Security is now seen as an essential factor for many homebuyers, particularly those looking in the high-end market. People seeking a house worth several million baht tend to want an efficient security system to keep out trespassers.

There are many new technologies for security including various types of sensors, security cameras and intelligent locks.

The most commonly used system in residential projects is the CCTV system or the closed-circuit television in which many small cameras are installed to record activities that take place around the property.

The CCTV is the lowest level of security provided by property developers in both housing and condominium projects.

Developers are promoting CCTV as the first layer of security installed for the safety of the whole project. Some companies then add another layer of security at the entrance of each cluster of the houses.

In some countries including South Korea, biodata such as a fingerprint is needed to enter a residential property. This type of technology is mostly just applied in office buildings in Thailand.

Nowadays, many developers in Thailand use top-of-the-line technology as a marketing gimmick and promote them as superior or exclusive systems available only for their customers.

Smoke detectors and burglar alarms are two other basic products offered in residential projects. The former has no complicated technology and all ks use the same technology while the latter comes in various forms.

One is the use of the highly popular interior intrusion sensors in which a motion detector which is signalled by microwave or infrared, glass-break and magnetic sensors. They also come in a wired or wireless version.

All technologies would identify the location of the intrusion. If the system in a unit is connected to a central security system or a police station, assistance may come in a few minutes.

H Home Co, the developer of the four-billion-baht Hyde Park Vibhavadee project, says it provides the most high-tech security system for its customers by working with Siemens Co.

Besides the CCTV installed along the project's fence, it has infrared beams located every 100 metres to detect intruders and a 360-degree camera to monitor activities around the 100-rai lake located within the project.

The company uses the Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) system to recognise cars that enter the project and each different cluster in the project issues a daily report.

At the housing unit, H Home will install an intelligent digital door lock using a semiconductor key that sends a signal when it is broken by intruders. As well, the door will automatically unlock if the inside temperature reaches 70 degrees Celsius, allowing residents to escape from the house in case of fire.

Security systems features have their pluses and minuses. Therefore, consumers should thoroughly evaluate the cost and benefit of each system before making a purchase.