Abandoned buildings, billboards are highly unsafe during rainy season: EIT

[webfact]

Abandoned buildings, bill boards are highly unsafe during rainy season

BANGKOK: -- The Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) says abandoned buildings and huge bill boards pose danger to adjacent properties and residents especially during the rainy season.

EIT vice president Dr Ekasit Limsuwan said these abandoned structures are mostly unsafe and pose high risk of collapse.

He said most abandoned buildings were left unattended by their owners after running short of funds, facing bankruptcy, or after ownership was changed.

These buildings could not be demolished because the demolition cost is several times higher than constructing the new building, he said.

Therefore these buildings extremely unsafe, he said.

However he said if the abandoned building is still in good condition, big company also is eyeing and is ready to buy it.

They will send engineers to inspect these abandoned buildings, examine whether their foundation structure remain strong so they could modify them for resale.

But for abandoned bill boards, he said that owners didn’t care much about their safety but just thinking of the high rents.

Therefore, he warned, during the rainy season these bill boards pose high threat to safety as they could demolished any time as appeared demolished in the media.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/abandoned-buildings-bill-boards-highly-unsafe-rainy-season/
 

[thaipbs]2014-08-15[/thaipbs]

[neverdie]

Yes they are.

But gee those canvas signs make good tarps. :)

[khwaibah]

I would thank that the Engineering Institute Of Thailand would put their effort into correcting the ills that just killed 14 people.

[seajae]

in Australia the owners are responsible for the upkeep/maintenance work on these things even if they are abandoned or the local council can seize them if the owners refuse the upkeep  of them. The amount of dilapidated buildings/signs I see while driving is huge, if the owners refuse to fix them they should forfeit ownership or be charged for the necessary upkeep. We all know money/profits rule here but its time that those in charge said enough is enough, either fix them, pull them down or face big fines/forfeiture. 

[gomangosteen]

any estimates on how long until exposed (ie never painted) concrete is 'beyond redemption?

 

 

An example of an abandoned hotel from 1997 - one of many from around this era in Thailand. 

Site was advertised for sale 2012 @ 96 million.

At almost 20 years exposed to the weather - would there be any hope?

Or demolition the only option?

cheers

[DrLom]

any estimates on how long until exposed (ie never painted) concrete is 'beyond redemption?

 

 

An example of an abandoned hotel from 1997 - one of many from around this era in Thailand. 

Site was advertised for sale 2012 @ 96 million.

At almost 20 years exposed to the weather - would there be any hope?

Or demolition the only option?

cheers

Lick of paint - no prob.... it's been there 20 years.. ;)

 

By the way - is that near to Rayong??

 

If so - the floors need re-structuring, but asides that the general structure is solid. There's a very similar unfinished hotel on a beach just outside of Rayong, and I viewed it once. The land itself is worth 20M, if you have a Thai wife to purchase such.

 

Will cost maybe 40M to complete, but at 2,000 a day per room... odds on it's a winner.

 

The thing to look out for is who exactly owns it, and why it was abandoned... i.e. if there were unscrupulous dealings back then.. it could carry a lot of bad weight!

[northernjohn]

in Australia the owners are responsible for the upkeep/maintenance work on these things even if they are abandoned or the local council can seize them if the owners refuse the upkeep  of them. The amount of dilapidated buildings/signs I see while driving is huge, if the owners refuse to fix them they should forfeit ownership or be charged for the necessary upkeep. We all know money/profits rule here but its time that those in charge said enough is enough, either fix them, pull them down or face big fines/forfeiture. 

 

I think property tax's would put an end to a lot of the willingness to let them go to pot. They have probably already absorbed the loss and have no reason to do any thing to improve the buildings. Tax them and they will look at things differently. If they don't pay seize the property and build a park there. It will give the city a nicer over all look and make some areas more relaxing.

[gomangosteen]

Lick of paint - no prob.... it's been there 20 years..

 

By the way - is that near to Rayong??

 

 

South of Rayong, this one in Chanthaburi city; though think i know the one you refer to about 60km N from us  - after Klaeng, south of Ban Phe on way to Rayong? (see pic, from Nov 2010)

 

1997 Asian financial crisis to blame I am told. There's an abandoned hotel complex off the main highway heading south from Chan city to Trat/Koh Chang dating from same era, now overgrown with vines/trees at the entrance to Phlio National Park - would have been an ideal location I'd have thought.

Edited August 15, 2014 by gomangosteen

[DrLom]

 

Lick of paint - no prob.... it's been there 20 years..

 

By the way - is that near to Rayong??

 

 

South of Rayong, this one in Chanthaburi city; though think i know the one you refer to about 60km N from us  - after Klaeng, south of Ban Phe on way to Rayong? (see pic, from Nov 2010)

 

1997 Asian financial crisis to blame I am told. There's an abandoned hotel complex off the main highway heading south from Chan city to Trat/Koh Chang dating from same era, now overgrown with vines/trees at the entrance to Phlio National Park - would have been an ideal location I'd have thought.

