable angels.

Up sticks and off old thing, you will be awfully glad that you did.

 

[BlackArtemis]

Get a megaphone and heckle them, thus making them not want to practice there and the whole thing will go belly up, or the owner will have you killed. It's a toss up really.

[cm das]

My wife said she has spoken with the relevant authorities(forgot to ask her which) but was informed the range developers had all papers filed properly...

But still...its a beyond belief that the authorities will allow such a thing in a mainly residential area!

Building permits are issued by the local tessaban. If you have good reason to believe that these permits were issued improperly, then it is possible to file suit against the tessaban and have a judge decide whether to revoke the permits. Something like this is happening right now in Chang Khian, where residents have learned that a condo developer divided the chanotes (land titles) on the property they are developing in order to make it look like several small projects rather than one big one. In fact there are some zoning laws, at least regarding big apartment/condo projects, but they are usually ignored or 'finessed' with help from local authorities. And as always, if you do decide to confront the developers or the local authorities, you have to be very careful. These guys often don't play fair. Good luck.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Get yourself a couple of dogs,, teach them to retrieve golf balls. Put a small inconspicuous hole in the fence and in the early morning hours let your dogs through the hole to retrieve golf balls for you. Eventually the guy will tired of buying balls and give it up.

[ManilaLover]

Why that stupid nets have to be so hight here, in my country they have golfranges as well but no nets at all.

When for a baseball field OK but this is just golf, if those guys play properly they don't need those silly nets at all. They are so ugly and visual very polluting, even more when getting old. They really have no brains here, can't think 'beyond money' and this will never be a civilized country for sure. Time to leave and let them r*t away togeher with their own kind of maipenraiers. Sad but true.

Edited February 26, 2010 by ManilaLover