A look at 4 locations chosen by govt for ‘Houses for Thais’ campaign
Housing projects will be built on land owned by the SRT
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Thursday said that the government would move forward with the “Baan Pheu Khon Thai” (Houses for Thais) campaign, aiming to provide low- and middle-income earners affordable housing near urban centres.
The campaign will develop housing and condominium projects on lands owned by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), she said.
On Friday, the Transport Ministry said it would unveil specifications and models for houses and condominiums under the campaign on January 20 at Bangkok’s Krung Thep Apiwat Central Station.
The project will begin at four pilot locations, namely Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, Pathum Thani’s Chiang Rak area, near the Thonburi Railway Station in Bangkok, and in Chiang Mai province, Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote said.
The Nation looks at these four locations to provide details of projects that could fulfill the dream of owning a home for many Thais.
The first location, in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, is located at Nikhom Rotfai Km 11, a housing project on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road. The area includes an existing housing community and a vast public park.
The SRT has plans to further develop a mixed-use residential and commercial project on the 279-rai (44.64 hectares) empty plot here, with an investment budget of 100 billion baht, according to SRT Asset Ltd (SRTA), the rail authority’s asset management arm.
The second location is at Chiang Rak station in Khlong Luang district, Pathum Thani province. Chiang Rak is a hub for northern and northeastern routes for both normal and express trains, as well as future high-speed trains. The area is surrounded by Thammasat and Bangkok universities and many commercial buildings, making it a high potential area for housing development.
The third is located near the Thonburi Railway Station in Bangkok Noi district. It is also within walking distance from three electric train routes namely the Light Red Line (Taling Chan – Siriraj), Western Orange Line (Cultural Centre – Bang Khun Non), and Blue Line (Hua Lamphong – Bang Khae).
The SRTA said it planned to launch a redevelopment project on this land with private partners with a budget of 3.5 billion baht. The aim is to turn the 21-rai (3.36ha) plot into a medical district of western Bangkok, complete with a rehabilitation centre, a hotel, a shopping mall, and a service apartment.
The fourth location is the only one outside metropolitan Bangkok, in the northern province of Chiang Mai. The SRTA said the land around the Chiang Mai station in Muang district has high potential thanks to the large number of locals and tourists using that station each day.
There is about 60 rai (9.6ha) of land available around the station which has yet to be developed, the company said.
