On July 2, 2026, Dr.Sopon Pornchokchai, President, Agency for Real Estate Affairs and FIABCI-Thai (International Real Estate Federation, Thailand Chapter) was invited by the Asia Pacific Urban Energy Association (APUEA) to speak at the 5th Asia Urban Energy Assembly from Ambition to Action with Energy Efficiency and District Energy at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand in a Roundtable Discussion – Accelerating Asia’s Energy Transition with Sustainable Buildings.

Dr.Sopon said that in Bangkok there are some top-tier LEED certified buildings which are sustainable or green buildings including:

• One Bangkok, 2024: The prominent mixed-use mega-development has achieved landmark LEED Neighborhood Development (ND) Platinum pre-certification. The rent per square meter for Office Space: Grade A premium office spaces generally rent between Baht 1,500 to Baht1,600 per sqm per month.
• One City Centre (OCC), 2023: One of Bangkok's newest and tallest commercial towers, holding a LEED Gold certification for its energy performance and sustainable design. The rent for office space at One City Centre (OCC) in Bangkok typically starts from Baht 1,300 per sq. metre per month, depending on the size of the space, lease terms, and floor level.
• The PARQ, 2024: A prominent mixed-use development featuring LEED Gold (and WELL) standards, focusing on a healthy, balanced work-life environment. Office rent at The PARQ  typically ranges from ฿1,200 to ฿1,300 per sq.m. per month
• Park Ventures Ecoplex, 2012: Located on Wireless Road, this is one of Bangkok's pioneering LEED Platinum skyscrapers, noted for its energy-saving design Park Ventures Ecoplex generally ranges from 1,300 to 1,500 Baht per sq. metre per month
• Rajnakar Building (Sathorn), 1996: The first office building on Sathorn Road to earn LEED v4 O+M: Existing Buildings - Platinum, recognizing its excellent energy, water, and indoor environmental management. The rental rate at the Rajanakarn Building on Sathorn Road typically ranges from Baht 630 to Baht 750 per sq.m. per month.

Actually sustainable buildings would have higher rent compared to conventional buildings.  However, in the case of old buildings, the rent might not be different.  Functional obsolescence might be another factor.

In general, a sustainable building minimizes its environmental impact through resource efficiency, renewable energy, and eco-friendly materials. It optimizes every phase of its lifecycle—from design and construction to operation and eventual demolition—to conserve energy, reduce water usage, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

In huge projects, district cooling provides chilled water from a centralized plant through underground pipes to multiple buildings, replacing individual, energy-intensive AC units. It drastically cuts energy consumption by up to 50%, prevents urban heat island effects, and is a vital foundation for sustainable, green urban architecture. By connecting to these networks, individual buildings drastically reduce their operational carbon footprint, bypass the maintenance headaches of individual chillers, and lower their overall energy consumption scores.

The largest district cooling systems globally distribute chilled water from centralized plants to multiple buildings, reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Notable mega-systems include:
 

• Business Bay (Dubai, UAE): Operated by Empower, this system holds the Guinness World Record for the highest capacity, serving 188 skyscrapers with an installed capacity of over 603 MW (171,567 Refrigeration Tons) across interconnected plants.
• Lusail City (Qatar): This flagship smart city features the world's longest district cooling network, spanning (123.5) km, and includes the world's tallest thermal energy water storage tank.
• Marina Bay (Singapore): Recognized as the world's largest underground district cooling network. It efficiently cools major commercial, retail, and convention hubs in Singapore's tropical climate.
• Stockholm (Sweden): One of the largest systems in Europe and globally, it delivers over (300) MW of cooling by utilizing cold water from the Baltic Sea alongside large cold water storage.

In the case of Bangkok, apart from project based sustainable buildings, something can be provided in order to make buildings and different tissues of the city sustainable.

• City redevelopment scheme.  This is to redevelop different tissues of the city to be more efficient uses. In the hub of the city of Bangkok, there are also some slums and squatter settlements or informal housing.  Their current value of residences is low.  However, to provide alternative commercial cum residential uses, the city will have affordable land for redevelopment.
• Zoning. Currently, the highest Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is 10:1 (building 10 times of the land area).  However, in practices it might be impossible because there are also some set back, Building Coverage Ratio (BCR) and the like.  However, one can observe that in the pass, Bankok has the Wall Street Tower on Surawong Road with the FAR of 20:1 and the State Tower with the FAR of 30:1.  These prove that FAR can be increased to pave way for more intensive uses of land.  New development will not expanded to the fringe where infrastructure has to follow.  This cost more for the public.
• International-standard property taxation.  In Thailand, annual property tax is as low as 0.02% of the assessed value. Capital gain tax is also very low.  There is very little inheritance tax.  Therefore, land owners can just keep their land.  Land markets are for land owners.  People should be taxed in accordance with international standards such as 1% of annual property tax to market value, 20% of capital gain tax on market value and efficient inheritance tax.  The consequent is that land owner must develop land and will not put it with idle use.  Price will be lower so that affordable housing can be build in the city.  People have no need to live afar from the city.
• Inner City Mass Transit.  Subway or skytrain should be built with efficient network in the city.  This is to facilitate people to live in the city pleasantly.  There should be fair competition on route concession in order not to be monopolized by a certain group.

The above condition will help us build sustainable buildings and environment in the district.