Developers face clampdown

Some 5,000 housing estates in Bangkok will be inspected after developers failed to maintain infrastructure and facilities after the houses were bought.

The authorities will fine the developers Bt1,000 a day until the problems are solved, Land Department chief Chairerk Dissayaamnaj said yesterday.

Housing estates in Bangkok and some nearby provinces will be inspected after 97 people filed complaints to the department that developers had failed to maintain commonly used facilities to a proper standard, Chairerk said.

Most complaints featured deteriorating road surfaces, leaking roadside pipes, poor garbage management, wastewater management systems that were reportedly shut down intentionally to save electricity costs and overgrown weeds in parks and playgrounds.

If the complaints are true, the department will demand the estate owners solve the problems or face Bt1,000 in fines per day, Chairerk said.

Fines will be imposed on the estate owner or the juristic person decided by residents after the estate owner transferred facilities to their supervision, he added.

About 5,000 housing estates in Bangkok have been granted a licence since 1972. The department will first inspect 1,169 projects that have been granted licences since 1995.

People can file a compliant about housing estate owners to the Land Department at 02222 6824 and 02222 3271.