Elderly in Thailand expect their children to look after them

A recent survey carried out by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) revealed that the majority of elderly people in Thailand expect to receive care from their families, specifically their daughters.

This survey aimed to identify who the Thai elderly believe should be responsible for their care, questioning a sample of 1,310 individuals aged 60 and above. The study was conducted from March 14-17, coinciding with National Elderly Day and the beginning of the Songkran Festival.

The results showed that 53.1% of respondents expect care from their families, while 41.9% prefer assistance from government organizations such as state-run elderly care facilities. Meanwhile, 3.6% anticipate care from temples, foundations, associations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and 1.5% from private organizations.

Among those who prefer familial care, nearly 36% want help from their eldest or second eldest daughters; 23.9% from their eldest or second eldest sons, and 19.1% from all their children.

For those expecting public sector care, 84.8% desired medical and treatment services while 85.1% among them had already used these public services and 56.9% were satisfied with the services received.

Regarding the private sector, 65.7% expected medical and treatment services but 62.5% had never experienced these services.

Graphic courtesy of Bangkok Post.

In response to the growing elderly population, Pairoj Chotikasathien, the director-general of the Department of Employment, announced the new Civil State Project for the Elderly. This initiative aims to provide employment opportunities for seniors, enhancing their quality of life and preserving their dignity.

Pairoj mentioned that the project had already helped 813 elderly individuals find jobs through the Department of Employment’s job-finding service. Out of these, 702 people have been hired by a total of 1,057 employers.

The top five job positions offered through this project include production line workers, housekeepers and cleaners, security guards, drivers, and state organization employees.

Additionally, the department recently organized 694 more job opportunities for the elderly, including roles as baristas, production line workers, housekeepers, retail store or branch managers, and state employees.

The Kasikorn Research Centre (KRC) recently updated its projection of Thailand’s ageing population, stating that the “super-aged society” will arrive two years earlier than previously anticipated. KRC attributed this shift to a rapid decline in Thailand’s population between 2020 and 2022 when the death rate exceeded the birth rate for the first time, partially influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thailand’s birth and fertility rates have been decreasing, and roughly one million individuals from Generation X (born between the mid-1960s and early-1980s) are expected to turn 60 this year, according to KRC.