The Ministry of Public Health has begun a program to increase the birth rate in Thailand, by encouraging Thai couples to have children, with possible financial incentives.

 

Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew has warned that, if Thailand’s birth rate is not increased, the Thai population in the next 60 years will be reduced to only 33 million, from circa 66 million reported in the Interior Ministry’s census at the end of last year.

 

Noting that Thailand was a country with a lower birth rate than its death rate in 2022, he said that, if this situation is not rectified, Thailand will experience tremendous problems in the future, ranging from a shortage of working people and a loss of revenue opportunities to only 14 million working-age people out of a population of 33 million in the next 60 years.

 

Caption: File photo : Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2023-12-06

 

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They are not having kids simply because it's too expensive now

Probably he saw the article surfaced today about the North Korean leader begging his nation's women to bear more children

How can you raise kids with only barely 400 THB a day??? Kids cost money, for school, food, clothes, and they are growing.... But in Thailand they don't understand?? Keep the salaries very low and complain that there is no more poverty... more kids more poverty more borrowing money to make ends meet....start to solve the problems first

He want more kids with poor salaries and  same Education system in 21 st century..

This guy should think twice before talk.

How about free high-quality schools for everybody?

That would be a big incentive.

But obviously that is not what politicians want. 

The reasons people are not having more children are structural, so unless  Minister Cholnan Srikaew is planking to restructure the economy and culture of Thailand , he will fail just like every other leader in every other country has failed. .

You want people to have more children?

Make it economically, and socially viable. In order that people have More children, they need to be able to afford it, and have the time for it. 

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Ministry of Public Health has begun a program to increase the birth rate in Thailand, by encouraging Thai couples to have children, with possible financial incentives.

200,000 baht per child per year from age 0-18... or forget it.

14 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

How can you raise kids with only barely 400 THB a day??? Kids cost money, for school, food, clothes, and they are growing.... But in Thailand they don't understand?? Keep the salaries very low and complain that there is no more poverty... more kids more poverty more borrowing money to make ends meet....start to solve the problems first

Thailand has to keep the lower income workers to maintain international companies producing goods in Thailand.

Only the upper level of civil servants, bosses, and elites can afford large families.

Trouble is the lower end make up the majority of the population...

What a conundrum for the government to sort-out.

Increase wages to increase childbirth... loose manufacturing.

I suppose they could specify girls only, then in 18 years time they will all be working in resorts helping out TAT with tourist numbers thus increasing the GDP.

 

A bunch of old guys so disconnected from everyday life asking women that they will not support to have another one for the team.

15 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Thailand has to keep the lower income workers to maintain international companies producing goods in Thailand.

Only the upper level of civil servants, bosses, and elites can afford large families.

Trouble is the lower end make up the majority of the population...

What a conundrum for the government to sort-out.

Increase wages to increase childbirth... loose manufacturing.

I suppose they could specify girls only, then in 18 years time they will all be working in resorts helping out TAT with tourist numbers thus increasing the GDP.

 

They've effectively snookered themselves and their rampant avarice has paralysed them, preventing the necessary changes they need to make.

This predicament however is not exclusive to Siam.

 

 

Edited December 7, 20232 yr by fondue zoo

Yet still they complain about the high pregnancy rate among unmarried teenage girls.

45 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Yet still they complain about the high pregnancy rate among unmarried teenage girls.

And how many die in accidents because of the lack of good drivers education?

 

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Thailand has to keep the lower income workers to maintain international companies producing goods in Thailand.

Only the upper level of civil servants, bosses, and elites can afford large families.

Trouble is the lower end make up the majority of the population...

What a conundrum for the government to sort-out.

Increase wages to increase childbirth... loose manufacturing.

I suppose they could specify girls only, then in 18 years time they will all be working in resorts helping out TAT with tourist numbers thus increasing the GDP.

I still believe that daily salaries are not working and there should be paid monthly. As for daily salaries with so many holidays the people don't earn a dime except army and government officials.. 

Searching on the internet seems that Thailand a minimum wage has of 12k a month, but I know we we can read that teachers often only get 7000 THB a month paid. and if you search more it seems that 50% is earning 88k average...So there should be possibilities to raise the lower salaries.

 

  

What is the average wages in Thailand in 2023?

 

 

Wages in Thailand increased to 15452.59 THB/Month in the third quarter of 2023 from 15411.82 THB/Month in the second quarter of 2023.

 

Thailand Average Monthly Wages - Trading Economics

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/wages#:~:text=Wages in Thailand increased to,the second quarter of 2023.

16 hours ago, keith101 said:

They are not having kids simply because it's too expensive now

My local observation it that the ones that could afford more don't have more and the ones that can't afford more keep having more. 

Strange how birth rates are usually high where's there's squalid poverty, if it's an economic thing. 

 

There are so many reasons why alot of very smart couples are saying no to children. We did, and we love being childless! Kids are cute, but they are highly over rated. 

