Court verdict on hotel is welcome news

The Administrative Court has found that a hotel building in Soi Ruamrudee was illegally built. Congratulations should go to the residents and their legal team for a famous victory.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg and it will no doubt become a test case for all future (high-rise) high profile actions.

A huge can of worms has been opened at last and many wide-ranging questions arise, including some serious ones concerning the practice of “fudging the figures”.

Also, the hotel in question, the Aetas Bangkok Hotel, is situated on a public road. But what of private roads? After all, the associated issues of health, safety and environment are exactly the same. Which laws apply to private roads? What about hotels (or other types of construction) cornering both public and private roads? And what of international brand names who, as well as being expected to uphold local law, are supposed to follow their own internationally regulated compliance procedures? How responsible are they if due diligence has been corrupted somewhere along the way?

Last May, concerning a newly opened five star international brand name hotel sited on a private road in central Bangkok, I wrote to the Director of the Office of National Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP): “Sadly, long-term investors, retired expats and residents feel let down by the environmental control process and this will eventually have a huge effect on future confidence in the property development industry in Thailand.”

The result of this case is definitely a step in the right direction.

John Shepherd 

Bangkok