Pattaya threatens demolition of illegally expanded Boutique Hotel

[Rimmer]

Pattaya threatens demolition of illegally expanded Boutique Hotel

PATTAYA:--City officials will go to court to force the demolition of South Pattaya’s Boutique Hotel nearly a year after discovering the owner illegally added four floors and violated building codes with an under-construction annex.

Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay, city council President Tawit Chaiswangwong and city engineer Samran Phanpreecha inspected the Soi 17 hotel site July 3 and heard complaints of area residents about compressor noise and wastewater releases.

The officials were exasperated at what they found: construction on a second Boutique Hotel building was still proceeding, despite repeated stop-work orders from city hall.

Full story:http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/pattaya-threatens-demolition-of-illegally-expanded-boutique-hotel-28516

-- Pattaya One 2013-07-19

[pattayadingo]

With the temple work also, these people obviously have no regard for the law at all or feel the law has no teeth.

I wonder how much it will cost them to keep the buildings as they are.....

[fakename]

How do you add 4 floors, without anyone noticing? Seems to be a common thing in Pattaya. Everything is built illegally, but no one can see.

[lee b]

Im sure there is a way to avoid this situation....

[Spalpeen]

The mind boggles. Adding four more floors to a structure that wasn't designed to support them is exactly how you get Bangladeshi style building collapses.

[Gsxrnz]

"The Building Control Office ordered work stopped on the new building and for the company to prohibit use of the illegal floors in existing hotel."

This seems entirely logical action by the Building Control Officer. He will have astutely determined that the top 4 (illegal) floors will be much more dangerous to occupy than the floors below them........mind boggling!

The muppet is probably only qualified in Lego construction with a degree from the local kindergarten.

Edited July 19, 2013 by Gsxrnz

[fakename]

That is logical, since the higher floors fall a greater distance, hence, they are more dangerous!

[ezzra]

This sort of things allowed to continue because here in Thailand everything is

negotiable and everything has it's price, so people can and will disregard the

law with impunity later on protesting that the demolishing of this and that will

lead to hardship and loss of income, food, opportunity, poor farmers, health,

yadda yadda yadda, the case being abjured for years and soon every body

forgotten about. this is Thai style of settling feuds and getting away with it.

[Ohio]

This is probably the 5 star hotel those Chinese Tourists were booked into but he hadn't added enough floors I guess.

4 floors & no one noticed ......Only in Pattaya ??

[malt25]

The officials were exasperated at what they found:

Just wondering if a Thai official knows what it's like to be "exasperated"

Just curious.

[lemoncake]

How do you add 4 floors, without anyone noticing? Seems to be a common thing in Pattaya. Everything is built illegally, but no one can see.

Better question is how do you seek court order to demolish the entire building when only top 4 floors are illegal?

In my opinion, the owner would be fined and allowed to keep the floors and owners knows it

Edited July 20, 2013 by lemoncake

[lemoncake]

Little off topic, but somewhat related.

I have had the pleasure of meeting local developer(a Thai) pretty successful who runs a very "interesting" development company.

He buys small lot of land next to someone else's empty lot.

He build a condo or hotel across both lots but mainly across neighbors.

When neighbor sees his/her land has been stolen, they file law suits.

Developer comes to court and agrees that it is illegal and happy for the neighbor, owner of that land to demolish it BUT can not damage the building on developers land.

Naturally it is not possible, so the owner of the land is left with 2 choices.

1. Either sell the land to developer at any price developer wishes to pay(usually half the value)

2. Demolish the building on his land at his own expense and pay for any damages to the developers building in his land

Almost all, chose to sell the land for dirt cheap.

I guess the point of the story is, the owner of the hotel in OP, knows his ways around the laws and rules and is happy to pay a small fine, than pay big money for city hall permits

[Baerboxer]

Little off topic, but somewhat related.

I have had the pleasure of meeting local developer(a Thai) pretty successful who runs a very "interesting" development company.

He buys small lot of land next to someone else's empty lot.

He build a condo or hotel across both lots but mainly across neighbors.

When neighbor sees his/her land has been stolen, they file law suits.

Developer comes to court and agrees that it is illegal and happy for the neighbor, owner of that land to demolish it BUT can not damage the building on developers land.

