Housing Conditions of Elderly People in Baan Man Kong Project Phasi Charoen District Bangkok: A Case Study of Klong Ladpachi Community, Sirin La Puen Community and Rasritham Village A case study of Klong Ladpachi community, Sirin La Puen community and Rasritham Village

Abstract

The situation of the elderly in the world and Thailand are now in an aging society. In addition, the trend of Thai elderly population will increase in municipal areas or urban areas. National Bureau of Statistics survey found most of the population does not have ownership of the residence which low income household number is more than half. By finding that Bangkok, Perimeter and East area has a highest number of Baan Man Kong housing projects which is a housing project for low income earners. Dismantling land for the purpose of urban development directly affects the non-residents. There are 3 projects in Phasi Charoen District, one of the suburbs in which the residents were dismantled from other areas: Klong Ladpachi community, Sirin La Puen community and Rasritham Village. Therefore, this research aims to study the housing conditions of the elderly consists of environment, economy and society of the elderly in the Baan Man Kong project Phasi Charoen District, all 3 projects brought to the analysis of elderly’s activities and living in the Baan Man Kong project and suggests to allocate the use of space within the housing of the elderly by using data collection methods from interviewing 16 elderly people Including surveying, observing, photographing of the house. The result from the study was found that 11 elderly women, 5 elderly men: most of them were in early elderly (60-69 years), marital status is married, living with either with their children or their grandchildren. Most of the diseases are high blood pressure. In terms of economic conditions, most of them received elderly allowance, monthly income is 600-12,600 baht. In terms of elderly’s activities and living, no matter housing type: single house, twin house and tenement house is divided into three areas according to the activities of the elderly. It consists of multipurpose area, bathroom and kitchen area. The multipurpose area is an area of doing more than one activity for space saving caused an inappropriate sleeping on the floor with foldable mattress. Bathroom is not fix with assisted handle. Kitchen area is untidy. Suggestion for these issues are using foldable bed for multipurpose area, fixing assisted handle to prevent the risk of slippery and rearranging gas cylinder under gas stove counter for safety reason.