Land Sharing of Railway Community: A Case Study of Theparak 1, 5 Community in Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

This study aims to examine the land-sharing process for access to land and housing security of the Theparak 1, 5 Community. Qualitative research methods were employed in this research. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with 24 key informants and from academic documents, books, graduate theses and dissertations, and research.

The results showed that the community members were integrated to form the community savings group to rent the land from the State Railway of Thailand. This indicated that the community members were enthusiastic to solve their problems together. According to the study of the land sharing process of the community, it pointed out that the community did not have individual ownership of the land. So, the land-sharing process without limitation on the value of the property was initiated. The community focused on land sharing to promote housing security and maintain the original way of life of the community members. The land sharing process of the community consisted of 4 steps, namely (1) ranking the suffering as a rule in selecting those with little to a great extent of suffering to achieve fairness in land sharing (2) surveying available areas in the community so that the demolished houses can be rebuilt in the community and the villagers can live the same way of life (3) allocating land based on the ranking of suffering and (4) making summary and informing the villagers to recognize and witness the land changes.