Residents living near a railway in the Phaya Thai area of Bangkok are urging the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to allocate 10% of its 500-rai Makkasan land to them before it starts a high-speed rail project linking three airports.
The airports are Don Mueang in Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi in Samut Prakan, and U-Tapao in Rayong.
In March last year, the cabinet approved a plan for a housing development project for low-income people in communities affected by the development of the high-speed rail system in the city.
The plan will be carried out by the SRT, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Community Organisation Development Institute.
Chao Kerdaree, leader of the Bun Romsai community in Phetchaburi Soi 5, said more than 100 households in his community will be affected by the airport link project.
Most came from upcountry and work odd jobs in the city, he said, adding they do not have access to affordable housing. Some of them have lived on the SRT's land as squatters for 60 years, he said.
The residents are now urging the SRT to relocate them to another SRT land plot in Makkasan, he said. "We are lower-income workers, we do not know where we should move to so we urge SRT to allocate about 10% of the SRT's 500-rai Makkasan land for us to live there legally," he said. "We are willing to pay rent at a low price."
Jiraporn Phumpanya, president of the railway community behind Decha Hospital in the Phaya Thai area, said about 87 households are living in her community, and they are waiting for monetary compensation from the SRT so they can live elsewhere.
She also hopes their relocation to the Makkasan land can happen this year.
"If we were to move to a new leased land belonging to the SRT in the Makkasan area, we would like state agencies to establish a community because it would give us the right to assistance from many [city] agencies," she said.