Facing financial challenges for the aged

[webfact]

 

Thai PBS World has uncovered stories of Thai elderly, who will soon become the majority population group in Thailand. 

 

The documentary series, ‘Greying Thailand: Heading into a Super-Aged Future,’ delves into various aspects related to the elderly, including finance, social issues, state welfare, and their future careers. We will find out how Thailand is preparing to cope with this new challenge.

 

 

Source: Thai PBS 2023-11-25

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[OneMoreFarang]

Thailand is warm and there is plenty of food. And then there are temples and people who like to do good.

All in all, it's so much easier for old people in Thailand compared to countries with cold winters. 

[Lacessit]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thailand is warm and there is plenty of food. And then there are temples and people who like to do good.

All in all, it's so much easier for old people in Thailand compared to countries with cold winters. 

You must be joking. Wait times at public hospitals are 5-6 hours, and the strongest pain medication available is Tramadol.

The average income in my GF's village is 2500 baht/month, people who can't work get a pension of 600 baht/month once they hit 60. 800 baht/month if they make it to 80.

I suppose there is plenty of food if one likes living on a diet of bananas, windfall rice, and frogs out of the domestic septic tank.

[Tropicalevo]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

You must be joking.

I agree. Some folk think that all of Thailand is like Bangkok. Mind you, I used to live near the Khlong Toei slums. Not 'plenty of food' there either.

How the heck the pensioners live on 600 baht a month I will never know.

[Enoon]

15 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thailand is warm and there is plenty of food. And then there are temples and people who like to do good.

All in all, it's so much easier for old people in Thailand compared to countries with cold winters. 

 

Yeah, sure......it's great to be old in Thailand:

 

"Old and poor: Thailand sleepwalking toward an aging crisis

Unless she lines up in the hot sun for a free meal, ketchup on bread is the only food Thai widow Noi can afford on her small government pension.

Her payout of around $0.82 a day makes cooking at home near impossible.

If it's too wet to come, I eat 7-Eleven bread with ketchup," the 73-year-old said at a Bangkok Community Help Foundation meal delivery tent that feeds 500 of the city's homeless and poor daily"

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/10/17/asia-pacific/social-issues/old-poor-thailand-aging-crisis/

 

 

[ChaiyaTH]

32 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thailand is warm and there is plenty of food. And then there are temples and people who like to do good.

All in all, it's so much easier for old people in Thailand compared to countries with cold winters. 

People who like to do good? Well forget about that one, they all try to screw each other over. That will only worsen over the years too.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

You must be joking. Wait times at public hospitals are 5-6 hours, and the strongest pain medication available is Tramadol.

The average income in my GF's village is 2500 baht/month, people who can't work get a pension of 600 baht/month once they hit 60. 800 baht/month if they make it to 80.

I suppose there is plenty of food if one likes living on a diet of bananas, windfall rice, and frogs out of the domestic septic tank.

Ok, how many people die in Thailand because they are freezing or have nothing to eat? I never heard or read about anybody like that.

And then compare that to so called first world countries like the UK, USA, etc.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

I agree. Some folk think that all of Thailand is like Bangkok. Mind you, I used to live near the Khlong Toei slums. Not 'plenty of food' there either.

How the heck the pensioners live on 600 baht a month I will never know.

There is plenty of food up country.

The brother of my gf goes regularly hunting in the neighborhood, mostly small animals. Vegetables and spices grow everywhere.

I also don't know how most pensioners live here. Fact is, they do, and they don't die because of no food or no heating. 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Enoon said:

Yeah, sure......it's great to be old in Thailand

There is a difference between the situation being great or acceptable.

Sure, life is more comfortable with more money, all over the world.

 

But look at the rest of the world. Is it so much better in that country with the people who think they live in the greatest country on earth?

 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, ChaiyaTH said:

People who like to do good? Well forget about that one, they all try to screw each other over. That will only worsen over the years too.

Look at all the monks walking around and receiving food and other donations.

Do they eat it all? No. There are people who come to temples and receive food from the monks.

And Thais and farangs and others help people in need. I.e. I had a maid maybe until 10 years ago. My gf still visits her from time to time and brings her food and gives her some money. And obviously mf gf is not the only person who does that. 

Many "children" support their parents and grandparents and other relatives. How many people do that in "the west"? 

[ikke1959]

Instead of a 10k handout, they should set up a social security fund for the elderly and handicapped people.. They need the money more than someone with an income of 40-70k and/or a bankaccount with more than 250k... The digital wallet should be reviewed and better used

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Ok, how many people die in Thailand because they are freezing or have nothing to eat? I never heard or read about anybody like that.

And then compare that to so called first world countries like the UK, USA, etc.

One occasionally reads of Thais dying of the cold up in the mountain villages, either from exposure while drunk, or not having enough blankets to keep warm.

Before you say it, I have no links for that, and no interest in finding them for you.

[OneMoreFarang]

10 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

One occasionally reads of Thais dying of the cold up in the mountain villages, either from exposure while drunk, or not having enough blankets to keep warm.

Before you say it, I have no links for that, and no interest in finding them for you.

Ok, yes, I read about that. Summary: Drunk and ignorant people do stupid things... 

[billd766]

3 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

People who like to do good? Well forget about that one, they all try to screw each other over. That will only worsen over the years too.

That has definitely not been my experience at all living in rural Kamphaeng Phet. Most of the Thais that I meet and deal with could not be me friendly and helpful. Even strangers that I meet in the city are friendly and helpful.

