Transport Ministry to seek Cabinet nod for housing lottery under Home for Thais scheme

Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote said that following the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between SRT Asset (SRTA) and the Government Lottery Office (GLO) on the lottery system, the ministry is now working on establishing the criteria for the draw.

“We are preparing to submit the scheme to the Cabinet for approval and aim to begin the lottery process by October this year,” he said.

He added that once the Cabinet gives its approval, the ministry will begin drafting the terms of reference (ToR) for selecting contractors. The construction is expected to commence by the end of 2025, with the first batch of homes ready for occupancy by late 2026.

Surapong explained that the GLO will be responsible for designing the lottery format and overseeing the process. He stressed that, given the GLO’s long-standing experience with lottery operations, the process will be transparent and verifiable.

However, he noted that the lottery cannot proceed until the Cabinet formally approves the project.

The Transport Ministry estimates that Phase 1, comprising around 5,000 housing units, will require a construction budget of approximately 6–7 billion baht.

Following initial registration for the Home for Thais scheme, some 260,000 people expressed interest, of whom 130,000 have passed the initial screening by the Government Housing Bank (GHB). From this pool, 5,000 names will be selected in the first lottery draw.

Meanwhile, the ministry is preparing to launch Phase 2 of the scheme, which will include approximately 12,000 additional units.

Those who registered for Phase 1 but did not receive a unit will automatically be eligible for future draws, especially for the Bang Sue Km.11 site in Bangkok, which will remain a core location with more than 10,000 units included in every phase of the lottery.

Four pilot locations on land owned by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) have been designated for development under the scheme:

• Bang Sue Km.11 (Bangkok) – A central city location with strong public transport links. The site is 2.5 km from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, 500 metres from Central Ladprao, and 500 metres from Phahon Yothin MRT station.
   
• Thonburi (Siriraj) site – Located opposite Sala Nam Ron Market and 800 metres from both the Red and Orange Line rail links. The plot spans approximately 23 rai.
   
• Chiang Rak, Pathum Thani – Situated near the Prem Prachakon Canal Road, the site is 4.4 km from Chiang Rak railway station, Thammasat University (Rangsit campus), and Thammasat University Hospital, and 9 km from Bangkok University.
   
• Chiang Mai – Adjacent to Chiang Mai railway station on Charoen Muang and Thung Hotel roads. The location is 2.5 km from The Prince Royal's College, 2.6 km from Payap University, 7.5 km from Chiang Mai University, and 1.3 km (or 5 minutes’ drive) from the super highway.