ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on Baan Mankong programme's influence in Nong Kaem, a community that began as a squatted slum near a dump on the outskirts of Bangkok. A low-income community on the outskirts of Bangkok, Nong Kaem is located near the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority's garbage dump. The projects in Nong Kaem provide a model of co-operative living. Instead of delivering homes to individual families, the co-operative develops members' housing in a collective way. In 2003 the Thai government launched the Baan Mankong programme, an initiative to address the problem of insecure housing in urban slums. The programme departs from previous policies by employing a community-driven approach to local development. The programme started with efforts to launch savings activities in communities throughout Thailand. The co-operative committee employs several measures to deal with deficits resulting from non-payment by members.
