Buyers beware

The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONREPP) continues to avoid answering the simple question — a prerequisite to the environmental impact assessment of building a high-rise building. “What is the rule of law [on a particular stretch of high-profile land in central Bangkok]?” The developers, hotel “owners” and operators continue to gamble with the lives of residents, visitors and pedestrians on a daily basis. Complaints go unheeded and the police and other authorities do nothing, either through improbity or impotence. A whistleblower falsely accused of defamation is now blacklisted. Embassies have failed to investigate or issue health and safety warnings to international travellers.

Leasehold property investors in central Bangkok should check carefully whether the EIA certification is valid, study the contract and building insurance and even probe the real properly owners. Investigate whether common law applies in the area and whether it can be practically applied when laws are broken. Beware of totally corrupt processes unmired by the rule of law.

Yet another cover-up of massive proportions, involving numerous entities, looks to be manifesting. Certainly, the evidence demonstrates that there is no rule of law in parts of central Bangkok and ONREPP’s silence appears to suggest agreement on this. By hook or by crook a reliable answer to the question must and will be found. To accomplish this is very much in the public interest.

JOHN SHEPHERD