Time banks: Are they the solution to Thailand’s aging crisis?

[webfact]

 

The millions of Thais heading back to their home provinces to visit elderly parents over Songkran underlines the harsh reality that many of these seniors spend most of the year all alone.

 

Research by Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research shows the percentage of elderly couples living alone rose from 16.9% in 2011 to 20.6% in 2017. And that figure is on course to climb to 23% by 2050.

 

This is on top of the percentage of single seniors living alone, which soared from 8.6% in 2011 to 10.8% in 2017 and is expected to jump to 15% in 2050.

 

The epidemic of old people living alone coincides with a downward trend in extended families, where three or four generations live together. Such living arrangements are no longer that common in Thailand.

 

Moreover, Thailand is officially an aged society – and on course to become “super-aged” in the next decade. Senior citizens accounted for 20.17% of its total population as of 2023, according to Statista.com.

 

The country must therefore prepare infrastructure, facilities and initiatives to support its graying population. However, public and private sector budget to fund these preparations is limited – meaning millions of seniors without young relatives or carers could be left to suffer alone in their final years.

 

One potentially game-changing solution to this brewing crisis is time-banking.

 

“We are experimenting with the time-banking concept to deal with the country’s growing elderly population,” said Asst Prof Dr Nate Hongkrailert, who works at Siam University’s Research Center for Community Development and heads the Time Bank in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district.

 

By Thai PBS World’s General Desk

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-04-13

 

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[Tropicalevo]

Interesting.  But I cannot see many Thais joining the scheme.

They love cash too much.

Edited April 13 by Tropicalevo

[Henryford]

How can time banking work unless everyone's labour (and hence salary) is valued the same? In which bank are the credits held?

[brianthainess]

13 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Interesting.  But I cannot see many Thais joining the scheme.

They love cash too much.

Love cash but not work, they think they will work for no money and only in exchange for reciprocal work time,  they are dreaming. 

[brianthainess]

Not sure what time of year they do this it maybe Songkran, but in our 'village' they have some sort of gathering, where they get the single elderly together living alone to hook up with each other. Always cheaper for 2 to live together init.

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

However, public and private sector budget to fund these preparations is limited – meaning millions of seniors without young relatives or carers could be left to suffer alone in their final years.

While that Thai USD multi-billionaire lives his lavish lifestyle on their tax.  🤮

[fondue zoo]

The Time Bank concept requires support external to the community that implements it, internal control systems are required to keep track of everything etc, handling of disputes etc.

The idea has been around since the mid 1800's but trying to find an example of where it was put in place and where it is still in play is hard to find.

A service based barter system sounds great but human nature gets in the way all the time.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The epidemic of old people living alone coincides with a downward trend in extended families, where three or four generations live together. Such living arrangements are no longer that common in Thailand.

Just a sign of the times....

[scorecard]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

 

The millions of Thais heading back to their home provinces to visit elderly parents over Songkran underlines the harsh reality that many of these seniors spend most of the year all alone.

 

Research by Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research shows the percentage of elderly couples living alone rose from 16.9% in 2011 to 20.6% in 2017. And that figure is on course to climb to 23% by 2050.

 

This is on top of the percentage of single seniors living alone, which soared from 8.6% in 2011 to 10.8% in 2017 and is expected to jump to 15% in 2050.

 

The epidemic of old people living alone coincides with a downward trend in extended families, where three or four generations live together. Such living arrangements are no longer that common in Thailand.

 

Moreover, Thailand is officially an aged society – and on course to become “super-aged” in the next decade. Senior citizens accounted for 20.17% of its total population as of 2023, according to Statista.com.

 

The country must therefore prepare infrastructure, facilities and initiatives to support its graying population. However, public and private sector budget to fund these preparations is limited – meaning millions of seniors without young relatives or carers could be left to suffer alone in their final years.

 

One potentially game-changing solution to this brewing crisis is time-banking.

 

“We are experimenting with the time-banking concept to deal with the country’s growing elderly population,” said Asst Prof Dr Nate Hongkrailert, who works at Siam University’s Research Center for Community Development and heads the Time Bank in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district.

 

By Thai PBS World’s General Desk

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-04-13

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe
 

And there's another sector - old farang living alone.

 

I live very happily in a well managed mo baht with my loving / supportive Thai family.

 

An old farang (82 yo) live in same village ten walk from me. His Thai wife died 10 years ago, he refuses to engage in any conversation about whether he has other family in the US.

 

He rents a small house and depends on food cooked and given free by neighbors every day. a couple of Thai ladies clean his house and do his laundry free. He does receive a small company pension from the US but whether it continues until death is unknown. Other Americans have offered to check if he's entitled to US social service benefits but he changed the subject immediately. He has no medical insurance. 

 

He almost never leaves the house. Myself and 2 other farang have tried to take him to lunch at medium price restaurants but he cancels at the last minute or asks unnecessary questions about food preparation ([How can you make hamburgers, you're not from New York'. etc.). And makes other impolite comments. I've taken fresh sandwiches and other foods to his house but he pushes it aside. 

 

He can't walk more than about 100 metres, and he seems to have a severe back problem. We have offered to help his visit 'old folks homes' but he flatly refuses.

 

Just recently he's been making comments like 'I don't want to live more then perhaps 1 year more'.  

 

What to do?

 

[scorecard]

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Just a sign of the times....

True, three generations in same house is not so prevalent.

 

But it is the case for my family. Me, my Thai adult son and his Thai wife and their 4 kids - 3 generations.

 

Luckily we have a 5 bed / 4.5 bathroom house, full western kitchen. House is debt free.

 

For us it works, very happy family. 

[Gknrd]

A problem all over the world for sure. I live on SS here in the US , and alone. I have no problems what so ever. But, in the US we have a HUGE social network to support the single older folks like me. In Thailand it is only a problem because they have no pension unless you worked for the government. Kind of like China. Both Thailand and China are on the same trajectory.

I tried working for the government here in the US and found it to be a joke, for me. But, the retirement was great and benefits were off the charts. Luckily here in the US if you work for a big company and do well the retirement will be in place in spades. 

Edited April 14 by Gknrd

[BangkokReady]

On 4/13/2024 at 8:50 AM, webfact said:

The millions of Thais heading back to their home provinces to visit elderly parents over Songkran underlines the harsh reality that many of these seniors spend most of the year all alone.

 

If they're alone all the time anyway, why is the increasing number of old people a problem?

 

On 4/13/2024 at 8:50 AM, webfact said:

The epidemic of old people living alone coincides with a downward trend in extended families, where three or four generations live together. Such living arrangements are no longer that common in Thailand.

 

This is sad.  That's the one real advantage people have in these kinds of societies.  A "free" house that stays in the family and live-in day-care and cleaning services.

 

I guess the elite want everyone to follow the West and believe that each individual person must have their own home and car or else they're failures.

[Vae Victis]

lol

[SAFETY FIRST]

On 4/13/2024 at 8:50 AM, webfact said:

visit elderly parents over Songkran underlines the harsh reality that many of these seniors spend most of the year all alone.

I doubt that they are living all alone. 

 

More than likely they were born, grew up, spent most of their life surrounded by the many close friends and other family members.