 

Dead on. Yes, I saw the one in Klaeng which I thought the pic was, opposite the beach. I don't think it was up for 96M though.... maybe 60M OBO.

 

As I say, it's who owns it, and if it was purchased 'legally'.... is the major concern, if considering investing.

 

The steel rods inside the concrete would need some inspection, because if they rust they expand they can the fracture the blocks... although, because of the climate here, that's quite rare. These types of building were actually well invested in, i.e. few short-cuts back then, and so are generally structually sound..... well worth the investment, if you have the funds to quarter follow-up some repairs before continuing any investment in finalising the continuation.

[ChrisY1]

Ah...the empty billboards...such magnificent structures...engineering excellence at it's best.....but they look pretty bad at the best of times, but when the rust, in the high grade steel used in them, finally gives way to gravity.!!!.......there's a few around BKK and on highways all over the place that have collapsed......

[joshstiles]

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I would thank that the Engineering Institute Of Thailand would put their effort into correcting the ills that just killed 14 people.

naaaa....there's no money in it.

[Time Traveller]

 

in Australia the owners are responsible for the upkeep/maintenance work on these things even if they are abandoned or the local council can seize them if the owners refuse the upkeep  of them. The amount of dilapidated buildings/signs I see while driving is huge, if the owners refuse to fix them they should forfeit ownership or be charged for the necessary upkeep. We all know money/profits rule here but its time that those in charge said enough is enough, either fix them, pull them down or face big fines/forfeiture. 

 

I think property tax's would put an end to a lot of the willingness to let them go to pot. They have probably already absorbed the loss and have no reason to do any thing to improve the buildings. Tax them and they will look at things differently. If they don't pay seize the property and build a park there. It will give the city a nicer over all look and make some areas more relaxing.

 

You're missing the point. The owners or property developers are mostly bankrupt. Property Tax is not going to fix that either. Take a look at Detroit. The owners simply walked and stop paying property taxes. Years later the ownership of the properties were taken over by the city due to unpaid taxes. The result: tens of thousands of abandoned properties - many selling for just $1 - that no one will live in.  The city is dying if not dead.

 

Eventually, inflation in land prices will again make it profitable to demolish and develop. It takes time.

Edited August 15, 2014 by Time Traveller

[kimamey]

Ah...the empty billboards...such magnificent structures...engineering excellence at it's best.....but they look pretty bad at the best of times, but when the rust, in the high grade steel used in them, finally gives way to gravity.!!!.......there's a few around BKK and on highways all over the place that have collapsed......

 

I'm sure there was one that fell down in high winds maybe about 3 years ago and there was the usual commitment to have all of them checked and the owners forced to make them safe. I doubt much happened though.

[northernjohn]

 

 

in Australia the owners are responsible for the upkeep/maintenance work on these things even if they are abandoned or the local council can seize them if the owners refuse the upkeep  of them. The amount of dilapidated buildings/signs I see while driving is huge, if the owners refuse to fix them they should forfeit ownership or be charged for the necessary upkeep. We all know money/profits rule here but its time that those in charge said enough is enough, either fix them, pull them down or face big fines/forfeiture. 

 

I think property tax's would put an end to a lot of the willingness to let them go to pot. They have probably already absorbed the loss and have no reason to do any thing to improve the buildings. Tax them and they will look at things differently. If they don't pay seize the property and build a park there. It will give the city a nicer over all look and make some areas more relaxing.

 

You're missing the point. The owners or property developers are mostly bankrupt. Property Tax is not going to fix that either. Take a look at Detroit. The owners simply walked and stop paying property taxes. Years later the ownership of the properties were taken over by the city due to unpaid taxes. The result: tens of thousands of abandoned properties - many selling for just $1 - that no one will live in.  The city is dying if not dead.

 

Eventually, inflation in land prices will again make it profitable to demolish and develop. It takes time.

 

 

You did not read all the post. I said those places when taken over could be converted into parks. It would give a sense of livability to the city. I in no way indicated to let them stand there until they crumbled.

[Shazdeb]

There are so many old empty ugly billboards, these should be easy to remove so hoping the Army will get around to it. About the abandoned buildings, Its a shame, a waste and a disgrace ( mostly to those that just left it and walked ) Why don't the Government make a law that states basically " If you abandon a building and do no work on it for a set time ( I don't know how long, 6 mths 12mths ) that it is taken and sold with the monies raised from the sale going to country infrastructure to help the people of Thailand, such as fixing roads, fixing the electricity supply ( much needed ) supplying to schools etc ? and before you all say the obvious that is not within the law ... Change the laws It can be done for everything else why not for this. These buildings, and there is just so many of them, are ugly and bring down the look of this beautiful country, doing this can fax the problem and the money raised can help fix all the other problems !!! If the people that built and abandoned them loose out so what