Thailand Tackles Housing Crisis for 27,000 Railway Community Families
Thailand's government is working to resolve housing insecurity for 27,000 families living on State Railway land across 35 provinces, with a committee meeting in July tracking progress on lease renewals and land-use solutions.
Deputy Prime Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, also Transport Minister, revealed that on July 22, 2025, he chaired the first meeting of the committee monitoring solutions for housing communities on State Railway of Thailand (SRT) land. Representatives from the SRT, Community Organization Development Institute, SRT Asset Company Limited (SRTA), and public sector joined the meeting to track progress and address housing difficulties for residents living on SRT property—a priority for the Transport Ministry because it affects the quality of life and residential security of tens of thousands of households across the country. Problem-solving efforts must proceed on both legal and land-use dimensions while upholding fair treatment through inclusive consultation.
Pipat reported progress on resolutions from the June 4 meeting, including renewal of 24 SRT land-lease contracts, of which 2 have been completed and 22 are underway, plus the transfer of 10 leases from SRTA to the SRT to secure long-term tenure rights. The committee also tracked remedies for communities affected by rail system development, such as reviewing land-lease rates, resolving delivery delays, adjusting rates for inflation, approving housing projects, boundary surveying, and resolving tax and rent payment issues.
Pipat stated the meeting also discussed continuity of the Cabinet resolution from February 1, 2023, addressing housing for communities on SRT land across 35 provinces, covering roughly 300 communities or 27,000 households. The SRT and Community Organization Development Institute will consult with the public to establish clear implementation guidelines and present them to the SRT board for consideration.
