Most condominium projects in Thailand had inadequate parking despite regulatory compliance, highlighting the need for demand-responsive parking assessment in the EIA process.
Urban condominium development in Thailand has raised concerns regarding parking adequacy and associated environmental and social impacts. Although Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports are required for many condominium projects, limited research has examined whether parking provision specified in EIA reports reflects actual demand. This study analyzed 121 EIA reports for condominium developments submitted to Thailand’s Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) from 2019 to 2024. Data on parking regulations, parking supply, project characteristics, and parking adequacy were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation analysis. The results showed that 93.5% of projects had inadequate parking despite compliance with existing regulations. The parking provision ratio declined from 46.3% in 2019 to approximately 33–36% during 2022–2024. Project size was strongly correlated with parking supply (r = 0.867, p < 0.001), but greater parking provision in larger projects did not ensure adequacy. These findings indicate that current EIA parking standards are primarily based on minimum regulatory requirements rather than actual parking demand. The gap between regulatory compliance and operational parking needs suggests that parking impacts may be insufficiently addressed during EIA review. Integrating demand-responsive parking assessment into the EIA process could strengthen impact prediction, improve project planning, and support sustainable urban development.
After graduating from Aberystwyth University, Kanokporn has conducted research and taught EIA for over 30 years at Silpakorn University. Her research focuses on integrating ecology into EIA.