Commuting patterns of industrial workers of the Nava Nakorn industrial estate in the Northern Corridor of Bangkok

Abstract

This study examines the reasons behind the commuting patterns of industrial workers of the Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate in the Northern Corridor of Bangkok. From a sample survey of 246 factory employees of various occupations from 14 factories, it was found that respondents living in owner-occupied units stayed further away from Nava Nakorn than those who were renters (means of 34.1 km and 20.6 km, respectively). The spatial distribution of the residential locations of the former was fairly well dispersed over a large area unlike that of the latter which was mainly concentrated in short distances from Nava Nakorn. A second sample survey, this time limited to production workers only, showed similar findings. The study concludes that the commuting patterns and residential location of industrial workers in Bangkok are closely related to housing tenure. © 1994.