Consumers council flags 50 Bangkok condos over emergency access

The Thailand Consumers Council has named 50 condominium projects in Bangkok that it says may not comply with building-control requirements governing roads or open areas around high-rise buildings.

The surrounding space is intended to allow fire engines and rescue vehicles to reach buildings and provide sufficient room for emergency equipment to be deployed during fires, building collapses or other disasters.

The council said it had previously submitted the list to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for review and called for urgent regulatory action. Follow-up inspections found that many projects had yet to make the changes needed to meet the requirements, it alleged.

Some projects reported that corrective work had been completed, but the council alleged that repeat site inspections identified the same concerns.

Six-metre access required around high-rises

Under building-control law, buildings taller than 23 metres, those with eight storeys or more, or those with more than 10,000 square metres of usable floor space must provide a road or surrounding area at least six metres wide.

The space must allow fire engines and rescue vehicles to reach the building and enable emergency equipment to be set up during a fire or disaster.

The council said the requirement was not simply a building-design standard but an important measure intended to reduce loss of life and property during emergencies.

Previous fires and building collapses had demonstrated that the speed at which rescue personnel could reach an affected site was a key factor in assisting victims, it added.

Where access routes around a building do not meet the required standard, fire engines may be unable to reach the site or deploy equipment effectively. This could delay the emergency response and increase risks to residents.

Projects named by the council

The list includes luxury condominiums and large-scale developments in several prominent areas of Bangkok. The council identified the following 50 projects as potentially falling short of the requirements:

1. 28 Chidlom
2. Ashton Asoke – Rama 9
3. Ashton Silom
4. Aspire Huai Khwang
5. Aspire Vibha-Victory
6. BEATNIQ Sukhumvit 32
7. Chapter Chula-Samyan
8. Elio Del Nest
9. Hyde Heritage Thonglor Sukhumvit 59
10. IDEO Mix Sukhumvit 103
11. IDEO Mobi Sukhumvit 66
12. IDEO Mobi Sukhumvit Eastgate
13. IDEO New Rama 9
14. IDEO Q Chula-Samyan
15. IDEO Q Sukhumvit 36
16. IDEO Q Victory
17. IDEO Rama 9-Asoke
18. IDEO Sukhumvit 93
19. Keyne by Sansiri
20. Knightsbridge Prime Ratchayothin
21. KRAAM Sukhumvit 26
22. LAVIQ Sukhumvit 57
23. Life One Wireless
24. Life Asoke-Rama 9
25. Life Asoke Hype
26. Life Ladprao Valley
27. Life Sathorn Sierra
28. Mazarine Ratchayothin
29. NIA by Sansiri
30. Niche Mono Ramkhamhaeng
31. Noble Around Ari
32. Noble Ploenchit
33. NYE by Sansiri
34. Park Origin Thonglor
35. PYNE by Sansiri
36. Quattro by Sansiri
37. Reference Ekkamai
38. Reference Kaset District
39. Rhythm Ekkamai Estate
40. TAIT Sathorn 12
41. The Base Rama 9
42. The Base Sukhumvit 77
43. The Key Sathorn-Charoenrat
44. The Line Ratchathewi
45. The Reserve Sathorn
46. The Strand Thonglor
47. Wish Signature II Midtown Siam
48. Wyne by Sansiri
49. XT Ekkamai
50. Wan Vayla Na Chaopraya