For architect Kitti Suthidaychanai, technology not only means comfort and convenience, but also fun. And that's why the 45-year-old designed a hi-tech residential project - to explore how technology could benefit him.

When asked what is the luxury of living in the automated three-storey house, Kitti thinks for a moment and says, "It's fun."

What he means is that while playing golf or travelling abroad, he can access the in-house camera with his laptop computer or the mobile phone to view his kids playing in the living room.

"It's the kind of technology for those caught up in city life, who spend most of their time outside their homes," he says, adding with a grin, "Some people say you buy a house for a housemaid and your kids to live in."

As he demonstrates the home-monitoring system on his Vaio laptop, Kitti reveals that he can also control the lighting on any of the floors through the automated system.

"It's very useful. If I'm upstairs, I can turn off the lights on every floor," he says.

Kitti, founder of the Theme Group architectural firm, is the designer of the recently launched phase 2 of the Merit Place town-home project in Bangkok's Lat Phrao 87, where each unit sells for Bt3.9 million.

Unlike phase 1, which he also designed, phase 2 has been wired up with the broadband Internet-based automation system by True Corp.

The system gives house owners the added facility of remotely controlling the lights or air conditioners via a PC or mobile phone. If required, they can apply the system to even control the doors, pet-feeder machine and jacuzzi set-up.

"IT has already become an integral feature of modern homes today," Kitti says.

Kitti has also bought one unit for himself in the phase-2 project, where he has been living with his family for more than three months to try the automation system. It is the fifth luxury house he owns.

Although all the home units in phase 2 feature True's automation system, the tech geek has signed up for additional True broadband solutions, including the home-monitoring system, to learn more of its benefits in his daily life.

He says that if he is satisfied with all the solutions, he will recommend them to customers of the project.

"Do you have more [solutions] for me?" Kitti asks True staff, who happened to visit his house during the interview with The Nation.

True has also gained from providing the solutions to the mushrooming property projects as part of its expansion of the broadband Internet market.

Currently its broadband solutions include the home-monitoring system, high-speed Wi-Fi, and lately home healthcare. The latter enables people at home to use a special remote device to send emergency signals to hospital and pre-determined relatives when they suffer a fall or an accident.

But Kitti's appetite for hi-tech is far from whetted yet. He is demanding much more than what True has installed in his house. Among his dreams, which are yet to become a technological reality, are: automatic switching-on of the light once it detects his body temperature when he steps into the house, and walls that can project different views and sounds in response to the owner's desire.

"For example, if today I want to feel like sleeping in the jungle, the wall should be able to project a jungle scene and create jungle sounds," he says, adding confidently, "It's possible, I think. It may even be already available somewhere.

"I think it's the architectural trend here as well. Don't forget that we follow the trend of the global modern cities," Kitti says.

However, he warns that property developers should bear in mind that the technology they introduce into new homes should have a long life cycle and be trendy enough to last a few years, so that house owners don't have to incur more expense by constantly having to change it.

But could he live in his house for a day without the broadband solutions?

"I would be a liar if I said I couldn't live without them. But they can benefit you one way or another, depending on how you use them" he says.

Sirivish Toomgum

The Nation