A study of house-renters in four Bangkok slum-housing settlements | |
| Author | Sopon Pornchokchai |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.HS-84-20 |
| Subject(s) | Slums--Thailand--Bangkok Rental housing--Thailand--Bangkok |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillments oi the requirements for the degree of Master or Science, School of Engineering and Technology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Rental housing in slum-and -squatter settlements is an informal housing arrangement where a large number of people house themselves in the city. Despite some publics awareness, little was know about the existence, form, structure and function of this housing arrangement. This study is thus an attempt to explore, in depth, aspects of this rental housing and the house-renters. This study was carried out through a case-study approach in 4 selected settlements in different locations in Bangkok. Three of them are (temporary) land-rent slums and the other is a squatter settlement. In each settlement, three related groups of dwellers were identified and explored to build up an understanding of this subject. They are house-renters, households and home owners. Profiling the two compared groups-house-renters and home owners-both, on the one hand, show some common features of slum dwellers as a whole. on the other hand, there also exist some differences in the nature of these two groups. Considering rental housing arrangements, building types and the condition of rental housing vary. The average rental housing dwelling area is around 4.8-5.7 sq. metres per person. Most of the rental units are equipped with services. However, house rent and water and electricity expenses tend to be separate charges. Maintenance and upkeep are mainly the responsibility of houselord. Most of the houselord are living in the settlements. The average number of rental units owned by each houselord ranks from 2.1-4.1 units. The maximum number of rental units owned by a houselord in each settlement ranks from 8.53 units. Most of the house-renters feel that their houselords are friendly. The largest proportion of house-renters came to rent a house on the advice of their relatives of friends. The average monthly rent ranks from 482.3 to 555 baht per unit. Most of the house-renters feel that their rent level is reasonable, Times of acquisition and renting out are varied from place to place, with the age of the settlement being a significant determining factor. Considering the five hypotheses, it is firstly proved that rental housing in these settlements is a practical form of housing for various groups of low-income people. Secondly, It cannot be proved that house-renters are proportionately poorer than home owners. Thirdly, it can be proved that house-renter households. are more mobile between settlements than home owner households. Fourthly, most rental housing is provided as a business activity. In addition, it appears in two settlements that most of the rental units are owned by a few "big" houselords. Lastly, in general, it cannot be proved that house-renters have lower participation in community affairs than home owners, except in reaction to eviction pressure in which house-renters tend not to resist. Finally, seven major conclusions are drawn, Rental housing is a result of the development process of low-income housing. It is an indicator of the worsening urban housing situation in which the land-rent option has gradually declined, resulting in the unavailability of land for low-income people. House-renters tend not to resist eviction pressure. Thus, if there is a large number of house-renters in a settlement, it is easier for landlords to evict the dwellers. Therefore, the existence and growth of this house-renter population is also an indicator for the future of the settlements at large. In addition, two suggestions on community development and the feasibility for the promotion/provision of rental housing are also presented. |
| Year | 1984 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Human Settlement (HS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Archer, Raymon W. |
| Examination Committee(s) | Islam, Nazrul ; Chamnien Paul Vorratnchaiphan |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | The Royal Government of Belgium |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1984 |