The Poor in Bangkok City

Before 1960 there was less disparity between the rich and the poor. The predominant low income settlement before 1960 was based on a very cheap rate of land rental from both private and public land owners. Some of these communities still exist and are as old as Bangkok itself, however, all land rental housing communities have become significantly dilapidated and can be categorized as urban slums. Over the past 3 decades they have become the largest of the slums.

The natural increase in population plus migration of rural poor families to cities increased the density of the settlements that existed before 1960. In addition, new rental communities were created but have rapidly deteriorated due to inadequate infrastructure and insecure tenure. Approximately 35% of those who live in these communities were born in Bangkok while 65% are immigrants. 76% of the immigrants cited the failure of agricultural (drought, destruction of paddy fields, landlessness etc) as the main reason for migration to the city.

A survey, carried out by the National Housing Authority in 1976, revealed there were 108 slum communities in Bangkok. The number increased to 410; 1,020 and 1,404 in 1982, 1985 and 1990 respectively. This increase was partly due to different methods of surveying. The latest survey in 1990 revealed that about 1.26 million people live in Bangkok slum communities: i.e about 20% of Bangkok’s population.

Most people categorized as low-income have inadequate education resulting in employment as unskilled labourers or having jobs in the informal sector with irregular income. 46% are general or self employed labourers, 18% are small scale vendor / traders, 18% are production workers and only 6% are lower-grade professionals or private sector employees in formal employment.

In general people in low-income communities are hard-working. If work can be found, the average work rate is 10 hours per day; and the average family has 2.2 working members. However returns are low because work is unskilled and employment irregular. Most labourers have work for an average of 18 days work per month. They spend approximately 12% of their income on housing and about 51% on food.

The existence of a community structure and culture is a very significant aspect of life for low-income families.  This is determined by a number of interrelated factors:  limited economic conditions reinforce an interdependent survival process , derived partly from similar background, partly from the traditional rural village or community culture and in part derived from the dense physical conditions in slums - the lack of privacy and necessity of  sharing community space. Nevertheless, living in communities enables the urban poor to survive in a sophisticated urban society. Living expenses are lower in slums. Moreover, it is a place where the poor can find friends and assistance amongst themselves. It is also a place where they have access to information about job opportunities and other necessary information. In conclusion, slums help absorb the social distress of low-income groups and link them with the urban system outside.

One of the major problems low-income communities are facing is insecurity of land tenure resulting in unwillingness to improve their living conditions. A survey on eviction in 1988 showed that 28% of existing communities were in various stages of eviction and about 71.5% expressed fear of the threat of eviction.  Between 1981 - 1985 about 16 slums were demolished each year. Eviction is the greatest threat to most existing slum dwellers since it means an end to their former settlements which includes cheap affordable housing at a convenient location and a loss of an interdependent community lifestyle.

It is a sad fact that slum and squatter settlements are the best possible existing option for the urban poor. The densification of the older slum areas has resulted in the growth of smaller squatter settlements scattered under bridges and on vacant land and consequently worse conditions for low income families.

Extracted from a paper entitled: Community Ennoblement Through Savings and Integrated Credit Schemes as a Strategy for Dealing with Poverty Alleviation by Somsook Boonyabancha

 

There are nearly 2000 slum communities scattered throughout Bangkok providing homes to close to 20% of the city's families - around 1.5 million people. 

 

Consolidating Community Organisations

Slum communities along canals in Bangkok. Songkhla, Chiang Mai and other cities have formed a Canal Network similar to those communities on Railway land throughout the country. 

Slums community culture helps absorb the social distress of low income groups and link them with the urban system outside.