Demolition of high-rise buildings (say, over 20 storeys) has happened regularly in other countries since the 1980's.

Have any of the older condo blocks been demolished in Thailand? If so, how were the owners of the units compensated?

A quick survey of Thais said they had seen foreign high-rise buildings being demolished on tv but they didn't think it had happened in this country.

What are usually termed 'tower blocks' in the UK were council housing, poorly constructed, poorly maintained and dated back to the 1960's and 70's. When they became unpopular and too expensive to maintain, they were demolished.

The equivalent-sized residential structures in Thailand are privately owned, have higher-level wage-earning tenants and as to their construction and maintenance, well, time will tell - the majority are not all that old. The nearest equivalent to UK high-rise 'Council flats' in Thailand would be developments of workers' flats provided by factories.

Lower-paid, but still relatively well-off, working Bangkokian flat-dwellers tend to live in 4-8 storey blocks which gradually rot away and when they are demolished, or fall down, cause little comment.

The two oldest tower block structures in Thailand of over 20 storeys high are The Indra hotel near Pratunam and the Chokechai buiding of UOB HQ near Sukhumvit 26. They have both been refurbished and still occupied.

Why even care to demolish the buildings, when they can be rented out as billboard walls. In many areas Bangkok looks like crap and nobody cares

Compensated by whom and for what?

If condo - typically the co-owners will be responsible for the costs of the demolition and then collectively decide how to proceed - sell the land or rebuild (and how, and together pay for it).

Other collective ownership models will depend on the relevant collective agreements.