Approaches to Handle the Issue of Housing Demand of Employees Working in Laem Chabang Industrial Estate, Si Racha, Chonburi

Abstract

Laem Chabang Industrial Estate, Sriracha District, Chonburi Province has been laid out with infrastructure along the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to become an industrial city. However, the industrial sector is very important to the economy and people's income. From searching for forecasts of future personnel needs from the tourism development and promotion action plan, it was found that labor trends in the Sri Racha District area tended to increase by more than 86,191 positions or 229%. As a result, the estimated demand for housing has increased a lot. Consequently, this research aimed to study the housing problems of labor groups and exploring strategies to manage these issues to predict future housing demand trends.

According to preliminary results, the main housing issues today are affordability and quality of life factors. Out of 423 samples, 198 people (46.8%) wanted to relocate, while 225 people (53.2%) did not need to relocate.  The findings revealed that the demand group from the sample was 360 people with rental power or 85.1 %. When calculating the affordability by household income level, it was found that the average household income level was 15,200 baht per month and the average housing rental rate was more than 35-40 percent of income. When comparing the results, it was found that there was a significantly higher demand for relocating because rental power was inconsistent with income level. For transportation, most samples in the demand group traveled by motorcycles and welfare vehicles. On average, it was found that the demand group took 15-60 minutes from their current address to their workplace. It is possible that a sample group who took an average of 15-30 minutes to their workplace from their current address decided to stay in the Ao Udom-Laem Chabang and Sahaphat-Kao Kilo Road areas and a sample group who took more than 30-60 minutes to their workplace from their current address could stay in any location.  It reveals the opportunity to develop networks and remote industrial areas to meet the housing needs of the growing labor group in the future. The results will be beneficial to entrepreneurs in the future further.