Dismantling disputed Aetus hotel will take three years

BANGKOK: -- The Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) says it will take three years to dismantle the 24-storey luxury Aetas hotel on Soi Ruamrudee in Bangkok to eight stories.

EIT comment came after the Supreme Administrative Court has on December 2 ordered Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Pathumwan district office to dismantle the luxury hotel and residences within 60 days after finding the construction violated the law.

The court’s ruling ended a six-year legal battle between 24 long-time residents of the soi and the BMA and Pathumwan district office.

The order for the dismantling the hotel came after the court found both the Bangkok governor and Pathumwan district office guilty of negligence of duty for granting a permit for Larp Prathan and Thaptimtorn companies to build the hotel and residence building.

Under the ministerial regulation of the Buildings Control Act BE 2522, a building over 8 stories or taller than 23 metres cannot be built on a soi with its surface width less than 10 metres. But the soi is less than 10 metres wide throughout its distance. Road measurement of eight different points of the soi shows the width of the soi surface at 9.146, 9.207, 9.434, 9.150, 9.658 and 9.283 metres respectively.

EIT secretary-general DepnProf Suriwat Chaichana said dismantling of concrete structure needs to follow safety standard procedures and must have official permission.

It must be closely supervised by engineers and architects who must analyse the use of tools and methods in the demolition, he said.

He said the most suitable method is to use labour and machinery.

The demolition should start from walls and concrete floors as they affected least to the structure while poles and beams would be the last as they are the structure of the building.

To dismantle 16 floors from 24 floors will take three years, he said.

But he said relevant authorities are also needed to explain and advise people living in adjacent areas for safety reason during the demolition.

At present there are 2,000 unfinished, deserted buildings and houses nationwide, 160 of which are in Bangkok.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/dismantling-disputed-aetus-hotel-will-take-three-years

8 floors=3 years

Not so if you bring over experts from Australia.

I can arrange that.

Reducing from 24 floors to 8 (removing 16 floors). Is the remaining building going to be worth the cost of the dismantlement? What happens if the owners just decide to abandon the hotel to cut their losses? Can the owners sue the BMA for negligence?

This hotel is another example of influential persons thinking they are above the law. Just because you pay off a lower city official does not give you the right to go against the law. The law clearly states that the height of the build being constructed is relative to the width of the street and the distance of the building from the street.

8 floors=3 years

Not so if you bring over experts from Australia.

I can arrange that.

Reducing from 24 floors to 8 (removing 16 floors). Is the remaining building going to be worth the cost of the dismantlement? What happens if the owners just decide to abandon the hotel to cut their losses? Can the owners sue the BMA for negligence?

Hypocritical to sue BMA for negligence when more than likely they bribed officials to let the building be constructed in the first place as they will have known all about the height restriction for streets under 10 meter rule.

I heard a story about a developer who paid council to reclaim the ocean in front of his construction sight so he could build more floors.

Call in the boys to do a 'Soi 10 Sukhumwit Square' job on it.....the work of an night for those thugs.....

The battle of the fat brown envelopes-- imagine the hotel opponents had access to a lot more signatures for their petition than the hotel owners.

This hotel is another example of influential persons thinking they are above the law. Just because you pay off a lower city official does not give you the right to go against the law. The law clearly states that the height of the build being constructed is relative to the width of the street and the distance of the building from the street.

Whilst I don't disagree with you, this influential person used his influence (read money) to get a Government Official to sign off on the plans, and in doing so, that the road was wide enough for the 24 floor building. It's how the game is played in Thailand.

Surely, that signatory should be held accountable. It was ultimately his signature that allowed this hotel to be built. He must pay for knowingly signing an illegal document.

A clear message needs to be sent to these bent Government Officials - that if they do not do their job properly, or knowingly sign something incorrectly, that there are consequences.

Otherwise it will never stop.

The battle of the fat brown envelopes-- imagine the hotel opponents had access to a lot more signatures for their petition than the hotel owners.

One of the plaintiff is a Privy Councillor and a lawyer.

I think the owner picked on the wrong pooyai. This case is hardly an achievement for the little guy.

3 years

Try doing it the smart way

Cut a hole in the floors and demolish it inwards floor by floor

The rubble falls to ground level

All you end up with is a large pile of concrete waiting to be crushed and used as road base

"The Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) says it will take three years to dismantle the 24-storey luxury Aetas hotel on Soi Ruamrudee in Bangkok to eight stories."

