Phuket condo developer ordered to plug 'wall of fear'

[webfact]

Phuket condo developer ordered to plug 'wall of fear'
Nattha Thepbamrung


Residents living in the shadow of the wall fear more concrete slabs crashing onto their homes below.

PHUKET: -- Property developer Phanason is scrambling to shore up a huge retaining wall at its project The Park Condominium on Nanai Road in Patong before heavy downpours spell disaster for residents living below.

The site has already seen homes flooded by runoff that poured through drainage holes in the wall.

Then last year, rainwater that massed inside the wall broke off concrete panels that plunged 12 meters and crashed through a villa patio roof below.

Luckily, no one was injured in the incident, though the rainwater followed, again flooding the houses below.

One resident who lives in the shadow of the wall noted that Phanason had compensated the victims for damages to their properties, but said the payoffs have not helped the villagers sleep better at night.

“They reimbursed homeowners for damage – but that’s not enough. There is no sign that anything has been done to prevent more damage from happening again,’ he said.

“We don’t need money, we need to sleep. Whenever it rains, we have to listen carefully to the wall just in case it breaks again.”

The plunging concrete slabs last year prompted Mayor Chalermluck to meet with the residents, and to order a ban on construction at the site.

“I have ordered the developer to excavate the hill-side of the wall to relieve pressure on the structure as quickly as possible,” Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup told The Phuket News this week.

“They have also half-finished installing two retaining ponds to catch runoff. They already had three retaining ponds completed.”

The contractor has also been ordered to install a storm drain along the inside of the wall to catch and redirect runoff away from the top of the steep slope.

Mayor Chalermluck pointed out that the developer was “inches away” from legal action, after she ordered construction at the site to a halt in July last year.

She also confirmed that Patong Municipality had not issued a building permit for the project.

“We issued one only for a site office. The condo project itself has not even passed its EIA [Environmental Impact Assessment],” she said.

On the EIAs alone, Phanason has failed twice to gain approval for the project, she noted.

“They are permitted only to make these safety improvements. No other construction is allowed for now. If they break this ban, they will face legal action,” she warned.

“On Tuesday, I also reminded them that they will be held responsible for any damage caused to any of the homes below.”

Kasem Sukwaree, director of the Phuket Environment Office, explained that the two EIA proposals Phanason filed – and were denied – covered the whole project, which comprises seven, seven-storey condo buildings, with a total of 1,027 units.

However, he added that Phanason may yet gain EIA approval, if the required standards were met.

“Then they could be issued a building permit,” he said.

Meanwhile, despite the contractor not being issued a valid building permit, two of the buildings have already been completed.

Mayor Chalemluck and Mr Kasem both did not elaborate on whether or not Phanason would face any legal action over the illegal construction.

After at least six calls to Phanason for comment, the marketing manager, who declined to be publicly identified, told The Phuket News that a formal letter was required in order for the project manager to respond.

The letter has been sent. The marketing manager said a reply would be likely next week, as the project manager was on vacation.

The marketing manager also declined to reveal the identity of the project manager, saying that the information was “personal”.

In light of the Phanason Patong project, Mayor Chalermluck urged prospective property buyers in Phuket to check first that the developer has a building permit for the project advertised.

“This project is a good example of what can happen if they don’t have one,” she said.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-condo-developer-ordered-to-plug-wall-of-fear-52422.php


-- Phuket News 2015-05-21

[trogers]

From the photo, the ground level of the project is only 10-12 metres higher than it's neighbours.

Would make sense to excavate down 6 metres and build a large 2-basement structure. The final ground level would just be 4-6 metres higher with the retaining wall tied into the basement structure.

And water tanks can be built in the basement to retain storm water for irrigation.

[sawati]

She also confirmed that Patong Municipality had not issued a building permit for the project.

Big deal in Thailand.

[steelepulse]

She also confirmed that Patong Municipality had not issued a building permit for the project.

Big deal in Thailand.

It would be interesting to hear the excuse as to why the local government knows about no permits being issued, but have allowed the project to continue ( Aside from the brown envelopes of course).

[LivinginKata]

She also confirmed that Patong Municipality had not issued a building permit for the project.

