The aging of the population will be a growing problem for Thailand. Other countries in the region are better equipped for the future. The Thai government must rethink care policies in urban centers.
Bangkok () – Thailand is one of the Asian countries where the aging of the population is most evident and problematic. This could lead to many complications, as the National Council for Economic and Social Development points out, according to which the ratio of workers to older people, which in 2020 was 3.6, will be halved in twenty years. These figures do not differ from those of Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore, which, however, have reached the same situation more gradually and with greater economic resources.
The cultural and economic characteristics of the nation, on the one hand, and the speed of the process, on the other, make it difficult to intervene without redefining the idea of well-being seen and considering social trends.
The low birth rate casts a heavy shadow over generations preparing to exit the labor market. On the other hand, it is difficult to obtain the necessary assistance to take over from family and neighborhood relationships, essential to meet the needs of elderly people who are increasingly alone. Those over 65 are now 7.5 million out of a population of 70 million, about 11%, but this figure is expected to rise to 30% by 2040.
A recent seminar held in Bangkok and several studies show how social enterprises will play an increasingly important role, as confirmed by Suthida Chuanwan, a researcher at the Institute of Population and Social Research at Mahidol University in Bangkok.
The expert points out that a quarter of older people who live alone are at risk of suffering from insecurity, anxiety or depression. Currently, the number of “elderly families”, that is, people over 60 years of age living together without real external support, is a significant reality, but non-home care services are limited. Hence, the need for economic, social and medical support initiatives dedicated to the elderly alone arises especially in large urban centers, starting with the capital, Bangkok, where relationships with relatives or acquaintances are less close than in the provinces. . In rural areas, on the other hand, the elderly remain more integrated into the social fabric and can better enjoy the recreational and social activities dedicated to them.
These initiatives are essential, because today’s seniors – who often had no opportunity or intention to create financial sustainability for themselves in the future – have always led healthy lifestyles. As Jongjit Ritthirong, also a researcher at the Population and Social Research Institute, points out, this poses a challenge for the authorities, who are now called upon to invest more in welfare to prevent the costs associated with an increasingly aging population from becoming unsustainable in the future. .
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