The huge challenges facing Thailand’s ageing society

[webfact]

 

By Thai PBS Word’s Business Desk

 

National Elderly Day on April 13 serves as a reminder that Thai society is ageing fast. The country is facing a multitude of challenges as its elderly population expands rapidly amid slower economic growth and a shrinking working-age population. Worse, the country has been hit by a third wave of COVID-19 infections with new cases surging over the past few days.

 

As a result, the elderly and other citizens face immediate, medium- and long-term challenges.

 

Immediate challenge faced by elderly

“For the elderly, surviving the pandemic is the first priority,” said Viroj Na Ranong, research director at Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/the-huge-challenges-facing-thailands-ageing-society/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-04-13

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[LazySlipper]

Pension Fund anyone?

[canopus1969]

3 minutes ago, LazySlipper said:

Pension Fund anyone?

Yes but only for workers who pay into the SSO

[scubascuba3]

Maybe allow more falang in so they can get more bar girls up the duff, good idea?

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe allow more falang in so they can get more bar girls up the duff, good idea?

 

And make the charges for curing the 'falang's'  STD 50% more expensive and pass that 50% on to the elderly.

[Excel]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe allow more falang in so they can get more bar girls up the duff, good idea?

Actually that is not as crazy as it sounds.  You only have to look at the immaturity of young Thai males ( by young I mean up to 35) and you realise Thailand could do with an injection into the gene pool from us Farangs. I'm too old now but you younger guys start getting a move on. ????????

[86Tiger]

 

 

Aging population problem is not unique to Thailand.

 

There is just not enough youngsters coming along to meet the financial obligations the previous generations committed them.

 

 

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe allow more falang in so they can get more bar girls up the duff, good idea?

Would that not be creating a never ending circle.

 

Have baby, go work in bar for money feed baby.

Meet farang, get pregnant, Farang goes home.

Have baby, go work in bar for money feed baby.

Meet farang, get pregnant, Farang goes home.

Have baby, go work in bar for money feed baby.

Meet farang, get pregnant, Farang goes home.

[Bob12345]

38 minutes ago, 86Tiger said:

 

 

Aging population problem is not unique to Thailand.

 

There is just not enough youngsters coming along to meet the financial obligations the previous generations committed them.

 

 

Absolutely true, this is more a world-wide problem than a problem unique to Thailand alone.

But unlike the west, Thailand is facing these issues well before it becomes a developed nation, which does make things a lot harder. One of the solutions is always automation: less people needed to do manual labour jobs so more people are freed up for jobs that add more value and require personal interaction. But Thailand is already importing workers from abroad and there is no money to automate many processes (unlike for example Japan where you have complete supermarkets with barely any staff). 

[ParkerN]

Just now, RichardColeman said:

Would that not be creating a never ending circle.

 

Have baby, go work in bar for money feed baby.

Meet farang, get pregnant, Farang goes home.

Have baby, go work in bar for money feed baby.

Meet farang, get pregnant, Farang goes home.

Have baby, go work in bar for money feed baby.

Meet farang, get pregnant, Farang goes home.

 

And the beat goes on...

[Sir Dude]

Well, what you can do Thailand is to create a fairer society where people have hope and can work hard to better themselves if you want to encourage people to have children. As it is now, just to bring one kid up through to the end of university with a bachelor's degree of mediocre worth that will just get them a run-of-the-mill job for 20-25k a month costs a fortune ... and that's assuming they don't screw everything up before then. Things are simply too expensive and you can't just say to everyone "Go forth and multiply" and then expect all the single mothers to pick up the bill and all is well. Hardly a ringing endorsement for bigger families with things as is now. Maybe a Child Support Agency would be a good idea too to reel in errant fathers along with other things addressed.

Very deep attitude changes in society and government will need to happen to fix this problem and it's a problem in many places other than those that really shouldn't be having population explosions.

 

... and then I woke up.

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by Sir Dude

[mfd101]

My MIL here (only 5 or 6 years older than me) produced 9 or 10 children (depending which day of the week it is) through 2 marriages. My FIL here (3 years older than me) produced 9 through 2 marriages.

 

Unaccountably, my b/f and I haven't managed to produce a single one!

 

Which can only be a good thing. If you accept that the world is vastly overpopulated by H. sapiens, busily destroying the ground beneath his collective feet, then aging populations (currently just about everywhere in the world outside black Africa) mean shrinking populations a few years down the track. Mother Nature can't wait.

 

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by mfd101

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Immediate challenge faced by elderly

An inept government, poor pension fund, deteriorating health service... and there's a lot more.

[unblocktheplanet]

2 hours ago, overherebc said:

 

And make the charges for curing the 'falang's'  STD 50% more expensive and pass that 50% on to the elderly.

I honestly think very few of us would want to give STDs to the elderly. Too much competition...

[overherebc]

44 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

I honestly think very few of us would want to give STDs to the elderly. Too much competition...

 

I imagine quite a few elderly expats have managed to land themselves with a 'social problem'.

 

[holy cow cm]

Less kids are having babies. Even my 26 year old step daughter can't seem to find a Thai guy she likes and will never turn lezbo. I think money and the quality of the catch is less and less nowadays, so thus no babies. Even my son has not yet found a gal he likes. They are becoming more and more picky.

[nausea]

Actually, this reminds me of a recent conversation I had with my SO, where I explained how I worked my butt off as a youngster to enjoy my rather lazy current lifestyle; and she was saying she admired me for that but it's not the Thai way, spend as it comes is their thing. 

[bangon04]

8 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe allow more falang in so they can get more bar girls up the duff, good idea?

Not dirty Farang. You already know that the good General wishes to encourage more Chinese to spend their money in Thailand. Resistance is futile. Thailand will be assimilated eventually. Cambodia, Laos and now Myanmar will show the way.

[Fex Bluse]

Sino Thai ruling psuedo elite cares nothing about all this. They care about keeping Thailand as their playground for the rich. 

[BangkokReady]

4 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

They are becoming more and more picky.

 

Social media.  People are setting a standard that is basically a fake person/people that they see on social media.  Perfect body, rich, romantic, devoted, high class, socialite, etc.  Gone are the days of meeting someone who is an average looking decent person with an OK job and working on making a relationship.

[BangkokReady]

8 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Would that not be creating a never ending circle.

 

Maintaining a population is a never ending cycle, yes.