Residents Battle Bangkok Developer

[webfact]

Residents battle Bangkok developer

Chularat Saengpassa,

Pongphon Sarnsamak,

Somluck Srimalee

BANGKOK: -- Living near the construction site of the Aspire Condominium project in the Soi Chinnakhet community, Santipat Prombutr and his neighbours have a number of reasons to complain.

Construction debris - including nails - often rains down on the compound where his house is located. Cigarette butts have also been found, leading to fears that his house might catch fire. The looming condo building blocks out the sun except for a few hours in the morning, and Santipat's once-majestic view is but a memory.

And he's not alone. Dozens of families in the community in Lak Si district are locked in battle with the developer, Asian Property Development. With help from the Stop Global Warming Association, they won the Central Administrative Court's support for their first lawsuit, which demanded the developer limit construction times.

However, the contractor breached the court's order and the nuisance has continued, prompting the residents to seek the revocation of the construction licence. In a month, the lawsuit should land on the court's doorstep, he said.

Santipat complained that officials at the Lak Si District Office were less than helpful when he lodged a complaint. They took some action, but it is far from solving the real problem. So now he's considering filing a complaint against these officials for negligence. "When the construction materials fell down, the district office informed us that some portions of the safety nets were damaged and the project's owner would be fined and ordered to prevent such incidents from recurring. We don't think such measures will really help," Santipat said.

"In the end, we'll have to ask the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to order the dismantling of this building. It's in violation of the laws," he said.

In February last year, the Central Administrative Court issued an injunction requiring the condominium's contractor to limit working hours to between 8am and 5pm on weekdays. The developer must also submit reports on environmental impacts such as vibration, noise and dust levels on a monthly basis.

A source from Asian Property said the company has tried to do everything in accordance with the court's order. It has repaired nearby buildings damaged by the construction of the condominium, and paid out compensation. "We have implemented controls on the construction process to minimise impacts on the buildings nearby. And we have honoured compensation [obligations]," he said, adding that the company strictly follows the rules.

But that hasn't satisfied Santipat, the leader of the community. He said the contractor was still in violation of the court's order. The project clearly causes pollution, blocks views and sunlight, and looks set to cause traffic problems. To Santipat, only a complete halt to construction or the outright purchase of all 39 houses affected would resolve the conflict.

-- The Nation 2012-11-12

[CelticBhoy]

Khun Santipat is banging his head against a wall.

Condos will be built where, when, and how these

developers fancy with no thought to others.

Two words need to be added to the vocab here, "Planning Permission."

[LuckyLew]

Good for this person for taking a stand

I think it might be a cause that ends in failure, but still nice to see

Money talks and developer will surely pay his way out if need be

[RickBradford]

The second part of this story, which will be written next week, is where Mr Santipat emerges from his house, and two men on a motorbike roar up and shoot numerous holes in him, at which point opposition to the condo project will fade away.

[OzMick]

"To Santipat, only ......... the outright purchase of all 39 houses affected would resolve the conflict."

I'm sure he has a price in mind for his.

I am reminded of a tactic used by the developer of a major supermarket (initials WW) complex in NSW who approached all the home owners likely to be severely affected offering to buy their homes at highly inflated prices. This resulted in minimal objection from residents, some were quite enthusiastic as contracts were drawn up.

Those actually required for construction were purchased under Stage 1, the neighbouring properties to be bought under Stage 2. 30 years later, Stage 2 has not yet been reached.

[noitom]

Always check the land around a condo balcony or a house in Thailand especially in Bangkok. If the land behind the building, for example, is empty, stay away. There is no zoning, no law, no rights, and no recourse. It's always buyer beware in Thailand. In Bangkok, fuggedaboudit as Tony Soprano would say.

[Pib]

In Thailand the zoning laws are definitely weak to non-existent. You could build your dream house on a beautiful plot of land only find out the following year a slaughter factory being built next to your home. And this can happen in the country or city. Definitely don't assume an open plot of land located in a residential zone will some day contain another home....it could end up containing a legal (or illegal) pig farm.

[emanphoto]

Thailand Condo Developer/City Planner Goes on a Rant

Completely joking here, but at times maybe not too far from reality?

[Rionoir]

Best case scenario for him they finish the building and he lives next to a nice looking complex.

Worst case scenario, he "wins" and the building remains as a half-finished eyesore for the rest of his life.

[Pib]

Thailand Condo Developer/City Planner Goes on a Rant

Completely joking here, but at times maybe not too far from reality?

The lady in that video is qualified to be a Bangkok taxi driver....lord knows how many soi dogs laying on the road have been run over by taxis.

[AyG]

And at the same time we read they're going to ease restrictions on condo development:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/597391-green-light-for-condos-bangkok/

[DLock]

What ever happened to that condo on Ruamrudee - Aetas?

I thought it had clearly violated the law, the complainant was connected to the royal family and it was ordered to come down?

Still standing.

Any update?

[Arkady]

I knew a Thai that had this problem when his family home in Sukhumvit had dangerous pieces of metal dropped on it from a condo plus construction noise virtually 24/7. After submitting numerous complaints to the police without any result, one night being woken by construction noise at 2.00 a.m. he pulled out his 9mm pistol and fired several rounds up towards where the noise was coming from. The disturbances ceased from that moment and he never received a visit from the police about gun shots. Please note. I don't recommend Thai Visa members to try this.

[NCFC]

What has this group "Stop Global Warning" got to do with a condo development. Condos are far better than the slums they replace.

[bigbamboo]

Khun Santipat is banging his head against a wall.

Condos will be built where, when, and how these

developers fancy with no thought to others.

Two words need to be added to the vocab here, "Planning Permission."

Not sure I'd entirely agree with that bit I can see your point. To a foreigner one of the delights of Thailand is the lack of the words 'planning permission' and the freedom to build on your own land although I can wholly understand that in Bangkok it would be absolutely necessary.

[Baloo22]

"In the end, we'll have to ask the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to order the dismantling of this building. It's in violation of the laws,"

Right! That will happen right after the dismantling of the View Talay 7 condo building in Jomtien!

In other words, right after half past never!

[BusyBee123]

What has this group "Stop Global Warning" got to do with a condo development. Condos are far better than the slums they replace.

Well those so called slums are communities, something that is almost extinct in the west, but feel free to break them up with soulless condos at whatever cost to communities, capitalism rocks!

[cbrer]

Another lesson for one of life's simple rules.

Don't buy in Thailand.

Rent.

[Thai at Heart]

Khun Santipat is banging his head against a wall.

Condos will be built where, when, and how these

developers fancy with no thought to others.

Two words need to be added to the vocab here, "Planning Permission."

Not sure I'd entirely agree with that bit I can see your point. To a foreigner one of the delights of Thailand is the lack of the words 'planning permission' and the freedom to build on your own land although I can wholly understand that in Bangkok it would be absolutely necessary.

Yeah its great. In a purely residential area, a friend if mine bought a rai of land downtown to build his dream retirement house on.

He came over a few months ago after i called him to say someone was building next door to his vacant lot, so now he's got a 6 story apartment block built completely illegally next door (it overuses the available land and us built too close to the boundary).

So he either puts up with hundreds of people peering at him while he takes a swim in his imaginary pool, or he puts his own apartment block up, and finds another piece of land.