Naturally it is not possible, so the owner of the land is left with 2 choices.

1. Either sell the land to developer at any price developer wishes to pay(usually half the value)

2. Demolish the building on his land at his own expense and pay for any damages to the developers building in his land

Almost all, chose to sell the land for dirt cheap.

I guess the point of the story is, the owner of the hotel in OP, knows his ways around the laws and rules and is happy to pay a small fine, than pay big money for city hall permits

What a clever dick he is. Until one day, he'll do it to the wrong person. Then he'll face real "Thai" justice.

Piss the bureaucrats off here, and you'll pay eventually, one way or another.

[lemoncake]

Little off topic, but somewhat related.

I have had the pleasure of meeting local developer(a Thai) pretty successful who runs a very "interesting" development company.

He buys small lot of land next to someone else's empty lot.

He build a condo or hotel across both lots but mainly across neighbors.

When neighbor sees his/her land has been stolen, they file law suits.

Developer comes to court and agrees that it is illegal and happy for the neighbor, owner of that land to demolish it BUT can not damage the building on developers land.

Naturally it is not possible, so the owner of the land is left with 2 choices.

1. Either sell the land to developer at any price developer wishes to pay(usually half the value)

2. Demolish the building on his land at his own expense and pay for any damages to the developers building in his land

Almost all, chose to sell the land for dirt cheap.

I guess the point of the story is, the owner of the hotel in OP, knows his ways around the laws and rules and is happy to pay a small fine, than pay big money for city hall permits

What a clever dick he is. Until one day, he'll do it to the wrong person. Then he'll face real "Thai" justice.

Piss the bureaucrats off here, and you'll pay eventually, one way or another.

I do not think he is stupid, clearly he does his homework to see who owns the land, i have no doubt he is well connected and is also always surrounded by 3 bodyguards.

Do not get me wrong, i do not admire him, just saying there are too many loopholes and if one knows the system, its very easy to play it to your advantage.

Totally agree about pissing off government officials, but as you know no one here thinks about tomorrow

[hawker9000]

In answer to #12, why not "take possession" of the part of the building that's on his land, and either operate it as his own or even live in it? 'Might have to erect some interior walls (and perhaps security systems...) here & there, but otherwise maybe a free income opportunity! Maybe even get some free utilities out of it - at least for awhile...

Edited July 20, 2013 by hawker9000

[lemoncake]

In answer to #12, why not "take possession" of the part of the building that's on his land, and either operate it as his own or even live in it? 'Might have to erect some interior walls (and perhaps security systems...) here & there, but otherwise maybe a free income opportunity! Maybe even get some free utilities out of it - at least for awhile...

Wrong person to ask, i am not a land owner or developer.

I would assume it would be pretty hard to take possession of half the building or whatever portion,

How would you take possession and control over say half a bathroom and half a hallway

[SSSlongtime]

when will they learn knock it down

[Bagwan]

Little off topic, but somewhat related.

I have had the pleasure of meeting local developer(a Thai) pretty successful who runs a very "interesting" development company.

He buys small lot of land next to someone else's empty lot.

He build a condo or hotel across both lots but mainly across neighbors.

When neighbor sees his/her land has been stolen, they file law suits.

Developer comes to court and agrees that it is illegal and happy for the neighbor, owner of that land to demolish it BUT can not damage the building on developers land.

Naturally it is not possible, so the owner of the land is left with 2 choices.

1. Either sell the land to developer at any price developer wishes to pay(usually half the value)

2. Demolish the building on his land at his own expense and pay for any damages to the developers building in his land

Almost all, chose to sell the land for dirt cheap.

I guess the point of the story is, the owner of the hotel in OP, knows his ways around the laws and rules and is happy to pay a small fine, than pay big money for city hall permits

What a clever dick he is. Until one day, he'll do it to the wrong person. Then he'll face real "Thai" justice.

Piss the bureaucrats off here, and you'll pay eventually, one way or another.

I do not think he is stupid, clearly he does his homework to see who owns the land, i have no doubt he is well connected and is also always surrounded by 3 bodyguards.

Do not get me wrong, i do not admire him, just saying there are too many loopholes and if one knows the system, its very easy to play it to your advantage.

