Railcars become homes in Bangkok

Rail police in Bangkok turned 24 out-of-service railcars into 12 residential units. With help from the state-owned railway operator, the cars, or bogeys, were equipped with electricity and water. Railway police officers have spent off-duty hours acting as painters and carpenters. The average renovation cost for a bogey home is about $1,100, excluding the land, which belongs to the state railway agency. Selling the bogeys to junk collectors only earns about 50 cents. Once completed, the train village, now composed of the 12 complete units, will also have a child nursery, a library, a common meeting room and a mini soccer field.