The Home Builder Association (HBA) has sent a letter to General Natthapol Nakpanit, Director of the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), requesting clarity on the construction of residential homes that are not part of subdivision projects, allowing them to proceed with construction.

Mr. Worawut Kanjanakul, President of the Home Builder Association (HBA), stated that the association has noted that the announcement published in the Royal Gazette under Section 9 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E. 2548 (No. 25) does not aim to order the closure of construction sites for residential buildings that are not part of subdivision projects. This refers to homes built by individuals on their own land, as they are not large-scale projects or public buildings that require a significant workforce and do not contribute to the widespread transmission of COVID-19.

“Since the Royal Gazette has come into effect today, there has been confusion and misinterpretation among police officers, local officials, and the general public, leading to disputes that remain unresolved,” Mr. Worawut said.

Therefore, the Home Builder Association, as a representative of operators engaged in home construction on private land, which currently sees thousands of residential construction projects across Bangkok and its suburbs each year—mostly small homes with a workforce of only a few dozen—requests confirmation for clarity that the construction of self-built residential homes outside subdivision projects can continue. Specifically, they seek confirmation on the following points:

  1. The Royal Gazette does not include the construction and renovation of residential homes for personal use.
  2. If workers do not reside at the worksite, they can travel to work as usual.

Furthermore, according to the Royal Gazette issued under Section 9 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E. 2548 (No. 25), there are measures to control and prevent outbreaks among construction workers in the Bangkok area and its suburbs to manage the disease and prevent widespread transmission, especially among construction workers who are at risk and have been found to have cluster outbreaks. The governors of Bangkok and the surrounding provinces are empowered by law to consider orders to close construction sites, modify or demolish buildings, or construction areas for large special buildings, high-rise buildings, large buildings, residential complexes, and public buildings according to building control laws or subdivision projects, as well as temporary housing for workers both inside and outside construction sites, and to halt construction work and prohibit the movement and relocation of workers temporarily for at least thirty days.