Home alone: The elderly citizens being abandoned as population change grips Thailand

[webfact]

 

While family gatherings are common during the Songkran festival, many elderly Thais will be spending the holiday alone just as they do for the rest of the year. At the age of 74, Buakaew is one of them.

 

“I am childless and now a widow,” the elderly woman said. “Although I raised a niece, she moved to another province three or four years ago.”

 

Her relatives have not completely abandoned her. Her niece has kept in contact. But Buakaew knows not to bother or burden her younger relative, as they no longer live under the same roof.

 

“I am fine. Overthinking will just worry me,” Buakaew said. “I will just live this way.”

 

Currently, about 12 percent of Thailand’s 12.6 million elderly people live alone. Another 21.1 percent live with their spouse – in most cases another elderly person.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/home-alone-the-elderly-citizens-being-abandoned-as-population-change-grips-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-04-13

 

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[Olmate]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

Another 21.1 percent live with their spouse – in most cases another elderly person.

My missus exactly! 

[KhunLA]

"many elderly Thais will be spending the holiday alone just as they do for the rest of the year"

 

Finally 'Peace & Quiet'  ... a blessing for many ????

[ikke1959]

As same in many countries... The elderly people are lonely special with holidays as the young ones will go out with their friends or with their own family. When you are of age you don't fit in the perfect picture anymore. Sadly, but in time the young ones now will experience the same, and maybe even worse as nowadays they are all addicted to phones and internet, and everyone is busy busy and busy.....

I hope the elderly can find some happiness in living their own lives.

[BangkokReady]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

many elderly Thais will be spending the holiday alone just as they do for the rest of the year.

They spend the Songkran holiday alone all year?  I doubt that somehow.

Edited April 13, 2023 by BangkokReady

[BangkokReady]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“I am childless and now a widow,” the elderly woman said. “Although I raised a niece, she moved to another province three or four years ago.”

It really sucks for the sort of stragglers of the older generation.  Family came first for them, but now those families they helped are forgetting about them and doing their own thing.  Part of the "me generation".

 

I'm sure there will be a rude awaking for them when they get older and they need someone.

[SoilSpoil]

1 hour ago, BangkokReady said:

It really sucks for the sort of stragglers of the older generation.  Family came first for them, but now those families they helped are forgetting about them and doing their own thing.  Part of the "me generation".

 

I'm sure there will be a rude awaking for them when they get older and they need someone.

My mil has never helped her parents, never worked, never saved even 1 lousy baht and tried to live on my wife's money and properties. Bad luck for her that I stepped in and explained how finance is done in the new, not feudal, global world. We save and invest in our children, not in freeloading and very dominant mothers. She now lives alone in 1 of our properties and gets a monthly allowance, just enough to make ends meet. I am not evil.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, BangkokReady said:

They spend the Songkran holiday alone all year?  I doubt that somehow.

Why do you doubt that?

 

'Thailand’s elderly population is now growing by about one million per year. The size of Thai family units, meanwhile, is getting smaller. On average, there are now only three people per Thai household'.

 

Thailand's birthrate has been falling for many years and this is the inevitable result. It's happening in many countries worldwide.

[jerrymahoney]

I guess one of these days I might have to help take care of my Thai wife's elderly parents. Except I am older than they are.

[jaywalker2]

53 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Why do you doubt that?

 

'Thailand’s elderly population is now growing by about one million per year. The size of Thai family units, meanwhile, is getting smaller. On average, there are now only three people per Thai household'.

 

Thailand's birthrate has been falling for many years and this is the inevitable result. It's happening in many countries worldwide.

He was being sarcastic in order to highlight the bad grammer. Obviously, the elderly can't be alone on Songkran the whole year, which is what the sentence implies.

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

Why do you doubt that?

Because Songkran holiday doesn't occur all year long.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, jaywalker2 said:

He was being sarcastic in order to highlight the bad grammer. Obviously, the elderly can't be alone on Songkran the whole year, which is what the sentence implies.

 

57 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Because Songkran holiday doesn't occur all year long.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the grammar at all.

 

'many elderly Thais will be spending the holiday alone just as they do for the rest of the year'.

 

The latter part of that sentence refers to the the individuals, not the holidays.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

“I am fine. Overthinking will just worry me,” Buakaew said. “I will just live this way.”

As do thousands of single people in Thailand.

[TigerandDog]

50 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

I didn't say there was anything wrong with the grammar.  It is the meaning that is the problem.

 

"While family gatherings are common during the Songkran festival, many elderly Thais will be spending the holiday alone just as they do for the rest of the year."

 

It says that they spend the holiday alone, this holiday is the Songkran holiday.

 

So it says "many elderly Thais will be spending [Songkran] alone just as they do for the rest of the year."

