The adjustment of living space by the urban poor in Phutharet flat

Abstract

This article aims to study the adjustment of living space by the urban poor in Phutharet Flat. The urban poor, comprising many ethnic groups, rented monthly, posing the question of how each group of people would adjust the living space. How are the groups similar and different? What factors are involved in the adjustment? The research hypothesis was that when groups of different cultures live in rooms of the same size, their living space adjustments include the similarities and differences. The research method is a field survey with a sample selected by purposive sampling method with precise conditions selected as the criteria, including the rental rooms of Thai people group, the rental rooms of Thai people of Chinese descent group, the rental rooms of Burmese ethnic group, and the rental rooms of Lao ethnic group, totaling 18 rooms. The research results found that the living space adjustment characteristics of the key informant groups can be classified into two patterns. The first pattern is the adjustment of living space in response to the user as a result of daily life and basic human activities, which resulted in similar adjustment characteristics of the key informants. The second pattern is the adjustment of living space in response to the cultural beliefs as a result of the integration of the cultures in the homeland and the cultures in the new land, which resulted in different adjustment characteristics of the key informants. They make sacred spaces that can define the unique characteristics of each group of the key informants. The related factors consist of (1) budget for adjusting the living space, (2) right to adjust the living space, (3) number of residents, (4) age of residents and (5) behavior of residents.