Old vs. New Office Buildings in Bangkok: An Analytical Perspective on How Aging Buildings Remain Competitive

Chakrapan Pawangkarat

Head of Property Management, JLL Thailand

Secretary-General, Property Management Association of Thailand

28 November 2025

With the steady addition of new Grade A office supply and large mixed-use developments across Bangkok, a recurring question often emerges:

“Can older office buildings still compete?”

From a property management and building operations perspective, the age of a building is not the sole determinant of its competitiveness. In fact, well-maintained older buildings often deliver performance, stability, and user experience that newer buildings still need years to develop.

This article outlines key operational, technical, and strategic factors explaining why aging office buildings continue to hold strong positions in Bangkok’s office market.

1) Proven Operational Stability Through Real-World Use

New buildings typically spend their first 1–3 years in a commissioning and adjustment phase. During this period, mechanical, electrical, HVAC, BMS, and life-safety systems are still being calibrated and optimized based on actual usage patterns.

By contrast, older buildings benefit from:

• Predictable system performance

• Lower frequency of unforeseen operational issues

• Maintenance teams with deep knowledge of system behavior

• More stable and predictable energy consumption patterns

From an engineering standpoint, operational stability is a critical value that many tenants prioritize over architectural novelty.

2) Greater Efficiency and Smoother User Experience

Newly opened buildings often introduce complex workflows—digital access controls, parking systems, visitor management, and security protocols that still require fine-tuning.

Older buildings, once properly managed, often exhibit:

• Faster and simpler circulation flows

• Shorter waiting times for access

• Streamlined processes for building entry and service requests

• Lower operational friction for everyday building use

In user-experience terms, smooth operations frequently outweigh architectural features when tenants evaluate workplace quality.

3) Targeted Upgrades Deliver High Impact

Aging buildings do not require full-scale renovations to remain competitive. Instead, targeted improvements often generate better cost-to-impact results.

Examples include:

• Lift modernization and dispatch optimization

• Retro-commissioning of HVAC systems

• Upgrading lighting and control systems

• Enhancing access control and visitor systems

• Refreshing lobby and common areas to reflect contemporary standards

• Chiller plant optimization for improved energy performance

Strategic upgrades focused on high-impact touchpoints significantly enhance user perception and operational quality.

4) Experienced Operations Teams as a Competitive Asset

Long-standing operations teams have an intimate understanding of the building’s systems, constraints, and typical failure modes. This accumulated knowledge is difficult for new buildings to replicate immediately.

Advantages include:

• Faster and more accurate diagnosis of issues

• Consistency in service delivery

• Established tenant relationships

• Effective communication grounded in practical experience

Human capability and institutional knowledge are often underrated but critically important in property management.

5) Clear Positioning Strengthens Market Competitiveness

For aging buildings, competing directly with every new development is neither necessary nor strategic. Instead, defining a clear building positioning is key, for example:

• A stable, low-risk operational environment

• Ease of access and straightforward circulation

• Faster fit-out and move-in processes

• Predictable cost structure and efficient use of lettable area

Buildings that understand their strengths and target the right tenant profile often perform better than those attempting to imitate newer developments.

6) ESG and Energy Efficiency as Strategic Opportunities

While new buildings may be designed with advanced efficiency features, older buildings that undergo retro-commissioning and systematic optimization often achieve remarkable performance gains.

Competitive advantages may include:

• Real-time energy management

• Improved HVAC performance through optimization

• Effective recycling and waste-management programs

• Transparent carbon-reporting frameworks

In a corporate environment increasingly focused on Scope 2 emissions, older buildings with strong energy-management programs can outperform newer buildings lacking operational maturity.

Conclusion

The competitiveness of an office building is not determined solely by its age, but by:

• Operational stability

• Quality of user experience

• Competence of the building operations team

• Efficiency of targeted upgrades

• Effectiveness in ESG and energy performance

• Strategic positioning in the market

In practice, many well-managed older buildings in Bangkok deliver superior reliability, smoother day-to-day operation, and stronger tenant satisfaction than newly opened buildings still stabilizing their systems.

Under professional and proactive property management, aging office buildings can remain competitive, relevant, and resilient in a rapidly evolving market.