Big deal in Thailand.

It's always a big 'mai pen rai' ... everything will be Ok .... well, until it all goes pear shaped and people are killed ... even worse, property is damaged.

I was quite shocked when I saw that Photo. The buildings in the shade of the wall is a property called Les Manguiers on Nanai Road, I actually bought the unit 3rd from the top (right) on a 30 year lease way back in 1996. I sold the lease on in 1999 for a modest profit. What a nightmare this will be for the current owners/lease holders.

[GiantFan]

Is this the project that caused the brown river of mud running down towards Baanzan Road

whenever it rained?

[clockman]

Thainess in action, As long as somebody has been paid. The law does not apply!

[NeverSure]

That is the most poorly designed retaining wall in the universe. The steep slope only adds to the impossibility despite design. They are either going to remove the dirt behind it and tear it down or nature is going to collapse it. There is and never was any hope for it.

For my last house I built a retaining wall that was 60' long and 12' high. I had, and wanted, my own contracted civil engineers and the government inspection engineers all over the plans and construction inspection. I didn't want it to collapse.

[ToddinChonburi]

They can't even build the wall right , good luck to future condo owners.

[Deli]

It's quite a construction site, I drive by there almost every week, for years now...

At least now I know why it's still not ready yet

However, the question is: How could they start such a huge thing, without a building permit ? Yes, once there was a Major and his son...

[Pib]

Just amazing (must be Thailand)...no building permit....no environmental impact assessment....no legal action to date. Lots of tea money must have been paid to govt official to let it get to this point.

[KarenBravo]

However, the question is: How could they start such a huge thing, without a building permit ? Yes, once there was a Major and his son...

This used to be the norm for all building projects.

As the building permit was 100% certain to come through, it made sense to start construction as soon as the developer was able.

Things have changed over the last five years, or so.

[jonclark]

That just looks like a disaster waiting to happen. A tiny little wall is meant to 'retain' thousands of tonnes of earth under immense pressure from compaction as a condo is built on top.

[Johnny S]

And when people get killed there will a line to the hand zink in the Town Council to wash their dirty hands as never seen before, ups sorry that line is has been there before I remember now

[Bangkok Barry]

Just amazing (must be Thailand)...no building permit....no environmental impact assessment....no legal action to date. Lots of tea money must have been paid to govt official to let it get to this point.

Yes. 'Mayor Chalemluck and Mr Kasem both did not elaborate on whether or not Phanason would face any legal action over the illegal construction.' Translation: we are still negotiating the size of the brown envelope.

[jackanapes]

it certainly looks very catastrophic from the photograph and to cap it all built without a building permit .

[xylophone]

Is this the project that caused the brown river of mud running down towards Baanzan Road

whenever it rained?

Yes, and groups of Burmese workers were employed almost on a daily basis to open up the drains to clear out the mud and stones, which were replaced with the next "wave" of mud and stones which cascaded down the road after the next rain..........and so on.

It has been said that funding for this project was withdrawn last September (or thereabouts) which is why construction has ground to a halt, so it's surprising that the investors who bought off the plan have not been lobbying the Mayor/Governor as is the case with the Ace Condo development?

Even if it is completed the run-off will be far too great for any of the existing infrastructure to cope, so more flooding "fun and games" in Nanai and Baanzan.

Complete and utter madness.

[trogers]

Is this the project that caused the brown river of mud running down towards Baanzan Road

whenever it rained?

Yes, and groups of Burmese workers were employed almost on a daily basis to open up the drains to clear out the mud and stones, which were replaced with the next "wave" of mud and stones which cascaded down the road after the next rain..........and so on.

It has been said that funding for this project was withdrawn last September (or thereabouts) which is why construction has ground to a halt, so it's surprising that the investors who bought off the plan have not been lobbying the Mayor/Governor as is the case with the Ace Condo development?

Even if it is completed the run-off will be far too great for any of the existing infrastructure to cope, so more flooding "fun and games" in Nanai and Baanzan.

Complete and utter madness.

I doubt the developer can even begin selling without an approved EIA.

