Housing poverty in Thailand

530 people served in FY18
+ 2,000 volunteers hosted
Projects: renovation, disaster response, affordable housing, community development

We've been tackling housing poverty in Thailand since we began working in the northeastern province of Udon Thani in 1998.

Since July 2007, our team has been operating through its national office in Bangkok and resource centres located in the North, Northeast and South.

Growth

With strong economic growth, Thailand has been able to reduce poverty from 21% in 2000 to around 8% – or 5.4 million people – in 2009 (according to the local poverty line).

Inequalities

Thailand has met the majority of its Millennium Development Goals ahead of the 2015 deadline. However, vulnerable groups such as migrants, informal workers, and displaced persons, are not equally benefiting from Thailand’s economic successes.

Natural disasters

Disasters such as droughts and devastating flooding in 2011-2012 and the subsequent flood in 2013 also affect many low-income families. Having lost their jobs and savings, these families are unable to repair or rebuild their homes despite government assistance.

How we address housing poverty in Thailand

We are committed to providing housing solutions with the support of volunteers and donors. Corporate partners include Dow, Coca-Cola, HMC…

We are committed to providing housing solutions with the support of volunteers and donors. Corporate partners include Dow, Coca-Cola, HMC Polymer, Cargill, Ananda Development, Siam Commercial Bank, Seagate, Caterpillar, Nissan, Cigna, Bank of America, P&G and HSBC.

International schools also lend a hand. In recent years, the public sector support has come from the Government Housing Bank who not only funds our projects but also sends their staff as volunteers on Habitat builds.

Key facts & figures

Capital: Bangkok
Main country facts: Constitutional monarchy
Population – circa 69.64 million
Urbanisation – 52.9%
Life expectancy – 77.66 years
Unemployment – 0.99%
Poverty line – 9.95%

Building decent homes

We partner with low-income families to build, repair or rehabilitate their homes. Volunteer labour helps to reduce the cost of house construction. A Habitat home partner saves 10-15% of the cost of the house before construction begins. Each home partner’s monthly repayments enable Habitat to help other families build homes and hope.

Natural disaster relief

Since the devastating flooding of 2011, we have distributed clean-up kits and emergency shelter kits to nearly 4,000 families in 11 provinces. We have also helped more than 1,400 families to rebuild their homes and lives. In addition, 32 schools were rehabilitated and three multi-purpose buildings were built in Ayutthaya and Phitsanulok provinces.

Housing microfinance

In Maha Sarakham province, northeastern Thailand, our partner organisations provide low-income families with housing finance education to help them save for home improvements. We also help families to improve their homes through construction technical assistance.

Sustainable community development

In Galyani Vadhana district, northern Chiang Mai province, our local team has rebuilt school dormitories and improve water and sanitation…

In Galyani Vadhana district, northern Chiang Mai province, our local team has rebuilt school dormitories and improve water and sanitation facilities in a local school.

An old government office building has been turned into a tourist information centre to promote the district’s attractions as well as Habitat’s work.