Good evening everyone! Hope all is good no matter where in the world you may be… I can’t believe we’re already halfway through August. This summer has flown by and next thing you know, we’ll be back into the fall and winter which admittedly, I don’t mind here in Thailand 😉
Anyways, hope you enjoy Volume 65!
Prosecutors Helping Owners At The Ashton Asoke
Prosecutors have committed to aiding residents of the Ashton Asoke condo tower, as its building permit faces withdrawal. After the Supreme Administrative Court retroactively revoked the 6-billion-baht luxury condo's permit due to lack of an official entrance to the road it sits on, 20 residents, led by Pornchai Lertsathittayapong, sought legal support from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) on Wednesday. The fully completed, 50-storey condo in Bangkok’s business district faces some serious problems if the entrance issue isn't rectified promptly.
Our Take
So for those of you that aren’t fully up to date with what’s going down here, let me get you up to speed… The Ashton Asoke is a 50-story condo building in what is perhaps the best location in all of Bangkok. A legitimate stone’s throw from the Asoke BTS station and Terminal 21. Now, before going further, it’s important to note that the land that the Ashton sits on is smack in the centre between two key roads… Sukhumvit Soi 19 and Sukhumvit 21.
With that said, buildings here in Bangkok are required to have DIRECT access to the main road that they’re closest to and/or registered to in the form of a driveway. This is for obvious reasons such as fires, emergencies, etc. Makes sense right?
Well, two weeks ago it came out publicly that the driveway that the Ashton Asoke had ‘built’ and allowed its residents to use all these years was not actually owned by the developer, but instead, was government owned land under the jurisdiction of the MRT department as part of its MRT Sukhumvit station. Apparently, Ananda (the developer of the Ashton) had previously cut a deal with various government agencies and paid 97 million Baht a few years back to be able to use this strip of road as a driveway. The reason they didn't build their own driveway in the first place is because the land in front of the Ashton (leading to Sukhumvit Soi 21) is reportedly part of the Crown Property Bureau and the backside (leading to Soi 19) is blocked by a collection of small, family style residential houses and shops. Cutting a side deal with the MRT department was the only way they could get their construction permits, complete the project, and sell out their units. All of which happened a few years ago.
Now that you’re fully up to speed, two weeks ago, it came out that those that owned land at the base of the Ashton Asoke had filed a motion with Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court stating that the driveway setup is illegal and the fact that they got any building permits in the first place was illegal. The courts agreed and RETROACTIVELY pulled the construction permits.
Imagine that! A 50-story, luxury condo building on A+ land that retroactively becomes illegals years after completion. Absolutely wild if you ask me.
The developer, government agencies, and local landowners are still working together to find a solution, but those that own the land backing on to Soi 19 are now sitting on what might be the most expensive land in the entire city. I’d imagine that they’re about to inherit some serious wealth with Ananda likely being forced to buy that property at obscene rates so that they can build a driveway, reinstate their building permits, and avoid any further issues. Craziness.
Protestors Rally Against Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai Coalition
Protestors rallied at Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai party headquarters this afternoon, denouncing their coalition plans with military-linked groups and leaving behind the elected-in Move Forward Party. Around 50 vehicles first gathered at BTS Mo Chit station, where they then moved to Bhumjaithai's headquarters and distributed leaflets, splashed paint, and affixed glue traps. At around 4.45pm, the group headed to Pheu Thai headquarters, demanding the party restore its coalition with the Move Forward Party. For reference, Pheu Thai won 141 House seats and Bhumjaithai won 71 seats in the May 14th election. Both announced their newly-created alliance after Pheu Thai withdrew from its prior coalition with the Pita-led Move Forward Party, which had won 151 House seats.
Our Take
I don’t exactly have any specific commentary other than the fact that Thai politics sure is confusing and VERY difficult to follow along and stay up to date on. For better or for worse, things can change drastically VERY quickly over here. As I’ve mentioned previously, I just feel bad for many of my Thai friends that voted for the MFP in hopes of seeing some grassroots change here.
Thailand Travel Tip - Thailand Real Estate
This week’s Thailand Travel Tip is for those looking to make the move to either Chiang Mai, Phuket, Bangkok, or Samui. Over the past few months, things have really started to heat up in the world of RW4U Real Estate and we’ve helped a TON of you guys rent some awesome places in each of the markets I mentored above. If you’re looking to make the big move at some point in the next 6-months OR are looking at a timeline that’s a bit further out but still have questions you’d like answered, feel free to reach out to me at connect@retiredworkingforyou.com and we’ll get the conversation started.
Maya Bay Closed For 2x Months
Krabi’s famed Maya Bay will be off-limits for the next two months to allow the environment to rejuvenate before the tourist high-season restarts. The picturesque bay, renowned for its role in the movie ‘The Beach’, will welcome visitors again on September 30th of this year. This strategic shutdown is aimed at offering the bay's marine ecology respite from the continuous influx of tourists, while also addressing safety concerns during the monsoon season's rough waves. This annual closure, as suggested by the national park's Head, prioritizes the wellbeing of this pristine paradise. Shaun Stenning of 5-Star Marine (Phuket’s top boat charter) said that they “fully support the annual closure of Maya Bay. When it’s open, the Bay receives a lot of visits from tourists and the 3 year closure in 2018 proved that giving Maya Bay a break is an important part of sustainable tourism for the area into the future.”
Our Take
Funny enough, I was down in Maya Bay just 3-weeks ago with my parents. I knew that the park closed once a year but didn't realize how close we cut it! I feel extra lucky that we got in when we did now. That beach is absolutely spectacular if you’re able to arrive by 8 AM and enjoy it without the crowds. World class to say the least.
Only In Thailand 🇹🇭
So I got an interesting WhatsApp from my buddy Dana the other day. It was the photo you see above with the caption “wasn’t expecting to that this morning…”.
Indeed Dana… I don’t think anyone would expect to see that as part of their morning commute? The only thing I’m wondering is how the hell did that Toyota get like that? It appears as though there’s next to no damage on the car itself? Is this just a parking job gone seriously wrong? Is it some sort of an accident? Did someone have too much Thai whiskey?
Who knows, but the fact that the vehicle was just left there in near perfect condition with no one standing by is the PERFECT representation of the saying ‘Only In Thailand’.