The six state-owned land units are comprised of two plots in Bangkok, one plot in Chiang Mai, one plot in Chiang Rai and two plots in Phetchaburi province.

Jakkrit admitted previous talks with related private sectors left several inconclusive points including selling prices and eligible persons’ income ceiling.

The Fiscal Policy Office had initially set the housing unit prices as up to Bt700,000 for a 70 square metre housing unit and up to Bt500,000 for a 22 square metre condominium unit while setting the income ceiling at up to Bt15,000 per month, he said.

However, the Government Housing Bank had a different definition of “low-income” earners as those making up to Bt24,000 per month while the National Housing Estate’s definition was Bt20,000, he said. The private sector said if it were implemented by the department’s ceiling, the number of those eligible to purchase the units would shrink in size, he added. After the project details were finalised, a bid over house plans would be carried out and the construction would take up to a year-and-a-half. The first batch of units should come out in Bangkok and Chiang Rai by 2017, according to Jakkrit.