Thailand's aging population

[GameMaster]

Thailand's population is aging quickly.

At the same time the country has a high rate of informal work (around 55%) and a declining participation rate (currently around 65% I believe).

State support for elderly people is ridiculously low (something like 500 or 600THB/month).

Thailand currently ranks 3rd in Asia (after Japan and Korea) when it comes to working-age population.

 

What is the gov strategy to tackle that problem ?

Any ideas what the upcoming plans are regarding laws and regulations ?

[BangkokReady]

Probably nothing.

[sidneybear]

They'll deal with it when the time comes. That's the Thai way.

[itsari]

39 minutes ago, sidneybear said:

They'll deal with it when the time comes. That's the Thai way.

The time has already arrived 

[sidneybear]

12 minutes ago, itsari said:

The time has already arrived 

Well, the sky hasn't fallen in yet.

[itsari]

7 minutes ago, sidneybear said:

Well, the sky hasn't fallen in yet.

It has for the 600 baht a month pensionists 

[sidneybear]

1 minute ago, itsari said:

It has for the 600 baht a month pensionists 

That's why extended families exist in Thailand, and are such a nice way of caring for the elderly and repaying them for all the sacrifices they made back in the day.

[itsari]

5 minutes ago, sidneybear said:

That's why extended families exist in Thailand, and are such a nice way of caring for the elderly and repaying them for all the sacrifices they made back in the day.

Maybe you could be adopted by the family and try living on 600 baht plus handouts .

[sidneybear]

4 minutes ago, itsari said:

Maybe you could be adopted by the family and try living on 600 baht plus handouts .

Thanks for your concern, and that's not a bad idea. 

[George Aylesham]

On 4/29/2023 at 7:24 PM, BangkokReady said:

Probably nothing.

Not so - At least here in Chiang Mai a new, well equipped geriatric hospital has been built.

[Robert Tyrrell]

Good afternoon ???? 

 

after they deal with more then 2 on a motorcycle without helmets and open pickup trucks with people loaded

Unsafely in the back. !!!!

[mfd101]

On 4/30/2023 at 7:07 AM, itsari said:

It has for the 600 baht a month pensionists 

And what are the 600-a-monthers doing about it? Nothing. And their families? Nothing.

 

Doubtless a new improved-model government is about to be elected in Thailand. Whether it actually gets to form a government remains to be seen. But the underlying passivity of the former slaves & serfs whose descendents I live amongst - passivity reinforced daily by a status-conscious culture, by poverty & routine, by Buddhism and by a school system whose main output is ignorance and obedience - means that nothing much changes or it changes at such a slow pace for most of the peasants that they fall further and further behind the rest of the world.

 

Example: A young woman from impoverished background in my village. Worked hard at local school & secondary school & then university. Top marks all the way. Came 2nd or 3rd in the whole of Thailand in the exams to enter the Police force. Failed because she couldn't raise the um facilitation funds required to enter the RTP.

 

With examples like that it's hard to think that Thailand has a great future. Just further wallowing in a filthy trough.

[Moo 2]

Prayut could not care less, he is not a civilian.

[itsari]

10 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

And what are the 600-a-monthers doing about it? Nothing. And their families? Nothing.

 

Doubtless a new improved-model government is about to be elected in Thailand. Whether it actually gets to form a government remains to be seen. But the underlying passivity of the former slaves & serfs whose descendents I live amongst - passivity reinforced daily by a status-conscious culture, by poverty & routine, by Buddhism and by a school system whose main output is ignorance and obedience - means that nothing much changes or it changes at such a slow pace for most of the peasants that they fall further and further behind the rest of the world.

 

Example: A young woman from impoverished background in my village. Worked hard at local school & secondary school & then university. Top marks all the way. Came 2nd or 3rd in the whole of Thailand in the exams to enter the Police force. Failed because she couldn't raise the um facilitation funds required to enter the RTP.

 

With examples like that it's hard to think that Thailand has a great future. Just further wallowing in a filthy trough.

I have read that Thailand has the worst pensions in southeast Asia and considering they have the second best economy in the region does not give confidence now or after the election for any improvement.

I hope the young woman you mentioned has found gainful employment. 

[kingstonkid]

On 4/30/2023 at 7:11 AM, sidneybear said:

That's why extended families exist in Thailand, and are such a nice way of caring for the elderly and repaying them for all the sacrifices they made back in the day.

The extended family in Thailand is not new but it is slowly eroding.  The challenge is that grandparents used to look after the kids while mom and dad worked. The issue is that the kids are now not having as many babies and the cost of living for a lot of them is above their means to support themselves let alone their parents.

 

But when you look around the world the issue is the same in a lot of countries.  

 

The old ideals fot eh past are long gone.

 

Some of younger membersw will remember the sage wisdom we got in school and at home.

 

Get a good education

Get a good job with a good company

Then you are set for life because you will always have a job and get a pension when you retire

[sidneybear]

24 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

The extended family in Thailand is not new but it is slowly eroding.  The challenge is that grandparents used to look after the kids while mom and dad worked. The issue is that the kids are now not having as many babies and the cost of living for a lot of them is above their means to support themselves let alone their parents.

That's true in some cases, particularly for westernised Bangkok middle class. I still know of a lot of young folk who live with their relatives though, and outside Bangkok it's widespread. 

[BangkokReady]

2 hours ago, George Aylesham said:

Not so - At least here in Chiang Mai a new, well equipped geriatric hospital has been built.

And it's free for everyone?

