BANGKOK – Recently, the Prem Prachakorn Canal has been filled in, reducing its size in preparation for the construction of the Baan Mankong (Secure Housing) Scheme. Once completed, traffic will likely be heavily congested, with water not draining.
Hundreds of thousands of neighbouring households will likely suffer because the government brazenly campaigned to legalize illegal squatters, even allowing them to live there for life.
Outsiders have also infiltrated, even though they should have rented land from temples or purchased nearby land, then used the canal to build a dam and expand traffic. No country in the world allows people to live next to a large canal.
Dr. Sopon Pornchokchai, President, Agency for Real Estate Affairs (www.area.co.th), previously wrote to the Prime Minister on May 27, 2021, but there was no progress, and construction was still underway.
Let’s take a look at Dr. Sopon’s letter to the Prime Minister, which suggested cancelling the Baan Mankong Khlong Prem Prachakon project once again.
The Sad Story of Prem Prachakon Canal
The government’s construction of Baan Mankong housing along the Prem Prachakon Canal is inappropriate, as it destroys the environment, shrinks the Prem Prachakon Canal, and illegally and corruptly uses public land for mob rule, causing damage to the people and the nation.
In the past, the government has used land along the Prem Prachakon Canal to build Baan Mankong housing for canal squatters in several locations. On December 17, 2020, the Prime Minister presided over a ceremony to lay the first pillar for a Baan Mankong housing project at the entrance to Rangsit University, Lak Hok Subdistrict, Mueang Pathum Thani District.
The first phase of the project, consisting of 210 houses, was constructed despite opposition from many relevant parties. This is just one project the government will provide housing for squatters along the Prem Prachakon Canal, totalling 6,386 families, in 38 communities, transforming them from squatters to legal residents.
The fault of the Baan Mankong housing project
The government’s mistakes that led to the cancellation of the Baan Mankong housing project, Khlong Prem Prachakon or elsewhere, include:
1. This transformation of illegal offenders or trespassers into legal persons is extremely against the principles of the law. These trespassers have long taken advantage of society by encroaching on and building houses in public areas. When they are not there themselves, they rent them out. These people should be ashamed and stop taking advantage of society.
2. Does the government’s act of giving land that is the property of the people to this illegal encroaching group constitute a serious violation of the law? There are many other options for providing housing to the people, but the government has not taken them into consideration.
3. The land along the Prem Prachakon Canal has long been considered by the government to be used to construct a road from Bang Sue to Rangsit to increase traffic spaces for the benefit of the general public. Using it to build this housing scheme would therefore be a destruction of the interests of the nation and the people as a whole.
4. Is there something the government can do to use the government budget to help illegal squatters relocate, build temporary housing, pay for work travel, and build new houses? Is this considered corruption?
5. The construction of these Baan Mankong homes also destroys the Prem Prachakon Canal. Instead of demolishing the houses that encroach on the canal and harm the environment, a dam has been built, encroaching on the canal, shrinking the canal and making drainage less efficient. If flooding occurs, it will create even more serious problems for the majority of the population than those experienced in 1985, 1992, and 2011.
Budget damage and waste
Encouraging illegal housing by this Baan Mankong housing scheme is not worthwhile and damages the national budget. The state rents land to squatters at just 2.25 baht per square wah per month for 30 years, costing the state billions of baht. This project alone costs 118 million baht for 210 houses, or 560,000 baht per house.
If all 6,386 families are covered (including 8,000 units for larger families), the total cost will be 4.5 billion baht. This does not include other budgets invested in this project.
For example, at Khlong Lat Phrao, the state rents land to squatters for 100 baht per year and provides 147,000 baht per family for relocation, temporary housing construction, transportation costs, and new houses. Home Loans are available for 330,000-360,000 baht per person, with monthly payments of 1,000-3,000 baht.
But for these squatters, they can only pay a monthly installment of 2,579 baht for the state-built houses, with a 20-year repayment period. This is a highly unfair rate. During that time, they can rent or lease out their houses, as was the case with the Din Daeng flats in the past.
This creates a profound injustice in society. Squatters who break the law are being pampered in various ways. Society may view the construction of Baan Mankong houses in this manner as a (pre-)political campaign.
Alternatives that do not harm the nation
In providing housing to low-income people, there are other, better options, as follows:
1. The government could rent cheap dormitories and apartments for only 2,500-3,000 baht per month, or rent out the many unoccupied shophouses in the area to the squatters for five years to prepare them for reintegration into normal society, stop taking advantage of society, and stimulate the economy of the surrounding community. For the elderly or those unable to care for themselves, they could arrange for special care in nursing homes.
2. In cases where housing is to be provided for co-habitants, the government may purchase, rent or lease nearby land for squatters to live in. In the past, the National Housing Authority and the Community Development Institute have used this method instead of using government land carelessly.
3. In building the Baan Mankong housing in this project, 23 rai of land was used for 485 households. This means that 1 rai of land can accommodate only 21 households. If the government had used the land to build just 5-story flats, it could have accommodated 2,000 more poor families in the nearby area. But the government has only “gifted” these encroachers. Is this considered discrimination?
Suggestions
1. The government should stop building Baan Mankong housing in this manner to avoid accusations of vote-buying, illegal spending, and benefiting lawbreakers and trampling on nearby communities.
2. Use the area along the Prem Prachakorn Canal to construct a road from Bang Sue to Rangsit as previously planned to increase traffic volume and solve traffic congestion problems, especially in the northern part of Bangkok.
3. Should the rights of building houses exceeding the number of households be investigated to see if it illegally benefits outsiders?
4. We should find someone responsible for the budget damage that has occurred so that the tax money can be returned to the country.
5. It is possible to rent land from Wat Nawong and allocate it to the people at low prices, and create stability in their housing.
Attention: No place in the world would allow a canal to have houses adjacent to it like this. We should protect for the surrounding communities, society as a whole and the people at large. Don’t let mob rule be above the law.
By Dr.Sopon Pornchokchai