[KarenBravo]

Is this the project that caused the brown river of mud running down towards Baanzan Road

whenever it rained?

Yes, and groups of Burmese workers were employed almost on a daily basis to open up the drains to clear out the mud and stones, which were replaced with the next "wave" of mud and stones which cascaded down the road after the next rain..........and so on.

It has been said that funding for this project was withdrawn last September (or thereabouts) which is why construction has ground to a halt, so it's surprising that the investors who bought off the plan have not been lobbying the Mayor/Governor as is the case with the Ace Condo development?

Even if it is completed the run-off will be far too great for any of the existing infrastructure to cope, so more flooding "fun and games" in Nanai and Baanzan.

Complete and utter madness.

I doubt the developer can even begin selling without an approved EIA.

Why not?

How many prospective buyers even know what an EIA is?

How many places in Patong can you see that obviously shouldn't have been built due environmental reasons, but, got built anyway? I bet each one of them have a valid EIA.

Just another excuse for a brown envelope.

Edited May 22, 2015 by KarenBravo

[jocko]

The land that the Park is built on was for sale for many years but due to the hill and incline was not easy to sell as building land i would have know confidence that the construction would be built to a good standard with proper retaining walls anywere else sheet pile barriers would have been used to contain the weight, fill a shopping bag with soil and try and lift it.

[LivinginKata]

It's all about a fast profit and don't care about the future consequences. I had no idea how far back and sideways this project had expanded.

[Oziex1]

After spending some time in Phuket and Thailand in general. I thought if I was to buy property it would never be on a hill and would only be single story.

Just don't trust the quality of the building and has any geotechnical survey been done on this site?

To the people below, cut your losses and run for it.

[RigPig]

She also confirmed that Patong Municipality had not issued a building permit for the project.

Big deal in Thailand.

It's always a big 'mai pen rai' ... everything will be Ok .... well, until it all goes pear shaped and people are killed ... even worse, property is damaged.

I was quite shocked when I saw that Photo. The buildings in the shade of the wall is a property called Les Manguiers on Nanai Road, I actually bought the unit 3rd from the top (right) on a 30 year lease way back in 1996. I sold the lease on in 1999 for a modest profit. What a nightmare this will be for the current owners/lease holders.

well, until it all goes pear shaped and people are killed ... even worse, property is damaged. You´ve been here too long.....

[MyFriend You]

She also confirmed that Patong Municipality had not issued a building permit for the project.

Big deal in Thailand.

It's always a big 'mai pen rai' ... everything will be Ok .... well, until it all goes pear shaped and people are killed ... even worse, property is damaged.

I was quite shocked when I saw that Photo. The buildings in the shade of the wall is a property called Les Manguiers on Nanai Road, I actually bought the unit 3rd from the top (right) on a 30 year lease way back in 1996. I sold the lease on in 1999 for a modest profit. What a nightmare this will be for the current owners/lease holders.

Hmmmm well, until it all goes pear shaped and people are killed ... even worse, property is damaged. Property damage worse than someone dying??? surly you jest

[NamKangMan]

Is this the project that caused the brown river of mud running down towards Baanzan Road

whenever it rained?

Yes, and groups of Burmese workers were employed almost on a daily basis to open up the drains to clear out the mud and stones, which were replaced with the next "wave" of mud and stones which cascaded down the road after the next rain..........and so on.

It has been said that funding for this project was withdrawn last September (or thereabouts) which is why construction has ground to a halt, so it's surprising that the investors who bought off the plan have not been lobbying the Mayor/Governor as is the case with the Ace Condo development?

Even if it is completed the run-off will be far too great for any of the existing infrastructure to cope, so more flooding "fun and games" in Nanai and Baanzan.

Complete and utter madness.

This project was the main cause of "The Baanzan Brown Water Rapids" but also the completed project turning right from Baanzan onto Nanai, and just up on the hill, on the left.

At least one worker I know of died in a landslide. or trench collape, building that project.

I believe that completed project still contributes to the Nanai / Baanzan flooding.

I agree. When the project in the OP is completed, all that extra roof catchment and hardstand area will cause a lot more flooding.

