Thailand strives to become a world leader in Green Building

[trogers]

order more stickers stating green building

Naah...these stickers would probably be numbered to 5, like those on refrigerators and air-conditioned units...

[iphad]

Lie after lies. they don't even put double glazed windows for new condos or office building. most of the entrance and exist doors here are single are always open. I guess it's one way of dealing with global warming by cooling outside too

what lies?...Can you actually read? or do you know what the word "strive" means?

the OP is from Thai Green Building Institute promoting "Green" building in Thailand not an official Government position.

the first certified green building in Bangkok was inaugurated in 2007.

There's about 100 certified or near certified "Green " buildings in Thailand.

Toyota Motor Corporation Thailand is a good example of a company embracing the green building concept to build an even more eco-friendly image. The Japanese automaker is implementing a worldwide initiative to convert existing dealerships into green buildings. In Thailand, 374 dealers will take part in the program that will run until 2015. http://www.eco-business.com/opinion/reality-thailands-green-building-sector/

The lies & drivel are consistent on these forums from uninformed or ignorant people who at every opportunity continue with the same anti Thai agenda without checking facts beforehand.

Edited July 11, 2014 by iphad

[kerrysum]

Running before they can walk!

I agree totally! Maybe just an image thing.....

kilosierra

[iphad]

In Australia green or environmentally friendly homes are a gimmick and are not affordable to the masses. For the sake of reduced energy use, make them affordable for all where ever you may live.

Australia is probably in the top 10 as a leader in "Green" buildings.

I wouldn't call green or environmentally homes a gimmick per se although there is an initial higher cost with savings in the future & I'm sure homes will promote it when selling..as they should because of the cost & savings involved.

Of course as more homes using the technology the prices will come down as was with computers when they were first introduced compared to computer prices today.

The masses couldn't afford a computer back in 1980.

Homes or commercial buildings using "Green" technology will have a better resale or rental value.

[manhood]

Heheheheheh one more of the aims of Thailand that cant be reached in this century!!!!!!!!!!

Start with the small things around and collect garbage in a proper way....and heavy penalty of those who throw garbage everywhere around: Just look at Pattaya how dirty this city is!!!!!!!!!!!

Nobody want to pay even for a garbage bin for there own gargabe at their house: better burn the stuff for best envirement results! And nobody care!

[canuckamuck]

Why don't they try to do some ecologically sensible things outside the cities first.

And instead of always blowing hot air about becoming the leaders in something. Why don't they first try to become adequate..

[timber]

The amount of money involved in making Bangkok into a green city is beyond the scope of my calculator.

Encouraging green buildings is a big step and has to be encouraged through tax breaks or subsidies.

[Oziex1]

In Australia green or environmentally friendly homes are a gimmick and are not affordable to the masses. For the sake of reduced energy use, make them affordable for all where ever you may live.

Australia is probably in the top 10 as a leader in "Green" buildings.

I wouldn't call green or environmentally homes a gimmick per se although there is an initial higher cost with savings in the future & I'm sure homes will promote it when selling..as they should because of the cost & savings involved.

Of course as more homes using the technology the prices will come down as was with computers when they were first introduced compared to computer prices today.

The masses couldn't afford a computer back in 1980.

Homes or commercial buildings using "Green" technology will have a better resale or rental value.

Fair enough, disappoints me that while we wait for these buildings to become more widely available thousands of old style homes are being built and the heating cooling is taken care of with, on some houses multiple reverse cycle air cons.

[Thai at Heart]

I would doubt that the construction of modern moobhans in thailand discounts any chance they have of getting a green prize.

How many people get flooded every year because a new moobhans blocked a drainage area. Would half of new developments even pass an EIA?

[Basil B]

The avarage Thai's idea of a green building = 5 tins of Dulux Pixie Green

[Payboy]

Thailand strives to become a world leader in Green Building

And, don't forget the worlds largest Safety First signs.

[Alwyn]

The windows of most houses are made of wood, without a single rubber closing. Same is true for the doors. When there's wind outside, there's wind inside.

The windows are single layered glass.

The wall are very thin and they are single layered.

Most airco's are not using inverters.

There's no modern ventilation system in the houses.

There's almost no roof insulation.

There's no insulation in the walls.

