Renovation vs new building... Where's the line?!

[rooster80]

Dear All,

I purchased a waterfront property in Phuket. There is a old house on the land, built over 20 years ago.
With todays building restrictions I couldn't build a new house on the land, as it's too close to the ocean.
Well actually I could, but it would mean forgetting seriously thick envelopes on our local Nai Yok's desk...

So I decided to renovate the existing house. Our drawings have now been approved and signed as a renovation permit and we followed the old house's footprint to the millimeter.
But as the structure is very old most of it needs to be changed...

Herein lies my question,
Are there no guidelines as to how much of an old building is needed to be kept to pass as a renovation?

When does a renovation become a new house?!
I need to demolish most of the old house, but am scared someone from the Tessaban will come and say it's not a renovation anymore, but a new building.
This would render my expensive piece of land worthless...

Does anyone have any insight to these matters?!

Thanks a lot,

Rooster80

[BKKBILL]

I would think how far you could renovate would be a more local thing Thailand being what it is.

It should be noted on the renovation permit and the stamped approved drawing just what is being and will be done.

Think a good lawyer would have been in the picture long before now what with the costs of waterfront in Phuket.

[Roger Ramjet]

roster80,
I have just come back from a two storied house in our village that had been totally gutted, except for the original foundations and columns. They too have a renovations permit. I asked how far they could go before it became an actual build, as for a new house, not a rebuild/renovation, the reply was; "to the foundations, without extensions to the foundations".
I hope this helps. The renovations are being done in Bangkok, but the law is stet.