Activist group to seek stay on Lak Si condo project

By Chularat Saengpassa,

Somluck Srimalee

The Nation

The Stop Global Warming Association will appeal to the Central Administrative Court's Environment Case Division on Monday to suspend the construction of a condominium project in Bangkok's Lak Si district.

"We are going to seek an injunction," the association's president, Srisuwan Janya, disclosed yesterday.

On August 2, the association and some Bangkok residents lodged a complaint against several government officials for failing to stop the highrises from going up.

Located on Ngam Wong Wan Road, this project will feature two 28storey buildings and one ninestorey carpark. According to the plaintiffs, these buildings will block sunlight and hurt the environment in Sois Chaikiat 1, Chinkhet 1/1, Chinkhet 1/3 and Chinkhet 1/5. The locals had earlier complained about the noise and air pollution, but say the project owner and relevant government officials failed to stop the problems.

"We will make this case a precedent. Estate developers should know that they can't just construct new buildings without regard for local people who have been there before their project was planned," Srisuwan said.

He added that though this project's environmental impact assessment (EIA) had sailed through, the information prepared had come from manipulation. "Locals were fed false information," Srisuwan said.

The source from the property firm said the project had met all the EIA criteria in 2010.

Before getting the EIA licence, the company had to survey at least 369 of the total 4,731 households in the onekilometre radius of the project by last September. When the company revised its project from three 22storey buildings to two 28storey buildings and one ninestorey carpark, it had to conduct a survey again.

"We cut it down to two 28storey buildings because it would allow more space for wind and sunshine than if we had three 22storey buildings," he said.

He added that the company had also taken measures to protect the community living nearby from noise, waste and water pollution. For instance, it has installed seven airconditioners at a school located close to the project. It has also set up a twometre high soundproof wall and has dug a canal around the project to cut down on the noise pollution.

Also, construction is only allowed on weekdays between 7am and 5pm, he said.

However, he admitted that Lak Si district authorities had suspended the construction on May 24 until the company was able to solve pollution problems. The construction was allowed to proceed after June 7.

"We believe that we are continuing with the project according to the law, and are not doing anything that can have too much of an adverse impact on the community," he said.

The condominium is scheduled to be completed by 2013.

-- The Nation 2011-08-05

I have some family that lives around Lak Si.... Seems like The local's have a valid complaint as it is quite mellow out there for BKK.. However it will go up. Waste of time to try and stop them now.

With the rampant overpopulation in BKK and the rest of the world, alongside soaring energy costs and environmental damage, high density living such as high rises is the only logical solution. Exactly how much is a pair of lowly 28 story building going to 'block out the sun', especially so close to the equator, where the sun travels roughly overhead, year round. Sounds more like the nutty 'not in my backyard' movement than the genuine and respectable environmentalist movement. How exactly does this project adversely affect the actual environment? The only counterpoint would be that such high-density projects should be built around transit projects the keep people out of their cars. But all of BKK is already traffic gridlock hell, so what difference will this one building make?

The aspire project I believe it to be.

On the corner to Chinnakhet, it is a busy area during the morning rush hour. It seems to be a little packed in. It is like a new Thai small condo that was built near me, they finished it and started building a Spa next door, the Spa blocks light to at least half the rooms in the condo, you can go out on the balcony and touch the wall of the spa, that is how close it is.

With the rampant overpopulation in BKK and the rest of the world, alongside soaring energy costs and environmental damage, high density living such as high rises is the only logical solution. Exactly how much is a pair of lowly 28 story building going to 'block out the sun', especially so close to the equator, where the sun travels roughly overhead, year round. Sounds more like the nutty 'not in my backyard' movement than the genuine and respectable environmentalist movement. How exactly does this project adversely affect the actual environment? The only counterpoint would be that such high-density projects should be built around transit projects the keep people out of their cars. But all of BKK is already traffic gridlock hell, so what difference will this one building make?

And it is to low for Alkida to hit.

With the rampant overpopulation in BKK and the rest of the world, alongside soaring energy costs and environmental damage, high density living such as high rises is the only logical solution. Exactly how much is a pair of lowly 28 story building going to 'block out the [blistering hot] sun', [and provide a bit of SHADE] especially so close to the equator, where the sun travels roughly overhead, year round. Sounds more like the nutty 'not in my backyard' movement than the genuine and respectable environmentalist movement. How exactly does this project adversely affect the actual environment? The only counterpoint would be that such high-density projects should be built around transit projects the keep people out of their cars. But all of BKK is already traffic gridlock hell, so what difference will this one building make?

--- Oh no, not that ! ----