There's no floor insulation.

Almost none of the houses has solar panels (for producing electricity or hot water).

There's no earth leak protection in the electric system (so if you've a leak, you just heat the soil).

Water tubes are made of cheap PVC and there are a lot of leakages. Tabs are also of extremely bad quality.

There are often no doors in the houses or they are made from cheap PVC.

The roof of the house on the living space are separated by 8mm gypsum. There's no concrete ceiling.

The roof is made of heat conducting metal sheet.

The building quality is so bad you should be very happy if your house doesn't collapse within 20 years.

Taking into account the current status, I don't think it's possible to become a world leader in 10 years.

A European house of the middle ages (1000 years old) is much more energy efficient that a modern new Thai condo.

I have read 'somewhere' on the Thaivisa form that as the difference between inside and outside temperature is too small in Thailand, it does not justify / make sense to invest a lot of money in insulation like double windows and walls.

My doors and windows are open 24 hours a day....

The difference between outdoor and indoor temperature would be the same in any country if there was no insulation to keep in heat and keep out cold - or keep out heat and keep in cold in hot countries. If windows were double glazed and walls, floors and ceilings properly insulated you would be able to have your a/c running on 24 c much more economically would you not?

[Alwyn]

World leader in green building....... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[belg]

they plan to build bamboo villages in bangkok

looooooooooooooooooooooooooool

[Mudcrab]

The windows of most houses are made of wood, without a single rubber closing. Same is true for the doors. When there's wind outside, there's wind inside.

The windows are single layered glass.

The wall are very thin and they are single layered.

Most airco's are not using inverters.

There's no modern ventilation system in the houses.

There's almost no roof insulation.

There's no insulation in the walls.

There's no floor insulation.

Almost none of the houses has solar panels (for producing electricity or hot water).

There's no earth leak protection in the electric system (so if you've a leak, you just heat the soil).

Water tubes are made of cheap PVC and there are a lot of leakages. Tabs are also of extremely bad quality.

There are often no doors in the houses or they are made from cheap PVC.

The roof of the house on the living space are separated by 8mm gypsum. There's no concrete ceiling.

The roof is made of heat conducting metal sheet.

The building quality is so bad you should be very happy if your house doesn't collapse within 20 years.

Taking into account the current status, I don't think it's possible to become a world leader in 10 years.

A European house of the middle ages (1000 years old) is much more energy efficient that a modern new Thai condo.

Most of what you have described above is just about the perfect house for living in the tropics.

So long as they are built on "stilts" for air flow underneath and have large verandahs there is no need for air conditioning, insulation or any of the other Northern European/western must haves that you may be accustomed to. One of the greenest designs around.

Of course many people can use PV installations and hot water systems to reduce energy costs - but it is just as easy not to use exorbitant amounts of electricity in the first place!! What's wrong with a cool shower in the tropics?

Our place back in Queensland, Australia was built in the 1940's and has been renovated to use gypsum etc and is just about perfect for the tropics.

Google "Queenslander house" and you will understand. These houses have been around well over a 100 years - and many have weathered the severe tropical storms that flatten more modern constructions.

I believe they used a similar design in the southern United States many years ago for the same environmentally comfortable reasons.

[Mudcrab]

Can anyone identify even one green building in the whole of the country? apart from sheds that is

Lookup the Chaophya Park Hotel. They seem to be making an effort.

[iphad]

Its a joke here. We wanted our villas to be LEED certified, and received a quote for over 2M baht per villa! This is just for them to do the paperwork to get the certificate. This does not include the material costs or labour!! What a joke.

We are going ahead with all our green tech and ideas, and will list them so, but are not bothering with any fancy certs as its just not worth it.

Yes I'm sure the certification is expensive.... I didn't realize it's that much.

I agree that you're better off with your own "green tech" ideas & I'm sure the bottom line financially comes into any decision...but there are simple non expensive design features like placing windows towards the sun if in a cold climate or shade with trees etc in a hot one.

Solar hot water tech has come a long way in efficiency & lower cost than when 1st available..Good luck.

[bigbamboo]

We've got a greenhouse. Is that any good?

