Last week, a concrete awning from an old building collapsed on Rama IV Road, killing one person. It made me wonder: how many more of these buildings are there in Bangkok? And how do we know which ones are safe?
I dug into the data. Here’s what I found — and what I couldn’t find.
**What we found:**
– REIC (Real Estate Information Center) reports 205 abandoned or unfinished buildings across 19 districts
– Former Governor Chadchart estimated nearly 100,000 buildings across Bangkok need inspection
– Nation Thailand reports over 400,000 old commercial units deteriorating — more than 10,000 at high risk
– Shophouses built before the Building Control Act (1979) are now 40–60+ years old
– BMA’s voluntary inspection dashboard (opencontract.bangkok.go.th) shows zero reports submitted by building owners
**What we couldn’t find:**
– No official census of buildings 50+ years old across Bangkok
– No engineering survey by risk level
– Only one district — Bang Kok Noi — has GIS risk data for buildings
– No district-level condition data for the other 49 districts
The Engineering Institute of Thailand warns: “Old buildings have multiple risk factors — looking from the outside isn’t enough. We need systematic prevention.” The Council of Engineers is urging BMA to use Ministerial Regulation 2020 powers to mandate inspections.
Many old building awnings extend over sidewalks. People walking by have no way to know if the awning above them is safe. High-risk areas include Samphanthawong (Yaowarat, Charoen Krung, Talat Noi), Phra Nakhon (Khao San Road, Grand Palace), and Pom Prap Sattru Phai (Bobae).
We need systematic surveys. Now.
Sources: Thai PBS / Naewna / Nation Thailand / REIC / EIT / Council of Engineers / BMA