The government has secured an agreement with tenants of the Din Daeng flats to go ahead with a plan to replace the 60-year-old low-cost flats with new, earthquake-resistant structures.
Speaking after a meeting with representatives of Din Daeng residents yesterday, Social Development and Human Security Minister Adul Sangsingkeo said the tenants now understand the government's intentions and agree the maximum room size in the new apartment buildings could only be 33 square metres.
Representatives of the Din Daeng tenants association previously suggested they would prefer new rooms with an area of 42 sq m, but the National Housing Authority (NHA) wants the smaller area.
The requested 42 sq m room size would have affected the number of rooms the government planned to build as they need to serve a large number of people under its housing policy for low-income earners.
Under the plan, 11 new buildings with 25 to 35 floors will serve current residents while another 25 buildings of up to 35 floors will be leased to newcomers.
The Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) will now proceed with a survey of the condition of the current flats in the complex, which were not designed to withstand the impact of a major earthquake, said Pol Gen Adul.
None of the buildings will be demolished for the time being as the government will wait for the EIT's survey results, he said.
At the end of this year, the first phase of construction will begin consisting of one new building, called Tower C, which will be built in an area located next to Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, he said.
A number of current tenants will move into the first building once it is completed and subsequent transfers will take place thereafter.
The entire project is expected to take about nine years to complete, he said.
Pol Gen Adul said he has ordered an investigation into allegations that some state officials were demanding bribes from those wanting apartment rooms to be sublet.
Pol Gen Adul also accepted a proposal from tenants at the meeting yesterday for the government to keep rents in the current range of between 300 baht to 3,000 baht depending on the type of lease contracts (the 300-baht rate applies to the original or long-time tenants), said Tathaya Prapaipech, a representative of the Din Daeng tenants association.
The tenants said they were reluctant to stay in temporary accommodation while the flats were being demolished, he added.