Glossary · Buildings, land and paperwork
EIA
Also called: Environmental Impact Assessment
In short
The environmental approval a larger building must have before it can be built: in Thailand, a residential building with 80 units or more, or 4,000 square metres or more of usable area.
What it means
An Environmental Impact Assessment is a study of how a project affects its surroundings: traffic, drainage, shade, wind, noise, neighbours. It is submitted to the environmental authorities, who approve it, ask for changes or refuse it.
Why it matters to a buyer
- A building above the threshold cannot get its construction permit without an approved assessment.
- Approval can take a long time and can require changes to the height, the number of units or the layout.
- A project sold before approval may therefore change, be delayed or, rarely, not be built.
What to ask
Ask whether the assessment has been approved, and when, not whether it has been submitted. If it is still pending, ask what the contract says about your money if approval is refused or the design changes.