 

If you look at the curves birth rates are falling all over the world, except in Africa, the forlorn continent. Falling in China, Thailand, Japan, etc. Some are predicting China's population to fall to 650 million within 50 years, the crisis is that bad. I don't call it a crisis. I think it's a huge  blessing. 

 

China's birth rate in the last year has fallen to the lowest level on record while American research shows more adults who do not already have children are saying they are unlikely to ever have them. Hooray!!! 

 

https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-51/20220121-global-decline-in-birth-rates-should-we-worry

 

Japan's population is projected to fall from a peak of 128 million in 2017 to less than 53 million by the end of the century.

 

Italy is expected to see an equally dramatic population crash from 61 million to 28 million over the same timeframe.

 

They are two of 23 countries - which also include Spain, Portugal, Thailand and South Korea - expected to see their population more than halve. Hooray!!! 

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53409521

 

They gotta be kidding.  Thailand is already way overpopulated.

I'm doing my part, c'mon guys, help me out here.  

Why not instead open the floodgates to immigration like Canada is doing?  500,000 a year at last count. At least Thailand has affordable housing and much better weather.

^ There are 240 million Pakistanis and more are being born every day.  Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and most African countries are producing kids like it was going out of style.  Those kids are leaving their already overcrowded countries and while their first choices would be Europe or North America, the ones who cannot get in there will cheerfully settle in Thailand.

 

The problem is not lack of children, it's where those kids are being born!

you want more thai women to have kids so that the thai men can leave them ? great idea champ. 

A lot of countries around the world have seen an alarming decrease in male sperm production in recent years. Thailand obviously no different.

 

Different reasons cited, such as diet, exposure to pollutants , and even high cell phone use mooted as cause.

4 hours ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

Why not instead open the floodgates to immigration like Canada is doing?  500,000 a year at last count.

Yes, much the same as Oz (off a lower base - currently 27M but growing at almost 1M a year). But Thailand? Horror! we're special!!!

 

The reasons for low birth rates everywhere in the world are a combination of economic and cultural as education levels rise.

 

Poor peasants don't have choices, or don't think they have: life is a burden they bare passively. But middle class people or people generally heading towards higher prosperity are not about to ruin their gains by having too many or indeed any babies. Higher education raises people's awareness that they have choices and can aspire to move up the ladder.

On 12/7/2023 at 9:17 AM, spidermike007 said:

There are so many reasons why alot of very smart couples are saying no to children. We did, and we love being childless! Kids are cute, but they are highly over rated. 

 

If you look at the curves birth rates are falling all over the world, except in Africa, the forlorn continent. Falling in China, Thailand, Japan, etc. Some are predicting China's population to fall to 650 million within 50 years, the crisis is that bad. I don't call it a crisis. I think it's a huge  blessing. 

 

China's birth rate in the last year has fallen to the lowest level on record while American research shows more adults who do not already have children are saying they are unlikely to ever have them. Hooray!!! 

 

https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-51/20220121-global-decline-in-birth-rates-should-we-worry

 

Japan's population is projected to fall from a peak of 128 million in 2017 to less than 53 million by the end of the century.

 

Italy is expected to see an equally dramatic population crash from 61 million to 28 million over the same timeframe.

 

They are two of 23 countries - which also include Spain, Portugal, Thailand and South Korea - expected to see their population more than halve. Hooray!!! 

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53409521

 

What makes you say that having kids is over rated?

I don't have kids, am considering it but need to get a move on.

I've yet to meet a couple who wanted to have kids that have regretted it.

In fact they almost unequivocally say it's the best thing that ever happened to them. 

Is it easy, absolutely not in many ways but good things often don't come easy. 

Edited December 8, 20232 yr by Startmeup

5 hours ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

Why not instead open the floodgates to immigration like Canada is doing?  500,000 a year at last count. At least Thailand has affordable housing and much better weather.

Australia similar but worse I think.

1 hour ago, huangnon said:

A lot of countries around the world have seen an alarming decrease in male sperm production in recent years. Thailand obviously no different.

 

Different reasons cited, such as diet, exposure to pollutants , and even high cell phone use mooted as cause.

Exactly this is one of the main reasons, alot of people trying but alot harder nowadays due to the reasons you state along with costs in many countries making it prohibitive. There's a reason why IVF companies are killing it.

Edited December 8, 20232 yr by Startmeup

3 hours ago, Startmeup said:

What makes you say that having kids is over rated?

I don't have kids, am considering it but need to get a move on.

I've yet to meet a couple who wanted to have kids that have regretted it.

In fact they almost unequivocally say it's the best thing that ever happened to them. 

Is it easy, absolutely not in many ways but good things often don't come easy. 

I don't believe in child worshiping, and I see a lot of that happening here. To me kids are exactly what they are, they're just small people, and just no big deal at all. I decided not to have them and I give thanks every day that I made that decision, but to each his own, go for it. 

6 hours ago, Startmeup said:

I've yet to meet a couple who wanted to have kids that have regretted it.

Isn't the key that they wanted to have kids? There is a tremendous number of unplanned births. I've met plenty of men who wouldn't recommend it - and if I had to guess, they probably weren't big on the idea in the first place.