Glossary · Types of home
Low-rise
In short
A condominium building of up to about eight storeys, below the height at which Thai building rules treat it as a high building. Fewer units, fewer lifts and usually a quieter setting.
What it means
Thai building rules treat a building of 23 metres or more as a high building, with stricter requirements. A building kept under that height has about eight storeys, and that is what the market calls low-rise.
Why so many are built
Many streets and zones do not allow high buildings: narrow side streets, areas near the coast and resort areas with height limits. Low-rise projects fit there, which is why they are common in residential side streets of Bangkok and in most beach locations.
What it means for an owner
- Fewer units, often 50 to 200, so fewer neighbours and shorter waits for the lift.
- Fewer owners share the cost of the pool, the staff and the repairs, so the fee per square metre is not automatically lower than in a tower.
- Views are local: gardens, streets and neighbouring roofs, not a skyline. Check what may be built on the plots around it.
- Often further from mass transit than towers, which stand on the main roads.