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Document Type: | General |
Publish Date: | August 31, 2009 |
Primary Author: | Ms. Chantana Chanond |
Prepared By: | National Housing Authority of Thailand Community Organizations Development Institute Government Housing Bank Bangkok, Thailand |
Edited By: | Suneela Farooqi |
Published By: | National Housing Bank of India |
The Kingdom of Thailand covers 513,115 square kilometers with borders touching Malaysia, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. Its seacoast extends from the Cambodian border in the east to the Malaysian border in the south and along the Andaman Sea in the west. Its 63 million people (18 million households) occupy about 20 million dwellings in four major regions. The people in each region share the predominant culture of the Central Region but have some cultural distinctiveness as well in customs, language, and traditions. Most Thais are Buddhists. Muslims make up about 5% of the population. Other religions are less than 1%. Thailand’s population size has been stabilized. Population growth is currently less than 0.5% per year.1 The country has successfully completed the demographic transition from high birth-rates and high death-rates to low birth-rates and low death-rates. Housing demand can be expected from the effects of wealth, income, gentrification, and migration. Housing demand will nevertheless continue as people migrate to the cities that are expanding and strong urban centers.