UN urges Thailand to ensure social security, healthcare

[webfact]

Kingdom told to prepare for ageing public
PONGPHON SARNSAMAK
THE NATION



UN urges Thailand, Asia-Pacific nations to ensure social security, healthcare

BANGKOK: -- Thailand and Asia-Pacific countries must ensure that elderly people will get access proper social security, healthcare services, pensions and transportation, as these societies are ageing quickly, a UN agency said yesterday.

They also need to stimulate young people to have more children, as every country requires a critical mass of young people to enhance their economy and make it competitive.

While population trends in Asia-Pacific countries and Thailand are not uniform, all these countries are faced with three main problems related to population growth: ageing societies, migration and urbanisation.

Moreover, these countries also face the issue of climate change, which affects the movement of people, especially those living along coastal areas, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) executive director Dr Babatunde Osotimehin said.

According to the UNFPA's recent report, Thailand has quickly become an ageing society, because the birth rate has been gradually decreasing. Fifty years ago, a Thai mother had six children on average. Twenty years ago, the birth rate reduced to two children per mother. The current birth rate in Thailand stands at only 1.6 children.

The lower birth rate has social and economic implications for the country. For instance, a shrinking working-age population can affect the country's productivity.

Lower birth rates tend to happen as part of the urbanisation process, with women gaining more education and better work opportunities. Among ASEAN countries, Thailand is now the second-most rapidly ageing society after Singapore. This poses a challenge for Thailand, as the country's transition to an ageing society has been faster than in many countries, leaving less time for it to prepare.

"The government should do more to ensure that all people are included in its social-development agenda," Osotimehin said.

He is visiting Thailand to preside over the Sixth Asian and Pacific Population Conference (APPC). Over 300 participants, including heads of state, ministers, senior officials, parliamentarians, civil society participants and representatives of United Nations organisations are attending the five-day conference, which began Tuesday. Its goal is to agree on joint action to address the broad range of challenges related to population and development in the region. They are also expected to adopt the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development.

Osotimehin met with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Public Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong to encourage the government to do more to ensure that all people are included in the government's social-development plan.

Osotimehin said he told Yingluck that the UNFPA is scheduled to release its "State of the Thai Population" report on October 30.

The report, which will include an assessment of adolescent pregnancy rates, is part of a global campaign undertaken by the agency.

Osotimehin said Thailand was doing a good job of making sure that everyone is included in the government's social-development plans, as well as being lifted out of poverty. The UNFPA will coordinate with the government to reduce inequality to make sure that all people - including registered and non-registered migrant workers - can access basic services such as healthcare, he said.


-- The Nation 2013-09-18

[yooper2001]

A plan to encourage birth rate? How do they expect a woman to have more children to raise when their husband leaves them an marries another woman and does not pay support? It is difficult to raise 1 child let alone to try to raise 3 or 4 with no support. Do they expect more farang to come to Thailand to marry and raise the children? Thailand will continue to lose population until they have a support system that does not cater to man culture

[harryfrompattaya]

A plan to encourage birth rate? How do they expect a woman to have more children to raise when their husband leaves them an marries another woman and does not pay support? It is difficult to raise 1 child let alone to try to raise 3 or 4 with no support. Do they expect more farang to come to Thailand to marry and raise the children? Thailand will continue to lose population until they have a support system that does not cater to man culture

I think you do not understand The UN wants to give the women money to raise eight children each. However the EU, England and the United States do not want to give money for this wonderful idea

[TommyUK1960]

Nothing going to happen. Thailand already have a high birth rate. There just is not land to go around to support any more increase in population. so this artical is utter rubbish.

[1plumber]

A plan to encourage birth rate? How do they expect a woman to have more children to raise when their husband leaves them an marries another woman and does not pay support? It is difficult to raise 1 child let alone to try to raise 3 or 4 with no support. Do they expect more farang to come to Thailand to marry and raise the children? Thailand will continue to lose population until they have a support system that does not cater to man culture

I think you do not understand The UN wants to give the women money to raise eight children each. However the EU, England and the United States do not want to give money for this wonderful idea

And why in the hell would they want to give money for this "wonderful" idea? I hope your kidding.

[thhMan]

Ideas and suggestions are offered to Thailand but if they dont want to listen, then whats the point?