 

The "as they do" refers to spending Songkran alone.  So this means they will be spending Songkran alone for the rest of the year.  This is not the case, as Songkran does not occur over the rest of the year, only during the Songkran period.

 

In order to make the meaning correct, they should have written something like "Many elderly Thais will be alone during the holiday, as they are for the rest of the year".

I disagree to a point with your interpretation of the sentence as both interpretations are somewhat correct, BUT I also agree that there should have been a comma between holiday & as thus eliminating any confusion as to the exact meaning of the sentence.

[vandeventer]

Living alone is good as long as you have full mobility. Once you have to rely on others it's all down hill from there. 

[RichardColeman]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

At the age of 74, Buakaew is one of them.

 

“I am childless and now a widow,” the elderly woman said. “Although I raised a niece, she moved to another province three or four years ago.”

To be fair, this lady has had someone living with her 71 of her 74 years !! Think thats pretty good !

[Tropposurfer]

Sounds just like Australia. 

[billd766]

9 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

They spend the Songkran holiday alone all year?  I doubt that somehow.

I don't and I live in rural Thailand.

 

My wife has 3 brothers, 2 sisters in law, several nephews and nieces.

 

This Songkran only her youngest brother, his wife and their son came up from Bangkok.

 

Believe it, as it is true and happens all year around.

 

Fortunately out in the rural villages there is usually somebody who will keep an eye on a small group.

 

An elderly Thai pensioner living on their own gets a huge 600 thb government pension per month, some help with the electric bill but little else.

 

They get a rise in their pension every 10 years.

 

Compare that with how much you live on per month.

 

 

[itsari]

8 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

My mil has never helped her parents, never worked, never saved even 1 lousy baht and tried to live on my wife's money and properties. Bad luck for her that I stepped in and explained how finance is done in the new, not feudal, global world. We save and invest in our children, not in freeloading and very dominant mothers. She now lives alone in 1 of our properties and gets a monthly allowance, just enough to make ends meet. I am not evil.

You are not kind either

[JimTripper]

7 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

I guess one of these days I might have to help take care of my Thai wife's elderly parents. Except I am older than they are.

Did you become your father?

[sammieuk1]

I invited the mother in law to come over and stick her head in a bucket of water but she was having none of it to busy with Tik Tok what ever that is  ????

[jaywalker2]

6 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the grammar at all.

 

'many elderly Thais will be spending the holiday alone just as they do for the rest of the year'.

 

The latter part of that sentence refers to the the individuals, not the holidays.

The reference to is do is spending the holiday alone.  To correct the sentence, you should say something like: Many elderly will be alone on songran just as they are for the rest of the year.

[HuskerDo2]

10 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

It really sucks for the sort of stragglers of the older generation.  Family came first for them, but now those families they helped are forgetting about them and doing their own thing.  Part of the "me generation".

 

I'm sure there will be a rude awaking for them when they get older and they need someone.

Yea, it's too bad people don't appreciate and remember what their parents did for them. My father had a great job at the railroad but would often work the 3rd shift as it paid more. Then he would work a part-time job during the day. All for his family. Sadly, my 3 siblings didn't appreciate him. They never called or stopped by to see him. I'd drive 90 minutes every Sunday morning to have breakfast with him. The day he died I was the only one at the hospital with him. It would have meant so much to him had the other 3 shown up. I think Karma will take care of them. 

[HuskerDo2]

5 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

I didn't say there was anything wrong with the grammar.  It is the meaning that is the problem.

 

"While family gatherings are common during the Songkran festival, many elderly Thais will be spending the holiday alone just as they do for the rest of the year."

 

It says that they spend the holiday alone, this holiday is the Songkran holiday.

 

So it says "many elderly Thais will be spending [Songkran] alone just as they do for the rest of the year."

 

The "as they do" refers to spending Songkran alone.  So this means they will be spending Songkran alone for the rest of the year.  This is not the case, as Songkran does not occur over the rest of the year, only during the Songkran period.

 

In order to make the meaning correct, they should have written something like "Many elderly Thais will be alone during the holiday, as they are for the rest of the year".

OMG! Enough already. STOP THE INSANITY!!!!

[BangkokReady]

15 minutes ago, HuskerDo2 said:

OMG! Enough already. STOP THE INSANITY!!!!

This is 100% semantic sanity.

[gargamon]

So Thailand is catching up go the West in elder neglect. Was bound to happen. Soon just lock them in a facility and sedate them to keep them under control. 

[onthedarkside]

reported grammar police post removed

[Maybole]

Back in the 1980s the Thai government encouraged contraception and a limit on family numbers. Their citizens are now reaping the consequences.

[SoilSpoil]

9 hours ago, itsari said:

You are not kind either

I am very kind, just not to everyone. Kindness, respect or friendliness are a 2 way street.

[zzaa09]

12%

Hmmmm....find this figure hard to swallow.