Secure land and property rights for all are essential to reducing poverty because they underpin economic development and social inclusion. Secure land tenure and property rights enable people in urban and rural areas to invest in improved homes and livelihoods. Although many countries have completely restructured their legal and regulatory framework related to land and they have tried to harmonize modern statutory law with customary ones, millions of people around the world still have insecure land tenure and property rights.

This report addresses and assesses the issue of tenure security  in several countries where government, civil society, the private sector and development cooperation initiatives have been implemented for decades. The selected case studies from fifteen (15) countries (Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, The Philippines, Thailand, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala) ensure not only ageographic balance but they also represent countries with different socio-economic and land-related histories and that have followed different pathways. The studies’ key findings underline the still precariousstate of tenure security in many countries.

Housing in Thailand has generally not been considered the responsibility of local government. The National Housing Authority (NHA) was set up in 1973. Initially the work of the National Housing Authority focused on the construction of houses and flats.

Then, from 1977 into the 1980’s there was a programme of sites and service development. This was significant because it led to an acceptance that slum dwellers could stay in their existing locations rather than being relocated. Slum upgrading also began in Thailand in 1977 and has continued to evolve to the present time.

The report sets the Thai economy as a background for examining the housing finance system. It looks at the real estate market and housing market; the evolution of housing development and housing market. It reviews the provision of low income housing in Thailand. It examines the housing finance mechanisms in Thailand. It describes the structure, patterns, trends, characteristics and evolution of housing finance. It reviews the main players of the housing finance system and driving forces for the change.

It examines the strategies and instruments for mobilising domestic resources and the sources and volume of housing finance. It looks at factors constraining the development of housing finance mechanism and policies and strategies to overcome the bottlenecks for housing finance. It also describes the major low income housing finance programs and initiatives. Finally it looks at the alternatives for developing housing mechanisms in Thailand.