Totally agree about pissing off government officials, but as you know no one here thinks about tomorrow

Maybe if the Mayor asked this developer 'do you know who I am?' More important, 'do you know who my father is?'.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Bagwan

[lemoncake]

Little off topic, but somewhat related.

I have had the pleasure of meeting local developer(a Thai) pretty successful who runs a very "interesting" development company.

He buys small lot of land next to someone else's empty lot.

He build a condo or hotel across both lots but mainly across neighbors.

When neighbor sees his/her land has been stolen, they file law suits.

Developer comes to court and agrees that it is illegal and happy for the neighbor, owner of that land to demolish it BUT can not damage the building on developers land.

Naturally it is not possible, so the owner of the land is left with 2 choices.

1. Either sell the land to developer at any price developer wishes to pay(usually half the value)

2. Demolish the building on his land at his own expense and pay for any damages to the developers building in his land

Almost all, chose to sell the land for dirt cheap.

I guess the point of the story is, the owner of the hotel in OP, knows his ways around the laws and rules and is happy to pay a small fine, than pay big money for city hall permits

What a clever dick he is. Until one day, he'll do it to the wrong person. Then he'll face real "Thai" justice.

Piss the bureaucrats off here, and you'll pay eventually, one way or another.

I do not think he is stupid, clearly he does his homework to see who owns the land, i have no doubt he is well connected and is also always surrounded by 3 bodyguards.

Do not get me wrong, i do not admire him, just saying there are too many loopholes and if one knows the system, its very easy to play it to your advantage.

Totally agree about pissing off government officials, but as you know no one here thinks about tomorrow

Maybe if the Mayor asked this developer 'do you know who I am?' More important, 'do you know who my father is?'.

Oh but you missing the point, the developer is not "stealing" from the mayor or city hall, only from private individuals, land owners

[PoodMaiDai]

Suddenly, Pattaya cares about building code.

[Payboy]

There should be a law about establishments eligible to describe themselves as " boutique".

[lemoncake]

There should be a law about establishments eligible to describe themselves as " boutique".

Started off as one, and then every high season it grew by a flew floors - lol

[Uncle SteeWhee]

As of today--August 11--work continues on the Boutique Hotel annex, sometimes in the day and sometimes at night. There has been no indication of the City Hall demolition crew coming down the soi, exerting its political might and legal right, and knocking both structures down. As of the Boutique Hotel itself, 4 floors over the legal limit--here comes the silly question--who will be liable for the deaths and damages which will occur when it comes tumbling down? The owners? The construction company? City Hall? Finally, are there any travel/hotel websites like agoda, where one can go and post warnings about this deathtrap. Rest easily tonight: you can be sure your building is safe and secure . . .

[EyesWideOpen]

Nothing will happen to this building. Am surprised that city

hall is making fools of themselves by threatening demolition..

I thought Thais were always worried about losing face??

Well maybe the concern can be put aside for the right sum of money...

[Basil B]

Little off topic, but somewhat related.

I have had the pleasure of meeting local developer(a Thai) pretty successful who runs a very "interesting" development company.

He buys small lot of land next to someone else's empty lot.

He build a condo or hotel across both lots but mainly across neighbors.

When neighbor sees his/her land has been stolen, they file law suits.

Developer comes to court and agrees that it is illegal and happy for the neighbor, owner of that land to demolish it BUT can not damage the building on developers land.

Naturally it is not possible, so the owner of the land is left with 2 choices.

1. Either sell the land to developer at any price developer wishes to pay(usually half the value)

2. Demolish the building on his land at his own expense and pay for any damages to the developers building in his land

Almost all, chose to sell the land for dirt cheap.

I guess the point of the story is, the owner of the hotel in OP, knows his ways around the laws and rules and is happy to pay a small fine, than pay big money for city hall permits

Nice company you keep...

[Basil B]

Nothing will happen to this building. Am surprised that city

hall is making fools of themselves by threatening demolition..

I thought Thais were always worried about losing face??

Well maybe the concern can be put aside for the right sum of money...

View Talay 7, again...

Nice to see Pattaya City Hall willing to lose face for some money under the counter.

[EyesWideOpen]

I seem to recall this original story stated the building would be demolished

in one week. Now that wording is gone. Was that edited out to save face ??