[arisaje]

This is utter nonsense....an eco-design or 'green building' is on average 30% more expensive to design and construct than a conventional property. Thai developers are generally concerned about making money...as much more money as possible.....using low standard materials. With 5 year old buildings that look more like 25 year old buildings, greyish green mouldy concrete, flaky paint and musty central AC's.

If the Thai municipalities and regional authorities gave a damn, then the designer or developer is usually offered some type of incentive to go this route, as many projects are just not economically viable otherwise.

If 'any' buildings being constructed in Thailand at the moment meet the 'green building' standards then it is most likely that they are 'Foreign designers, investors, developers' and not Thai at all.

Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi are far more advanced in green buildings than most other cities in the world......a large percentage of which are built by foreign designers and investors....even there they don't have local commitment to change like they say they do. Only Singapore has true government backing and policies to push for Green Buildings and Thailand would never reach their standards...

[iphad]

This is utter nonsense....an eco-design or 'green building' is on average 30% more expensive to design and construct than a conventional property. Thai developers are generally concerned about making money...as much more money as possible.....using low standard materials. With 5 year old buildings that look more like 25 year old buildings, greyish green mouldy concrete, flaky paint and musty central AC's.

If the Thai municipalities and regional authorities gave a damn, then the designer or developer is usually offered some type of incentive to go this route, as many projects are just not economically viable otherwise.

If 'any' buildings being constructed in Thailand at the moment meet the 'green building' standards then it is most likely that they are 'Foreign designers, investors, developers' and not Thai at all.

Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi are far more advanced in green buildings than most other cities in the world......a large percentage of which are built by foreign designers and investors....even there they don't have local commitment to change like they say they do. Only Singapore has true government backing and policies to push for Green Buildings and Thailand would never reach their standards...

I agree with most of what you say except maybe the "utter nonsense" part.

This OP is from "Thai Green Building Institute" promoting "more ecological building projects in the future despite the high cost of construction" with internationally accepted standards.

Yes I'm sure most Thai projects use the minimum standards for apartments & condos etc in the cities & towns etc

but this is aimed at Corporations ( most likely foreign) to be encouraged to construct "green" buildings ....acknowledging the higher cost & payback is probably over 10-20 years or promotion of their own that the company image is "green".

The fact that there is already progress makes it a good direction certainly for Thailand that relies on importing oil,cutting down on electricity & other factors.

Will every building in Thailand be built "green"?..of course No.

Some will & promotion is good.

Will Thailand be a world leader in "Green Building"?

Probably No too ....but have to start somewhere & having "Green" buildings as a lofty goal isn't such a bad idea.

[BSJ]

After reading this thread I am thinking if we could transfer virtual sarcasm into reality this thread could provide enough for a bottling plant to run at full steam!

[chooka]

When they get the title they can put that number "ONE" trophy along side the N# one for trafficking in endangered species and the ivory trade.

[PermaNewb]

Green: Noun.

used as a slang term for money.

Green= Money

I guarantee that this is the only incentive for Thai builders in promoting "Green Building"...aka, "Money Building"...

this whole "Green" thing worldwide is a load of wank, a gimmick...

case in point, the less electricity being used the higher the price will go, which simply offsets any "savings"..."Green", is not about saving anything...it's about what everything is always about...Making money...

another example...today we have nothing but fuel efficient cars being produced and sold compared to the 70's...

so are you spending less on gas today in your Prius than you did for your 1972 Nova in 1973...don't think so...

Edited July 12, 2014 by PermaNewb

[attrayant]

this whole "Green" thing worldwide is a load of wank, a gimmick...

To what end?

[T]he less electricity being used the higher the price will go

Then it must logically follow that we all must use as much power as possible to drive down its cost, right?

"Green", is not about saving anything...it's about what everything is always about...Making money...

Perhaps that's true for you, but thankfully it's not true for many others: Clean energy home ends 12-month trial with surplus

A prototype home in the US has generated enough energy to sustain a family of four for a year, with enough spare to power an electric car for 2,317 km.

Yes it was expensive - the estimated cost for retrofitting a 252m² home like the one in the article would be about $163,000, requiring about 39 years to pay for itself in energy savings. But again, it's not all about the money. It's about less dependence on polluting fossil fuels that come from politically unstable parts of the world. It's about investing in new technology and ideas to help spur research and development, and drive down the cost of innovation.