As Chadchart Sittipunt begins his second term as Bangkok governor, City Hall faces a challenge that demands bold action: tackling corruption in the approval process for high-rise buildings, particularly condominium projects that compromise public safety.
Concern has intensified after the Thailand Consumer Council (TCC) raised a red flag over 50 condo projects in Bangkok's central business district and other densely populated areas for allegedly breaching the Building Control Act. The regulations require buildings taller than 23 metres or with a total floor area exceeding 10,000 square metres to have access to roads at least six metres wide. This is to ensure that fire engines and emergency equipment, including aerial ladder trucks, can reach the buildings in the event of an emergency.
The TCC found some projects are served by roads that are too narrow, while others have roads obstructed by commercial activities. Such apparent violations suggest either serious negligence by officials or, more troublingly, possible corruption in the approval process.
The council says it repeatedly alerted City Hall to the problem, yet little meaningful action has followed. Even more worrying, it was reportedly told that some developers had rectified the violations when, in reality, the problems remained.
The TCC's findings revive memories of the Ashton Asoke condominium and the Aetas hotel, both of which became embroiled in legal disputes over breaches of building regulations. In 2023, the court revoked Ashton Asoke's construction permit, yet the building remains standing while the BMA has stayed largely silent on enforcement. In the case of the Aetas hotel, the court ordered the demolition of its upper floors as far back as 2012.
Had officials, including district officers and those responsible for public works and environmental impact assessments (EIA), properly carried out their duties, these problems should never have arisen.
Many of the violations should have been obvious from the building plans long before construction permits were issued. Instead, projects were allowed to proceed and, in many cases, to be completed despite clear safety concerns. As a result, high-rise buildings have been allowed to sprout in narrow sois in apparent disregard of floor area ratio (FAR) and other building regulations.
Such failings point to deep-rooted problems within the approval system, where unscrupulous officials may have colluded with profit-driven developers. Whatever the explanation, the consequences are borne by condominium owners, residents and neighbouring communities whose safety may have been compromised.
The city can no longer ignore the issue. Governor Chadchart must ensure district offices review projects under their jurisdiction, especially those identified by the TCC and affected communities, and take whatever enforcement action is necessary. The response should be as determined as the crackdown that followed the Santika pub fire, ensuring this is more than a short-lived campaign. Unsafe buildings must be brought into compliance, while those responsible for violating the law, whether corrupt officials or developers, must be held accountable.
Responsibility for fixing these long-standing problems rests squarely with Mr Chadchart. Bangkok residents expect him to take decisive action, not only to restore confidence in the building approval system but also to ensure public safety.