It goes up over the footpath and into some of the shop front now, but without too much force. When it's completed, those shops are going to be flooded out, with serious water and mud damage, requiring considerable expense to clean and repair, not to mention the loss of current and future business.

[NamKangMan]

After spending some time in Phuket and Thailand in general. I thought if I was to buy property it would never be on a hill and would only be single story.

Just don't trust the quality of the building and has any geotechnical survey been done on this site?

To the people below, cut your losses and run for it.

"I thought if I was to buy property it would never be on a hill and would only be single story." - so, you prefer to be flooded?

"To the people below, cut your losses and run for it." - and that's all they can do, take the loss. No one will buy their property now.

[xylophone]

Is this the project that caused the brown river of mud running down towards Baanzan Road

whenever it rained?

Yes, and groups of Burmese workers were employed almost on a daily basis to open up the drains to clear out the mud and stones, which were replaced with the next "wave" of mud and stones which cascaded down the road after the next rain..........and so on.

It has been said that funding for this project was withdrawn last September (or thereabouts) which is why construction has ground to a halt, so it's surprising that the investors who bought off the plan have not been lobbying the Mayor/Governor as is the case with the Ace Condo development?

Even if it is completed the run-off will be far too great for any of the existing infrastructure to cope, so more flooding "fun and games" in Nanai and Baanzan.

Complete and utter madness.

This project was the main cause of "The Baanzan Brown Water Rapids" but also the completed project turning right from Baanzan onto Nanai, and just up on the hill, on the left.

At least one worker I know of died in a landslide. or trench collape, building that project.

I believe that completed project still contributes to the Nanai / Baanzan flooding.

I agree. When the project in the OP is completed, all that extra roof catchment and hardstand area will cause a lot more flooding.

It goes up over the footpath and into some of the shop front now, but without too much force. When it's completed, those shops are going to be flooded out, with serious water and mud damage, requiring considerable expense to clean and repair, not to mention the loss of current and future business.

I think you are right in as much as both of the projects You have mentioned contribute to the "Baanzan Brown Water Rapids", which were in evidence yesterday and have been previously mentioned in a thread entitled "Heavy rain brings more floods to Patong" (started 25/08/2014).

The stupid part about it though, was once this water reached the end of Baanzan and the edge of the new Middle Road, which has had extensive drain laying work done on it over the past two years in order to stop any flooding, the water just pooled (yes flooding) there making it a bit of a lottery if you were on a motorbike.

This water was supposed to have been channelled to one of the new drains, but knowing how Thai logic, skills and drain laying abilities work, this has not happened (surprise, surprise).

And relating to the post by LivinginKata, I think you will find that the development for the Phanason project actually continues past Les Manguiers by some way, as one can see the corrugated tin shacks for the workers, up on the hill not far off a straight line from Baanzan but obviously as already mentioned, up on the hill.

This would also explain the huge torrents of water flowing into Nanai, one being so strong that it swept my little motorbike a couple of feet to one side whilst I was endeavouring to drive through it.

It's also quite possible that this flow of water has been exacerbated by the denuding of the ground on Hasip-pee- road Which can easily be seen from just about anywhere in Patong, and I believe the developers of that piece of ground were told to stop work, but not before digging out a 20 or 30 m channel thereby making the water flow down the hill to Patong much easier, and by the looks of things, endangering the houses left precariously on the side of that channel.

TIT.

[DLang]

She also confirmed that Patong Municipality had not issued a building permit for the project.

Big deal in Thailand.

It would be interesting to hear the excuse as to why the local government knows about no permits being issued, but have allowed the project to continue ( Aside from the brown envelopes of course).

Building permit will be granted once the head official's condo has been built. Probably chose the high floor penthouse.

[NamKangMan]

She also confirmed that Patong Municipality had not issued a building permit for the project.

Big deal in Thailand.

It would be interesting to hear the excuse as to why the local government knows about no permits being issued, but have allowed the project to continue ( Aside from the brown envelopes of course).

Building permit will be granted once the head official's condo has been built. Probably chose the high floor penthouse.

"Probably chose the high floor penthouse." - he'll have water views from up there, and I don't mean the ocean.