Could probably be completed within a week or two at the most, and a lot cheaper if they bring in demolition experts from the west or Australia. I've seen larger demolition projects completed with no damage to adjacent buildings. However, 3 years gives Larp Prathan and Thaptimtorn some hope they will find the right people to pay off, or a new administration comes into power and reverses the court decision.

More crushing of political opponents?

3 years

Try doing it the smart way

Cut a hole in the floors and demolish it inwards floor by floor

The rubble falls to ground level

All you end up with is a large pile of concrete waiting to be crushed and used as road base

Or maybe controlled internal implosion could be achieved in few months of planning with correct specialists involved.

This hotel is another example of influential persons thinking they are above the law. Just because you pay off a lower city official does not give you the right to go against the law. The law clearly states that the height of the build being constructed is relative to the width of the street and the distance of the building from the street.

A lower city official?

"...the court found both the Bangkok governor and Pathumwan district office guilty of negligence of duty for granting a permit"

3 years

Try doing it the smart way

Cut a hole in the floors and demolish it inwards floor by floor

The rubble falls to ground level

All you end up with is a large pile of concrete waiting to be crushed and used as road base

Or maybe controlled internal implosion could be achieved in few months of planning with correct specialists involved.

They are not allowed to demolish the entire hotel. The court only approved the removal of the floors that exceed the city regulations.

Unfortunately, there is no easy and quick way to remove floors from a high-rise while keeping the bottom ones intact.

Love these armchair Experts who seem to have solutions for everything... Ha ha.

This hotel is another example of influential persons thinking they are above the law. Just because you pay off a lower city official does not give you the right to go against the law. The law clearly states that the height of the build being constructed is relative to the width of the street and the distance of the building from the street.

Close counts in horse shoes why not here?

and case more traffic problems than leaving them there..

What if you own a condo in this situation ?

could the owner having decided to sue not offer a reasonable solution that the bkk admin make compulsary purchase orders on the less than a meter needed to make all legal in the public intrest as if they loose the law suit it will cost them thus the people of Bangkok a lot more

Love these armchair Experts who seem to have solutions for everything... Ha ha.

And Pray what would your 'solution' be instead of making inane comments about those who clearly have more knowledge of the topic than you do.

"At present there are 2,000 unfinished, deserted buildings and houses nationwide, 160 of which are in Bangkok."

The current business model is to 1) acquire the land 2) do a partial build and 3) wait for the market to catch up to sell.

Duh. Geniuses. The whole structure should be ripped down at the owner's expense.

This is shear insanity for want of LESS than a meter. There are certainly any number of ways to handle this much better and keep the building.

Waive the law, fine the owners heavily and send the politicians to prison who were bribed.

Find an engineering solution to create the needed room.

Buy out the local businesses to create the room or pay enough to businesses to get the room needed to widen the Soi, a far simpler and less wasteful solution.

3 years huh, better get cracking, and what will the locals say about 3 years of demolition noise, trucks etc

At present there are 2,000 unfinished, deserted buildings and houses nationwide, 160 of which are in Bangkok.

Both these guessitmates have got to be way, way low. I see a LOT of unfinished and deserted buildings and houses just in my my limited travels around a small part of Bangkok over the last half dozen years.. But then again maybe construction has to have been underway (or lack there of) for at least 20 years for the govt to count it as unfinished, deserted.

He said the most suitable method is to use labour and machinery. Duh!!! How else would you demolish a building? Ask it nicely to dimantle itself!

He said the most suitable method is to use labour and machinery. Duh!!! How else would you demolish a building? Ask it nicely to dimantle itself!

Erosion - takes a long time complete...fits in with the Thai way of doing things.

It's better this way...

Thai's workers can have a job for 3 years...555

8 floors=3 years

Not so if you bring over experts from Australia.

I can arrange that.

The British know how to get it done also. The top down approach.

"To dismantle 16 floors from 24 floors will take three years, he said." ......... anybody in this forum believes?

Love these armchair Experts who seem to have solutions for everything... Ha ha.

And Pray what would your 'solution' be instead of making inane comments about those who clearly have more knowledge of the topic than you do.

HaHa So you really think these idiots that you refer to have all this knowledge,as they do on most other subjects------- you must be a newbe to this game----and believe me it is a game !!!!!! -------------