[LogicThai]

1 hour ago, kingstonkid said:

Some of younger membersw will remember the sage wisdom we got in school and at home.

 

Get a good education

Get a good job with a good company

Then you are set for life because you will always have a job and get a pension when you retire

That old wisdom is pretty much gone now in Western countries. Quality of education is in free fall, and while what passes for a good education is certainly still a better entry point into the working life, it is no guarantee of a good job, nor of keeping even a not-so-good or a bad job, and there are not really many "good companies" left. And from a certain age, well-educated or not, one becomes unwanted, and eventually discarded. As for getting a pension upon retirement, most governments have been moving the goalpost and will continue to do so.

[mfd101]

2 hours ago, itsari said:

I have read that Thailand has the worst pensions in southeast Asia and considering they have the second best economy in the region does not give confidence now or after the election for any improvement.

I hope the young woman you mentioned has found gainful employment. 

Currently working as secretary to a doctor. Which is a few steps up from the paddy fields and the cane fields but far short of her legitimate ambition.

[itsari]

3 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Currently working as secretary to a doctor. Which is a few steps up from the paddy fields and the cane fields but far short of her legitimate ambition.

The top jobs go to the well off .

Thank you for your reply 

[kingstonkid]

59 minutes ago, LogicThai said:

That old wisdom is pretty much gone now in Western countries. Quality of education is in free fall, and while what passes for a good education is certainly still a better entry point into the working life, it is no guarantee of a good job, nor of keeping even a not-so-good or a bad job, and there are not really many "good companies" left. And from a certain age, well-educated or not, one becomes unwanted, and eventually discarded. As for getting a pension upon retirement, most governments have been moving the goalpost and will continue to do so.

You missed the Pension part completely.  The Pension I am talking about is 55-60% of your annual salary plus your medical coverage will stay the same.

 

Had nothing to do with the government pension

 

THe interesting part is that many people are refusing to retire at 60 or the max-age because they can not afford to.

[kingstonkid]

Just now, kingstonkid said:

You missed the Pension part completely.  The Pension I am talking about is 55-60% of your annual salary plus your medical coverage will stay the same.

 

Had nothing to do with the government pension

 

1 hour ago, sidneybear said:

That's true in some cases, particularly for westernised Bangkok middle class. I still know of a lot of young folk who live with their relatives though, and outside Bangkok it's widespread. 

Yeah there are still a lot of them I know of a couple of students that I teach that Grandparents bring them and look after the house.

 

The challenge is that no one at any time explained or taught money management to people here it is the same as the western countries.  Thais in the country have a better idea of living and understand.  I actually think some bar girls are smarter than the ones with the high education.

[sidneybear]

1 hour ago, kingstonkid said:

 

The challenge is that no one at any time explained or taught money management to people here it is the same as the western countries.  Thais in the country have a better idea of living and understand.  I actually think some bar girls are smarter than the ones with the high education.

Right. Many are up to their eyeballs in debt. Mind you, easy credit has been a problem globally for the past few years. 

[zzaa09]

On 4/29/2023 at 5:11 PM, sidneybear said:

That's why extended families exist in Thailand, and are such a nice way of caring for the elderly and repaying them for all the sacrifices they made back in the day.

Shouldn't attempt to explain natural familial/social extensions to contemporary Western types. 

Such patterns don't come by them easily....

[mikebike]

5 hours ago, mfd101 said:

And what are the 600-a-monthers doing about it? Nothing. And their families? Nothing.

 

Doubtless a new improved-model government is about to be elected in Thailand. Whether it actually gets to form a government remains to be seen. But the underlying passivity of the former slaves & serfs whose descendents I live amongst - passivity reinforced daily by a status-conscious culture, by poverty & routine, by Buddhism and by a school system whose main output is ignorance and obedience - means that nothing much changes or it changes at such a slow pace for most of the peasants that they fall further and further behind the rest of the world.

 

Example: A young woman from impoverished background in my village. Worked hard at local school & secondary school & then university. Top marks all the way. Came 2nd or 3rd in the whole of Thailand in the exams to enter the Police force. Failed because she couldn't raise the um facilitation funds required to enter the RTP.

 

With examples like that it's hard to think that Thailand has a great future. Just further wallowing in a filthy trough.

With those qualifications why did she want to be a cop? Brown envelopes don't come without paying up front for the privilege. 

[mfd101]

10 minutes ago, mikebike said:

With those qualifications why did she want to be a cop? Brown envelopes don't come without paying up front for the privilege. 

My understanding is that she wanted to be a teacher but within a large 'n generous organization with plenty of opportunities for a decent career ... She knew it was going to be difficult but to reach as high as she did by way of qualifications and still not be offered a position is pretty appalling. Says nothing good about this country as a whole.

[Skeptic7]

Government solution...snag/con a "farang"❗❗❗????

 

Seriously tho...Don't know...don't care. Why should you waste time thinking about it and caring more than they do❓ Not our prob. 

[Enoon]

15 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Shouldn't attempt to explain natural familial/social extensions to contemporary Western types. 

Such patterns don't come by them easily....

But they used to.

 

My great-grandparents generation lived in that sort of environment........but it all changed.

 

Do not expect future generations in Thailand to maintain such behaviour in the light of their own unbounded cravings for materialistic self-confirmation/validation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Adumbration]

China has an even more sinister inverted population pyramid.

 

A number of people, including Peter Zeihan, are predicting the lack of children (and subsequent shortage of work age people) will cause the economic collapse of China within this decade.