Prosecutors have pledged to help residents of the Ashton Asoke condominium in Watthana district after its building permit was withdrawn.
Twenty residents led by Pornchai Lertsathittayapong sought legal assistance from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) on Wednesday, after the 6-billion-baht luxury condo's permit was retroactively withdrawn by the Supreme Administrative Court earlier due to the property's main entrance having failed to meet the standard width.
The already-finished 50-storey condo in Bangkok’s business district also faces the prospect of being demolished if its developer fails to rectify the entrance problem in time.
Condo owners and renters in the building have been asking for legal help from various parties and agencies. On Wednesday they handed their petition to Tharam Chaleechan, the OAG spokesman, and Kosolwat Inthachanyong, deputy head of the OAG's office for rights protection and legal assistance.
Mr Tharam said the office has a role to play in providing consumer protection and legal counselling to the residents.
Mr Kosolwat said the entrance issue may be solved through consultation with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
Also, the residents should try to work out a solution with the condo developer, Ananda MF Asia Asoke Co, he said. If that fails, the OAG's office for rights protection will step in and offer legal help.
He said the residents have also submitted their petition to the House committee on consumer protection, which has called a meeting to discuss their plight. The House committee has also invited the OAG's office to the meeting.
Mr Kosolwat said the law allows for the issue to be settled through talks between parties involved. If no settlement is forthcoming, the OAG will begin legal action on the residents' behalf.
However, Mr Kosolwat said many similar consumer cases in the past were able to be settled without them ever reaching the court.
The prosecutors must inform the parties about their legal options so they can assess their chances of winning or losing in court. This will enable the parties to decide whether to take the matter further.
Last week, the BMA insisted it had approved the construction permit for the Ashton Asoke condo in strict compliance with regulations. The approval was granted as the company had satisfied all the required criteria.
The BMA added there was no need to knock down the condo and residents were free to remain in the building. The administration will look to see if the condo can build an alternative entrance that meets the required width of 12 metres via either Sukhumvit Soi 19 or Sukhumvit Soi 21.
