Sep. 10--The country's largest developer, Land & Houses Plc (LH), has launched four Bangkok housing projects worth a combined 7.2 billion baht.

The SET-listed company will develop projects in the Chaiyaphruk-Chaeng Watthana area to serve increased demand from the new government headquarters and a new university campus.

Suparat Veerakul, vice-president for corporate communications at LH, said the projects would all be single-detached house developments covering all price segments and ranging from 3 million to 20 million baht per unit.

"This area has high potential as there are no traffic lights if one is driving from the Lak Si area along Chaeng Watthana Road across Rama IV Bridge to Chaiyaphruk Road," she said.

Demand will also come from the new government centre -- a 349-rai plot with around 900,000 square metres of office space to serve 28 agencies -- and a new 400-rai University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce campus.

LH has three projects located on Chaiyaphruk-Chaeng Watthana Road, the 1.4-billion-baht Chaiyapreuk with 318 units priced starting at 4 million baht; the 2.2-billion-baht Mantana with 377 units priced at 5-8 million baht; and the 1.1-billion-baht Nantawan with 96 units priced at 9-20 million baht.Another project, Preuklada worth 2.5 billion baht with 400 units priced from 3 million baht, will be located in the Tiwanon-Ratchaphruek area.

LH's subsidiary Quality Houses Plc launched two middle-to-high-end projects on Chaiyaphruk-Chaeng Watthana Road. The group entered the area late last year after government agencies started relocating to the new government headquarters.

"The company expects the area to boom next year and targets to close sales of all projects within the next few years," she said.

Yesterday was the first time LH had staged a media tour of its housing sites. Ms Suparat said that of the four main complaints consumers made about the developer, only arrogance remained a major issue. The three other flaws, being old-fashioned, old-looking and expensive had been addressed in part.

"This year we will try to talk and communicate more to solve the 'arrogance'," she said. "We also cut advertising expenses for Thai-language newspapers to spend on booths in shopping plazas each month."

Since the sales booths were launched last May, LH has recorded sales exceeding 100 million baht from customers visiting the booths.

LH shares yesterday closed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 6.20 baht, down 15 satang, in trade worth 107.19 million baht.

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