Housing choices of Myanmar migrants working in the central business district of Bangkok

Abstract

Urban migrant workers play a vital role in the economic growth of a country. As housing is a fundamental human need that greatly impacts individual and societal well-being, it is crucial to ensure the welfare of urban migrant workers. While several studies have explored the factors that influence urban migrants' housing choices, limited attention has been paid to the spatial distribution of housing and housing choices among urban migrant workers in Thailand. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the housing locations and determinants of housing choices among Myanmar migrants working in the Central Business District (CBD) of Bangkok. This study used spatial analysis to identify the distribution of housing and jobs in the CBD as well as Cross-tabulation and Chi-Square tests to explore the housing choices and the determinants of housing choices. The findings of this study revealed that Myanmar migrant workers tend to reside close to their workplaces. Additionally, social characteristics such as age, living status, marital status, education, occupation, and economic characteristics like rent and monthly income have associations with their housing choices. Finally, this study recommends urban strategies based on the findings of this study that addresses housing–related challenges of Myanmar migrants working in the CBD of Bangkok.