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Published on March 4, 2008

A luxury condominium complex in Bangkok's Chatuchak district has allegedly not gained construction approval for one of its two buildings, prompting the district office director to file a police complaint for construction without permission.

Chatuchak district director Pornlert Phanwattana said yesterday that the project - named The Pulse by developer Prinsiri Plc - existed before he took up the post.

He was informed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Public Works Department after he joined the office that the developer did not apply for construction permission for one building.

Pornlert lodged the complaint at Paholyothin Police Station.

All sides must now wait for the police to summon them to give information for the investigation, he said. He added that officials had been trying to stop the condominium construction but had failed to do so.

However, Chaiwat Kovitchindachai, deputy managing director of Prinsiri, insisted his company had abided by the law.

"We applied for the construction licence under Article 39 (2) of the Building Control Act. We have filed the application and the approval is pending. If the construction plan is to be amended, we can re-file the application [until we meet the criteria]," he said.

Under the article, implemented in 1996, developers can start construction

work after submitting an application ratified by its engineers.

The developer will then be issued with the construction licence after their plans meet the construction and environment criteria.

The rule was initiated after developers' complaints of slow approval of licences from the BMA.

The condominium, which has some 300 units in two buildings located in Phaholyothin Soi 37, is nearly complete, with Building A to be opened in May and Building B in August, a BMA source said.

Prinsiri, a well-known property developer, opened an office for purchase reservations late last year, with a starting price of Bt2.55 million per unit.

It was now 80 per cent sold, the source said. However, while one building had obtained construction permission, the other had not, the source said.

A Prinsiri executive said the company had no intention of violating the law and was fixing "what could be regarded as illegal".

The source said the firm would maintain its good reputation.

This issue emerged after the firm applied for permission at an environmental agency after the construction was almost complete, but the agency refused to issue approval as the firm failed to present the needed construction permission, the source said.

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said he had not been informed about this case but would order a probe to see if there was any violation and who was involved.

He said the agencies responsible were the BMA Public Works Department, the City Planning Department and the district office.

Another BMA source said it was impossible that district officials would not know about this and that they could not just deny responsibility regarding this project in their jurisdiction.

A sign in front of the site showed that another firm was constructing the condominium.

The sign showed the construction permission registration number, which was reportedly for only one of its two buildings.

Jeerawan Prasomsap

The Nation