Living together or apart? Gated condominium communities and social segregation in Bangkok

Abstract

Gated residential communities are commonly portrayed as a negative phenomenon, leading to social segregation. However, given gated condominiums are commonly located in older residential areas of cities, it has been argued they have greater potential for social-tenurial mix. Bangkok is now seeing a proliferation of condominium building by transit in such areas. The aim of this research is to establish the extent to which this development results in social segregation. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with gated and non-gated residents in a case study area and the theories of Schutz and the lifeworld were drawn upon to understand the data collected. Findings reveal limited social interactions between the populations and significant physical, social, and symbolic divisions, accentuated by the transient character of the condominiums. Thus, condominiums built in residential areas do not appear to encourage social-tenurial mix. Exploring the subjects’ lifeworlds has also revealed how subjective meanings are constructed and embedded within a particular culture, which is critical to understanding social segregation.

Keywords:

• Gated condominiums
• gated communities
• urban enclaves
• social segregation
• mass transit
• Bangkok

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank the respondents for their time and co-operation and in addition, Barry Goodchild, Angela Maye-Banbury, Paul Hickman and Rionach Casey for their help in the supervision of the Sheffield Hallam University doctoral thesis on which this article is based.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 As of December 2020, the national average wage in Bangkok was 21,846 baht per month, Bank of Thailand https://www.bot.or.th/App/BTWS_STAT/statistics/BOTWEBSTAT.aspx?reportID=738&language=ENG (consulted March, 2022)

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Russell David Moore

Russell David Moore holds a doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University and an MA in Housing Policy and Practice. He has published several papers and presented at conferences in Southeast Asia on the topics of homelessness, urban development and gentrification.