BANGKOK — Following a strong 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, the shaking of which reached Bangkok, a city where there are many high-rise buildings, including mid-rise buildings of 8 stories and skyscrapers of 40-50 stories, totaling 5,994 buildings, the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building under construction has caused alarm among condominium residents.
The high-rise sector and Thailand’s condominium market in 2025 face at least two challenges:
1) the global circulation of images showing the collapse of the SAO building under construction has tarnished Thailand’s tourism image at a time when the country is highly dependent on international tourists as its main economic driver
2) the psychological impact on residents, many of whom are considering selling their condominiums due to lingering fears.
Prasert Taedullayasatit, president of the Thai Condominium Association, addressed these concerns in an interview with Prachachat Business and answered 10 questions about the expected impact on Thailand’s real estate sector.
The first question was about the condominium situation.
Prasert explained, drawing a comparison: The COVID-19 pandemic has put Thailand’s medical community to the test; similarly, the earthquake in Myanmar has put the standards of our high-rise construction to the test.
“We have the highest safety standards for buildings in the world. Even buildings with large glass facades were not damaged. Of course, high-rise buildings can suffer some material damage or minor problems inside, but these are manageable through inspections and repairs. If two or three buildings had collapsed on March 28, our whole country would be in ruins,” he said.
Prasert explained that Thailand has invested in earthquake-resistant construction since 2007 and that these investments are bearing fruit today. “We should publicize this success internationally. We could even export Thai know-how in building construction abroad because our standards have been proven worldwide. Our buildings have withstood significant earthquakes without structural failure, making them a worthwhile long-term investment.”
Question 2 – Will the condominium market collapse this year?
Not at all, quite the opposite. While some may be troubled by visible cracks or material detachments, it is important to regain composure and realize that not a single life was lost in our country. To be fair, there were no fatalities in any inhabited building, without any bias towards our own industry.
This incident confirms Thailand’s building laws and regulations, which have been strictly enforced since 2007.
Our earthquake-resistant building laws were enacted in 2007 and slightly revised in 2009 and 2021 to refine details. However, the core principles from 2007 remain robust and provide a solid legal framework.
Question 3 – How is the Condominium Association communicating with members and developers?
Everyone has taken action: Supalai, Sansiri, Origin, Ananda and others, and introduced quick-win measures for all projects. Third-party assessments are then carried out to build trust. Neutral engineering firms will be brought in to ensure safety and restore confidence.
The current priority is to address the immediate concerns of local residents, ensure buildings are habitable and remove any material detachments. Immediate action is being taken to restore functionality, including systems such as elevators, water and fire protection that may have been affected by the movement of the building during the quake.
As for the visible cracks, neutral engineering teams are assessing the severity. Serious problems will be addressed immediately, while concerns will be assessed in further steps by specialist engineers.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Department of Public Works have issued building inspection measures. Companies have deployed their engineering teams, and volunteer engineers are inspecting older buildings that are no longer under the care of developers in coordination with government agencies and engineering councils to ensure structural safety and necessary repairs.
Question 4 – How about buildings constructed before 2007 ?
Buildings erected earlier are sufficiently stable. Although the law only came into force in 2007, many existing buildings were constructed with considerable strength, so there were no major problems. The recent earthquake showed that pre-2007 buildings were not affected.
The exceptions include old buildings, some of which are centuries old, often cultural landmarks such as temples, which were not designed to withstand earthquakes. Damage to such structures, including cracks in historic sites, requires the attention of the Fine Arts Department.
There have been no collapses in residential areas, although some houses in the northern region, built using less robust methods such as hexagonal piles or without proper foundations, have suffered minor collapses. In contrast, high-rise buildings have comprehensive legal regulations to ensure their resilience.
Thailand has specific ministerial regulations on earthquake safety that provide a solid legal structure. Above all, our human resources in medicine and engineering are exceptional and help us successfully navigate through unprecedented events such as this earthquake.
Question 5 – To what Richter scale are our high-rise laws designed to withstand ?
Generally around 7-8 on the Richter scale, about 7 if the epicenter is directly under Bangkok. We are located along the earthquake routes and not directly above the epicenters, so our structures withstood. This event served as a stress test and not a single building failed.
Considering the possibility of aftershocks, Thailand has already withstood an 8.2 magnitude quake with no structural failures. The buildings have deformed as designed and have not collapsed, even though cracks have appeared.
