Authorities are expected to roll out additional debt restructuring measures for mortgage borrowers as their debt-servicing ability has weakened amid slower economic growth.
Surapol Opasatien, former chief executive of the National Credit Bureau, wrote in a post on his personal Facebook account on Thursday that relevant parties are discussing debt restructuring measures for mortgages with credit lines of no more than 5 million baht per borrower.
“The additional debt assistance could involve either reducing monthly debt instalments by 30% or cutting them to 30% of the existing amount,” he noted.
Mr Surapol shared mortgage data from June indicating that 2.62 million borrowers had mortgages with credit lines of 5 million baht or less. Of this group, 2.4 million borrowers were classified as normal loans.
Some 85,533 borrowers were classified as special mention loans, defined as loans overdue by more than 30 days but less than 90 days, while there were 138,377 borrowers with non-performing loans.
SCB Economic Intelligence Center (EIC), a research centre under Siam Commercial Bank, expects housing demand to fall to a four-year low this year amid a sluggish economy and limited access to lending.
The SCB EIC Real Estate Survey 2026 found that housing demand has fallen to a four-year low, with a slow recovery expected. Economic headwinds, elevated home prices and uncertainty over future financial stability are key factors prompting homebuyers to delay purchases.
“The survey indicated 56% of respondents have no plans to buy a home within five years, up from the previous year and the highest level in four years,” noted EIC.
In particular, respondents earning more than 100,000 baht per month showed a greater tendency to delay their purchases, reflecting the growing impact of persistent economic difficulties on higher-income segments, said the think tank.
Among respondents who still intend to buy a home within five years, the majority plan to do so within 3-5 years, consistent with the findings of surveys conducted over the past two years. However, these prospective buyers want to monitor economic conditions and need more time to rebuild their financial readiness.
Meanwhile, the proportion of consumers planning to purchase a home within this year has declined from an already low baseline, according to the survey.
Concerns over mortgage rejection are also delaying home purchases. Tighter lending criteria among financial institutions based on slower economic growth and elevated household debt remain major barriers to accessing mortgages.
Potential homebuyers are also wary of long-term mortgage repayments, particularly among respondents with monthly incomes of up to 50,000 baht. This market segment typically seeks mid- to low-tier housing priced less than 5 million baht.