Abstract:
After the government designated Laem Chabang area as a new economic zone in the Eastern Economic Corridor, increased industrial expansion has caused an increased demand for labor and for housing. Currently, the existing demand has deteriorated with several limitations such as density, crowded, and deteriorating quality. In response to these issues, this study aims to examine the demand for housing among laborers to find solutions for the current housing problem and predict future housing development guidelines to support an increasing number of workers.From preliminary results, the main housing issues today are affordability and quality of life. From a sample of 423 individuals, 198 people (46.8%) wished to relocate, while 225 people (53.2%) did not. Among the respondents, 360 people (or 85.1%) rented their housing. When calculating affordability by household income level, it was found that the average household income level was 13,200 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 to relocate because rental power was inconsistent with income level. For transportation, most of the sample traveled by motorcycle and shuttle services. 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 commuted an average of 15-30 minutes to their workplace decided to stay in the Ao Udom-Laem Chabang or Sahaphat-Kao Kilo Road areas, while a sample group who took more than 30-60 minutes to their workplace from their current address could stay in any location. This reveals an opportunity to develop networks and remote industrial areas to meet the housing needs of this growing labor group in the future, which will be beneficial to entrepreneurs in the future.