Abstract:
After the economic crisis in 1997, Thai economy has continuous grown with the consumption driven that results in the historical high level of household debt. An increase of household indebtedness, especially among poor ones, in the unsecured market is major source of financing household consumption in particular for durable goods. The purposes of this thesis are to study the determination of a recently increase in Thai household debt to understand the cause and to assess the risk. This study uses a 10 periods Overlapping Generations Model assuming that a household relies on utilization of house and consumption good. Household is also assumed to face the constraint from borrowing in the secured market at the beginning of their lives so that they have to borrow in the unsecured market. Using calibrating technique, household debt is estimated to match with the steady state values of debt to income, secured debt to income, unsecured debt to income and debt service payment. Simulation is used to assess the change in these debt levels. The findings are that a rising of the interest rate in the secured market, the premium rate between secured and unsecured market and decreasing in the income growth to the level below the interest rate lead to restraint household borrowing. On the contrary, a rising in the unexpected income growth of households, an extending ratio for mortgage loan by commercial bank and an increasing in households time preference result in higher borrowing and higher debt levels. Besides, the most influent factors to Thai household debt level are an increase in the unexpected income growth and in the time preference. Another remarkable result is that unsecured debt to income is highly sensitive to a change in every factor in a short time. In conclusion, the policy recommendations are as follows; (1) controlling the premium rate between secured and unsecured market in the level that is not too low, (2) extending more suitable ratio of mortgage loan in the secured market so as to minimize the loans from the unsecured market, (3) being prudent in using macro economic policy in order that households expectation will not be disguised and debt level will not rise to a new equilibrium, and (4) enhancing household understanding about borrowing and saving which leads to a sustainable solution of household indebtedness.