Thai Workforce Faces Decline Amid Low Birth Rates, Experts Warn

[webfact]

AP file photo

 

Thailand is on the brink of a demographic challenge as experts sound the alarm over the country's plummeting birth rate and its potential repercussions on the workforce.

 

At the forefront of this call to action is Chalermpol Chamchan, the director of Mahidol University's Institute for Population and Social Research, who warns that without intervention, this trend could significantly shrink Thailand's workforce.

 

Amidst a backdrop of sobering statistics, Thailand's population was recorded at 65,951,210 as of December last year, according to the Bureau of Registration Administration.

 

Yet, the country saw only 462,240 births in 2023—a stark drop below the half-million mark for the first time since 1949, marking four consecutive years where deaths outnumbered births. This is a sharp contrast to the period between 1963 and 1983, when the country experienced over one million births annually.

 

The Thai government's "Give Birth, Great World" campaign, initiated in 2023 by the Ministry of Public Health, was designed to counter this decline by encouraging young couples to start families.

Unfortunately, the campaign hasn't yet turned the tide, and Chalermpol urges the government to reassess and enhance these initiatives to make a genuine impact.

 

Thailand's situation is unique in Southeast Asia, being the only nation in the region experiencing such a birth rate decline, a trend more commonly associated with high-income, developed countries.

 

The total fertility rate (TFR) fell to 1.0 last year, even lower than Japan's 1.2, placing Thailand among nations with ultra-low fertility rates, alongside South Korea and Singapore.

 

Looking ahead, the implications of these statistics are daunting. Thailand's population could dwindle to just 40 million within the next 50 years, equating to a loss of about one million people every two years.

 

This demographic shift could drastically impact the country's labour force, potentially reducing it to 22.8 million workers in five decades if the current trajectory remains unchanged.

 

A survey by the Institute for Population and Social Research highlights the gravity of the situation, with about 71% of respondents aged 28 and older recognising the declining birth rate as a critical issue, reported Bangkok Post.

 

However, just 35.8% of these individuals intend to have children, while 30% remain undecided. Chalermpol suggests that with appropriate support mechanisms, those on the fence might be swayed towards parenthood, offering a glimmer of hope for reversing the trend.

 

-- 2025-02-03

 

 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Yet, the country saw only 462,240 births in 2023—a stark drop below the half-million mark for the first time since 1949, marking four consecutive years where deaths outnumbered births. This is a sharp contrast to the period between 1963 and 1983, when the country experienced over one million births annually.

When the economy was in better shape... the government cannot see the connection.

[hotsun]

Less people, less tourists might make thailand a paradise again in the future. One can only hope

[Srikcir]

Fill the workforce with trafficked undocumented immigrants by giving them work permits.

Provide work permits to stateless peoples living in Thailand.

Let them become part of Thailand and contribute to the economic future of the Kingdom.

[digger70]

Thai Workforce Faces Decline Amid Low Birth Rates, Experts Warn.

 

Nowadays when The would be Parents  are both working and their parents not so Keen on looking after Grandkids , There  Will be Less Kids/Adults  in the future .

Less people to  pay tax when they work  so a lot Less Money for the government spending. 

That's  going to the big Problem.

[khunPer]

Evolution and progress will automate more jobs in the future.

[Briggsy]

There is no problem. People are exercising personal choice. I view it as a positive.

[connda]

Hire long-stay farangs.  We'll do the jobs Thais refuse to do! 

[rattlesnake]

Same as every other country for the past three years. People have been sterilised.

[chickenslegs]

26 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Same as every other country for the past three years. People have been sterilised.

Covid jabs, or chemtrails?

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

Covid jabs, or chemtrails?

 

5G towers!

[BangkokReady]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

Yet, the country saw only 462,240 births in 2023—a stark drop below the half-million mark for the first time since 1949, marking four consecutive years where deaths outnumbered births. This is a sharp contrast to the period between 1963 and 1983, when the country experienced over one million births annually.

 

It seems like the Thai fertility rate falls as their attitude towards foreigners worsens. 

 

I wonder what the connection is...  🤔

 

[rwill]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's situation is unique in Southeast Asia, being the only nation in the region experiencing such a birth rate decline

So the actual workforce from surrounding countries isn't shrinking.

[Banana7]

This alarm bell has been rung many times over the past 5 years and the Thai government has provided NO financial support to help couples to have more children. It takes lots of money to raise children.

 

What about giving a baby bonus - 1,000 baht per month per child from birth until age 16 like other countries?

[Skeptic7]

Good. There'll be less people in poverty and perhaps will force the government, corporations and other business owners to start paying a fair and livable wage instead of indentured servitude. 

[ChaiyaTH]

Only way to have a chance in this country, assuming you kind of start without family support in any significant way, middle class style, you simply need to both graduate, get like a nice office job or whatever in BKK, and then together you can actually reach that 50-60K a month income level easily, pay off a nice 1BR condo unit in the city etc. 

But if you then add pictures to the equation or plans, it all shatters right away already, unless grandmother now moves into the 45SQM condo as well, or the baby is like shipped off as if you just were a surrogate parent. 

I'm not blaming the Thais for not having a lot of kids, I always wanted 2 myself but have to stick to 1 due to International school costs. At the end, I am the same generation as they are in my early 30s.

[ChaiyaTH]

9 hours ago, Banana7 said:

This alarm bell has been rung many times over the past 5 years and the Thai government has provided NO financial support to help couples to have more children. It takes lots of money to raise children.

 

What about giving a baby bonus - 1,000 baht per month per child from birth until age 16 like other countries?

They already provide plenty that comes similar to what you state, as well there is tax benefits of like 20-30K baht a year deductions per child alone already in place. To give a poor or minimum wage 1K for an extra child is just stupidity, it helps zero, just to buy proper milk costs a few K a month already let alone with diapers, wipes and a few other small things, that is the real problem.

You can't expect people earning 12K a month each max, to get more babies costing minimum 5K a month each. If you want to promote having more babies give me like a 60-120K tax break and i consider one more.

 

For the majority of locals and their salary, they already get enough exempted, as they can't earn more. As long Thailand keeps playing this game, pretending they not know the elite got this money, well nothing changes.

 

With the little money they actually have, Thailand their system is actually quite good if you ask me. The entire issue is that the money is far from enough compared to those who need it but that in the same time is a result of keeping them uneducated and poor too. As if they were not they earned more + paid more taxes too.

 

The elite is mainly the problem, and they obviously control the system. But the system as it is designed so far otherwise is actually really decent on many ends for what they can do with it on that level.

[ChaiyaTH]

17 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

Same as every other country for the past three years. People have been sterilised.

That's an entire different subject and complete BS. People do not want children anymore due to finance, that is a global problem aside from the fact that older generations told us from kids age BS that our planet has too many people, which is BS too.

What really happens is that they try to re-culture and repopulate countries the way 'they like it'. Or in a country like this; to get even more control in fewer hands while seeing the rest as cattle.

[ChaiyaTH]

17 hours ago, connda said:

Hire long-stay farangs.  We'll do the jobs Thais refuse to do! 

If it was only allowed it would have been a thriving business already that in fact would help boost economy, force innovation to happen instantly much more, it would force Thais to level up their skills doing the same too etc etc etc. 

I could get a tour bus with polish workers here by the end of the month, if it was allowed. I would get super rich. Hmm wait, maybe that is why these elites today play exactly this game with the locals...