Pilot Project No. 2

 

Reconstruction after a fire, with long-term lease at Bonkai
 

Bonkai is a 26-year old squatter community of 566   households, living in extremely crowded conditions in the Klong Toey area of central Bangkok, on land belonging to the Crown Property Bureau (CPB).   In December 2001, a fire destroyed 200 houses in one area of the settlement, and the community used the crisis to negotiate a more secure future for themselves.   After forming a cooperative, they entered into lengthy negotiations with CPB and eventually got a 30-year (renewable) lease on the land.  

Thailand's first "Community Lease"   In the past, most state agencies leased land to poor families individually, which makes it easy for communities to be manipulated by outside interests.   Bonkai is the first case of a land lease contract being made to a community cooperative, on a nominal rent of 150 Baht per month per household, paid by the community cooperative in one big monthly payment.   Collective land tenure arrangements can be a powerful tool for bringing community members together and one of the best safeguards against speculation and gentrification in inner-city communities like Bonkai.   

The community's complete reconstruction has been planned in three phases, which allow the new housing to be built without anyone ever having to leave the site.   In the first phase, 72 houses are being built to accommodate the worst-effected fire victims, who lived in tents between the rows of new houses during construction.   288 units will be built in the 2nd phase; 42 in the third.

BONKAI

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
         
The Community Before
Upgrading ---->
"Expandable" row houses    In order to squeeze so many families into such small land, the community worked with young architects to draft an extremely efficient layout plan with narrow lanes and compact 3-story row-houses built on tiny plots of only 24 square meters.   To keep the new houses as cheap as possible, they designed an extra-tall upper floor with a half-loft, which can later be made into a full third floor.   These fully-finished houses cost 200,000 Baht.   The community opted to use a contractor to build the first phase houses, but to reduce house costs, the second and third phase houses will be built by community members themselves.  

Before and After  --->

Bonkai before the fire (above),

and the layout of 72 houses
in Phase 1 below

 

 

BonKai Project Details

•  Households :   202

•  Land-owner :   Crown Property Bureau

•  Tenure terms :   Long-term cooperative lease

•  Type of upgrading :   on-site reconstruction

•  Infrastructure cost :   NHA provides.

•  Housing costs :   29.99 million Baht   (US$ 749,750)   (165,000 Baht/ unit - $4,125)

Total cost of land + housing + infrastructure :   39.6 million Baht   (US$ 990,000)
 
Home
Pilot Project No 1 here

Pilot Project No 3 here