AoT blocks opening of B5bn 'luxury' Central mall at Suvarnabhumi

AoT blocks opening of B5bn 'luxury' Central mall at Suvarnabhumi

Air safety issue, no land use approval

Central Village, which bills itself as Thailand’s first international luxury shopping outlet, is nearing completion alongside Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province. But the developer never received land-use approval. (Photo supplied)
Central Village, which bills itself as Thailand’s first international luxury shopping outlet, is nearing completion alongside Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province. But the developer never received land-use approval. (Photo supplied)

Airports of Thailand has put the brakes on Central Pattana Plc's plan to open a new 5-billion baht luxury shopping outlet alongside Suvarnabhumi airport next month, because it never received land use approval.

AoT president Nitinai Sirismatthakan said on Thursday that aviation safety was the issue.

He had delayed approval for the Central Village development because it was close to flight paths and needed prior approval by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).

"In principle, the construction design must be submitted to the CAAT, to prevent any impact on aviation," he said.

So he had ordered a halt to the project.

The development also encroached on some land owned by the Treasury Department, Mr Nitinai said.

CAAT director-general Chula Sukmanop on Thursday confirmed the project design had not been submitted to the authority for consideration, so he had no idea about any possible impact on aviation safety.

"Normally development projects can be implemented if they receive approval from the local organisations that have handbooks on property development near airports," he said.

In principle, high rises were prohibited within a three-kilometre radius of a runway, Mr Chula said.

Central Pattana had planned to open the new shopping mall at the end of next month, targeting the young and affluent, a group that is on the rise in Asia.

The location of Central Village (From Central Pattana website)

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