Thailand’s Elderly To Top 10 Million By 2020

[george]

Thailand’s elderly to top 10 million by 2020

BANGKOK: -- Thailand’s elderly population is expected to top 10 million in the next 15 years, a rise of more than 60 percent.

Thais now tend to live longer than 60 and judging from the current trend, the population of the elderly is likely to increase to 10 million by 2020, the president of the Elderly Association of Thailand, Dr. Banlu Siripanit, told a press conference in Bangkok on Monday.

They would then account for 10 per cent of the country's total population, he said.

There are currently more than six million elderly Thais.

Many elderly people in Thailand face poverty and depression, Dr. Banlu said.

He urged the government to help improve the standard of living of the elderly people who were able to be self-reliant and to offer better welfare provisions for those who were disabled and underprivileged.

Dr. Banlu also encouraged the elderly to be more self-reliant.

--TNA 2005-03-29