Similar to a stress test, where the highest load is reached without collapse, our building standards and safety factors have proven their worth.
Question 6 – What guidelines do developers have for post-earthquake response ?
Currently, the contracts include a 2-year guarantee for the components and a 5-year guarantee for the building fabric on handover. There are also long-term insurance policies for high-rise buildings, which must be renewed annually.
Individual mortgage contracts also stipulate insurance against natural disasters covering both the building and the individual units, as required by financial institutions.
For cash buyers, condominium legal entities maintain building insurance that provides coverage. This separation between the land, which is not affected, and the buildings ensures comprehensive protection. The Thai Condominium Act enforces these standards and provides a solid legal framework.
Importantly, the mandatory insurance policies, which are renewed annually, ensure that funds are available for maintenance and repairs, even for buildings that are no longer under the direct care of the developers.
Question 7 – What guidelines should consumers follow to handle earthquakes ?
At the moment, private individuals are inspecting their properties, with neutral parties assessing the buildings to restore confidence. It is important to remain calm and recognize that despite the unprecedented earthquake, no lives have been lost.
Residents should not neglect the annual fire and natural disaster drills required by law. While these drills may seem cumbersome, they have proven to be effective, allowing for orderly evacuations and crowd management during the recent earthquake.
We need to communicate these strengths together to build national confidence. If we only focus on the negative aspects, such as the collapse of the SAO building built by a Chinese contractor, it could damage Thailand’s reputation in the world. Instead, we should emphasize that none of the skyscrapers in Bangkok collapsed.
Question 8 – Should there be an earthquake early warning system in the future ?
Not really. No one can predict an earthquake in advance. We only become aware of it when we feel the tremors. At that moment, the government’s responsibility is simply to provide information more quickly. That is all. During the incident, people planned things down to the minute. They relied on their instincts and evacuated the buildings themselves.
Now it’s about creating a quick win. We need to build confidence that our buildings have not collapsed. Thailand has passed the test. The 8.2 magnitude quake had no consequences. If we compare the situation after the earthquake in Mandalay with that in Thailand, we can clearly see the difference in the extent of the damage.
We need to restore confidence. If we don’t solve the problem of trust, no one will listen to what we are saying now. People are panicking. We have to wait until consumer sentiment returns. It’s time to bring people back to reality.
Cracks are inevitable because buildings are designed to bend to prevent collapse. The cracks and minor damage can be repaired, but structurally the buildings have remained intact. This fact needs to be clearly acknowledged first — once people understand this, everything becomes easier.
Question 9 – Will people still dare to live in high-rise buildings ?
I think it is impossible to avoid it. It’s like the great flood of 2011, when terraced housing neighborhoods in Bangkok’s outskirts were inundated. Workers and employees saw their houses under two meters of water and hesitated to take them over. But as the water receded and their incomes stabilized, they returned to complete the transfers. This is a model we call “no choice, can’t change”
The earthquake may shake people’s emotions for a month or two. But following the same “no choice, can’t change” model, once people have calmed down, they will realize that living in high-rise buildings is safe. Not a single building collapsed, not a single one, even under the strain of an 8.2 magnitude quake. There may have been damage to decorative features, but the structural integrity of the buildings protected everyone’s lives. Once the panic has subsided, people will understand this better.
Thailand’s knowledge base lies in two major fields: Medicine and engineering. In the past, civil engineering was the most important discipline. Today, it has shifted more towards IT engineering. In the past, the most talented students studied civil engineering. Architecture was another highly respected profession, buildings had to be not only beautiful, but also structurally sound and meet the engineers’ code of conduct. Most structures must first meet strength requirements certified by engineers.
Question 10 – Will the earthquake impact be positive or negative for foreign buyers ?
This is a matter that requires joint communication efforts. The image currently circulating abroad is that of the collapse of the SAO building. This is the only image that is being shown internationally. Therefore, the association had to issue official statements in three languages: Thai, English and Chinese, clearly stating that Thai buildings are completely earthquake-proof. At the moment, people are only seeing this one image of the SAO building collapse. CNN has repeatedly shown only this clip. We need to work together to communicate the true facts.
The actual damage from this earthquake is small; it is minor damage, not a major disaster. We need to restore confidence in Thailand. Events like this are not frequent.
People are understandably shaken at the moment. We need to give them time to calm down. Thai citizens are incredibly fortunate to be protected by laws of such a high standard. These regulations ensure the long-term safety of life and property.
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