 

Perhaps you live in a different world than I do.

[Lacessit]

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Ok, yes, I read about that. Summary: Drunk and ignorant people do stupid things... 

I quote:

"Ok, how many people die in Thailand because they are freezing or have nothing to eat? I never heard or read about anybody like that. "

 

And posters wonder why I get irritated.

[spidermike007]

I think it's difficult getting old anywhere without having enough financial security, there's no question about that. But I do think that a lot of Thais have a bit of a safety net when it comes to their families, they're never going to go hungry. It's a very very small percentage that's will not have enough to eat.

 

In the West, it's miserable back there for people that are without homes, and it is also miserable for people who rent and don't own a home. 

 

Tried to upload images from my most recent trip to LA, but the miserable new server failed. 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by spidermike007

[OneMoreFarang]

56 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I quote:

"Ok, how many people die in Thailand because they are freezing or have nothing to eat? I never heard or read about anybody like that. "

 

And posters wonder why I get irritated.

Does it ever happen to you that you forget something? Or maybe you didn't think it was important enough to consider?

 

I just looked for the numbers in the UK and I found this article. No, I didn't read it in detail or checked other sources.

 

https://www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk/over-1000-dead-in-december-2022-due-to-cold-homes/#:~:text=In total there were 1%2C047,December 2020 there were 1%2C518.&text=3%2C240 of these were as a result of living in cold conditions.

 

"In total there were 1,047 excess winter deaths caused by living in cold damp homes in England in December 2022, this is up from 768 in December 2021. In December 2020 there were 1,518."

[OneMoreFarang]

59 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Tried to upload images from my most recent trip to LA, but the miserable new server failed. 

 

[Lacessit]

16 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Does it ever happen to you that you forget something? Or maybe you didn't think it was important enough to consider?

 

I just looked for the numbers in the UK and I found this article. No, I didn't read it in detail or checked other sources.

 

https://www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk/over-1000-dead-in-december-2022-due-to-cold-homes/#:~:text=In total there were 1%2C047,December 2020 there were 1%2C518.&text=3%2C240 of these were as a result of living in cold conditions.

 

"In total there were 1,047 excess winter deaths caused by living in cold damp homes in England in December 2022, this is up from 768 in December 2021. In December 2020 there were 1,518."

You're telling me the UK is a miserable s#!hole? This is hardly news.

I do forget things. I can't recall  forgetting what I posted a few minutes ago.

[The Cyclist]

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

You must be joking. Wait times at public hospitals are 5-6 hours,

 

Luxury only having a 5 or 6 hour wait compared to the UK.

 

Nearly 8 million have been waiting weeks, months and years in the UK.

 

That is one hellava £200 Billion joke.

[spidermike007]

This is what many Americans have to look forward to, if they do not own a home, have not been smart with their finances, and very fortunate.

 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

This is what many Americans have to look forward to, if they do not own a home, have not been smart with their finances, and very fortunate.

 

 

 

 

The land of the free. ;) 

[In the jungle]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

This is what many Americans have to look forward to, if they do not own a home, have not been smart with their finances, and very fortunate.

 

 

 

 

There are many videos online by people in the US who live in their cars.  I remember one woman who was employed as an aircraft technician who work on Boeings but she could not afford to rent.

[In the jungle]

8 hours ago, Lacessit said:

You must be joking. Wait times at public hospitals are 5-6 hours, and the strongest pain medication available is Tramadol.

The average income in my GF's village is 2500 baht/month, people who can't work get a pension of 600 baht/month once they hit 60. 800 baht/month if they make it to 80.

I suppose there is plenty of food if one likes living on a diet of bananas, windfall rice, and frogs out of the domestic septic tank.

 

Contrast that, which I do not doubt is true, with the various threads on here where people say that it is not possible to live in Thailand on less than 60K, 80K or whatever daft figure they come up with.

 

 

[BritManToo]

10 hours ago, Lacessit said:

You must be joking. Wait times at public hospitals are 5-6 hours, and the strongest pain medication available is Tramadol.

Was at government hospital yesterday, arrived 8am, 2 x-rays at 8:30, saw doctor at 9:30, and out by 10am.

Edited November 25, 2023 by BritManToo

[Lacessit]

15 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Was at government hospital yesterday, arrived 8am, 2 x-rays at 8:30, saw doctor at 9:30, and out by 10am.

Possibly so, more public hospitals in CM than CR.

How is your recovery progressing? Any news on the goon that hit you?

[spidermike007]

16 hours ago, In the jungle said:

 

There are many videos online by people in the US who live in their cars.  I remember one woman who was employed as an aircraft technician who work on Boeings but she could not afford to rent.

 

This is correct, they've actually developed a new term for this, they're called house less, not homeless. Some refer to them as nomads. I know a guy who rather than spending $2,000 a month for a small studio in the San Francisco Bay Area, decided to buy a brand new truck, put a shell on it, and he's lived in the back of his truck for the past 6 years. He makes $1300 a week, and was unwilling to pay stupid rent. Fortunagely, he has a friend whose house he can park in front of, so he has electric and he gets to use their bathroom and kitchen, but for many it's the about the only option they have. 

 

What do you do when you make $3,000 a month total between you and your wife, you live in a $900 a month apartment, a new owner buys the building and jacks your rent up to $2,500?

 

America has a economic model that is almost completely broken, the cost of living has gone stratospheric, and for all but the top 10%, it's a very, very difficult and nearly impossible situation.