“Thoughts While Walking in Thailand” Part 7 | Why Do High-Rise Office Buildings and Low-Rise, Old Buildings Coexist?
—What the “Ununified City” Tells Us—
A common sight in Bangkok is
a three-story concrete house that feels like it belongs to another era, standing right next to a glass-walled high-rise.
A scene where a newly built condominium and a worn-out wooden house stand back-to-back.
Such a “mixed cityscape” might even look chaotic at first glance.
However, this landscape is not accidental; it is the result of a accumulation of social history and structural background.
🏙 At first glance, it looks “developing”—but there is more to it than that
Thailand’s Bangkok is one of Asia’s leading international cities.
With high-rise buildings, massive shopping malls, and a monorail system, it is attracting attention as a stage for international conferences and tourism.
Nevertheless, why is there such a lack of uniformity in the urban landscape?
It is clearly different in character from an orderly business district like Marunouchi in Tokyo.
This “disjointedness” is by no means a lack of urban planning, but rather the result of the totality of economic development, land systems, political culture, and ways of life.
📜 Background 1: Fragmentation of Land and the Culture of “Inherited Ownership”
One of the keys to deciphering Thailand’s urban structure lies in its culture of land ownership.
Much of the land is owned by individual families, and it is common for it to be passed down through generations via inheritance rather than through buying and selling.
Therefore,
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multiple heirs exist for a single plot (much like the vineyards in the Burgundy region of France)
land fragmentation progresses, making it difficult to acquire land in bulk for redevelopment
the feeling that “letting go of land” equals “disloyalty to ancestors”
Due to circumstances such as these, city blocks that are only partially developed are scattered throughout the city.
The fact that many buildings are not demolished even when they become dilapidated and are left to remain through the ages is also a manifestation of this view of land.
🏗 Background 2: Building Regulations and Administrative “Fragmentation”
While there are laws and regulations regarding construction in Bangkok, their application is not uniform.
Floor area ratios differ between main roads and alleyways
interpretations and guidance vary depending on the administrative district in charge
Significant differences in the financial and technical capabilities of local governments
Due to such disparities in systems, it seems that master plans for unified urban development across the entire city struggle to be effective.
As a result,
row-house style residences next to high-rise buildings
dilapidated wooden houses behind newly built condos
—a “patchwork urbanization” is naturally formed.
💸 Background 3: Redevelopment led by the “private sector” rather than the “state”
Unlike countries such as Japan or Singapore, where the state plans and leads large-scale urban development, urban regeneration in Thailand is almost entirely
led by private capital. In particular,
Charoen Pokphand (CP Group)
Central Group
Siam Piwat
and other major conglomerates concentrate development in their respective areas of interest, and there is a tendency to prioritize local profit optimization over city-wide consistency. Consequently, small-scale plots or areas with complex land ownership that are not profitable tend to be left behind.
🧱 Background 4: Small business culture and the “continuity of life and work”
In Thailand, there are a great number of small-scale operators and self-employed individuals, and the SOHO style of working remains deeply rooted.
Multi-purpose buildings with shops on the first floor, residences on the second, and offices on the third
Small-scale businesses run by families or relatives
The need to move into high-rise office buildings is fundamentally weak
In this way, in a society where “the sense of continuity between life and work” is rooted in daily life, the demand for high-rise buildings themselves is limited. Therefore, low-rise mixed-use buildings still remain the foundation of the urban structure.
📉Background 5: Low earthquake risk and a lack of “seismic awareness”
In Bangkok, there is almost no earthquake risk like in Japan or Taiwan. This geographical characteristic is one of the reasons that
delays urban renewal both physically and psychologically.
Seismic standards are lenient, and there is little motivation for rebuilding
A pragmatism of “using old buildings until they break”
Prioritizing the status quo over reinforcement or renovation
Such differences in climate and mindset support the coexistence of aging buildings.
🧭Reflections on this theme: Is a city without order “immature”?
Initially, I perceived the cluttered landscape of this city as “unorganized” or “developing.” However, as I learned about this background, I realized that was a complete misunderstanding.
Bangkok is not “unorganized,” but a city with “different reasons for being organized”. The variation in the urban landscape is not a result of systemic distortion or chaos, but
the current state as a result of overlapping culture, politics, history, and economy. Every single building has a reason sufficient for it to be there. If you change your perspective, that landscape might actually be functioning as a “memory device of the city.”
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