Maybe its just me, but I feel Thailand is going downhill and half the problem seems to be the lack of leadership anywhere, in any deptartment, public or private. It is only my opinion

[NongKhaiKid]

All the schemes mentioned need a massive amount of funding if they are to function properly and cash is something this government doesn't have.

They are up to their necks in debt and need to keep borrowing to fund all their populist and grandoise schemes. Do they really worry about the population in general or only throwing money at the likes of the rice farmers in a " keep us in power ' move ?

Their heads are in the clouds over a high speed rail system while ignoring the fact the current one is a total embarrassment and there's funding needed for YL's attempt to get into the Guinness Book of Records by becoming the PM who visited the most amount of countries in the shortest time.

Where's the money and the will to come from for something as sensible as decent welfare ?

[harryfrompattaya]

A plan to encourage birth rate? How do they expect a woman to have more children to raise when their husband leaves them an marries another woman and does not pay support? It is difficult to raise 1 child let alone to try to raise 3 or 4 with no support. Do they expect more farang to come to Thailand to marry and raise the children? Thailand will continue to lose population until they have a support system that does not cater to man culture

I think you do not understand The UN wants to give the women money to raise eight children each. However the EU, England and the United States do not want to give money for this wonderful idea

And why in the hell would they want to give money for this "wonderful" idea? I hope your kidding.

I am not kidding. They know no one is helping them and only the rich nations will do

[jaltsc]

"They also need to stimulate young people to have more children, as every country requires a critical mass of young people to enhance their economy and make it competitive."

Then they need to find a way to make sure most of those children are females. Otherwise they will have a critical mass of deadbeats who won't support the elderly or the children.

[h90]

expanding all the time will only work if we can also expand the planet somehow

[hellodolly]

A plan to encourage birth rate? How do they expect a woman to have more children to raise when their husband leaves them an marries another woman and does not pay support? It is difficult to raise 1 child let alone to try to raise 3 or 4 with no support. Do they expect more farang to come to Thailand to marry and raise the children? Thailand will continue to lose population until they have a support system that does not cater to man culture

I think you do not understand The UN wants to give the women money to raise eight children each. However the EU, England and the United States do not want to give money for this wonderful idea

And why in the hell would they want to give money for this "wonderful" idea? I hope your kidding.

I am not kidding. They know no one is helping them and only the rich nations will do

The rich nations can't even take care of their own. They all have plenty of people living om the streets.

They should first take care of their own and force other countries to work towards taking care of themselves instead of depending on foreign countries to do it for them. It is all right to give a hand up but it is not all right to say don't bother we will take care of you.

What's that old saying you can give a man a fish and he will eat today but if you teach him to fish he will eat every day.

[jpeg]

Nothing going to happen. Thailand already have a high birth rate. There just is not land to go around to support any more increase in population. so this artical is utter rubbish.

Exactly. I don't get this 'We must breed more to work in our factories and fields' crap. Nature is doing what does despite the arrogance of humankind. Too many people? Just let them die off naturally and breed less.

This obsessive need for 'growth', whether it be the economy or population is insane and ruining our planet.

[worgeordie]

Thailand's going to have a hard job providing for the population in regards

to health, schools, care of the old,if it keeps going on as it is,the till is going

to be empty,

Mountains of rice and rubber, rampant corruption,taking on massive debit,

not a way to run a household never mind a country.

regards Worgeordie

[transam]

A plan to encourage birth rate? How do they expect a woman to have more children to raise when their husband leaves them an marries another woman and does not pay support? It is difficult to raise 1 child let alone to try to raise 3 or 4 with no support. Do they expect more farang to come to Thailand to marry and raise the children? Thailand will continue to lose population until they have a support system that does not cater to man culture

How right you are.

Why don't the Thai authorities chase Thai fathers who bugger off and then give another bird kids that again they bugger off from.

Why don't Thai authorities take note of farangs that take care and bring up the Thai kids of these eeeeeeeeeeer, hmmmmm, ''gentlemen'' instead of making life difficult for them, making jumping through hoops to feel like second class folk.

Nothing works here except thinking up another hoop with no thought given to anything.

[sms747]

I thought they did look after the elderly, don't they get 500 baht a month pensions, dear oh dear these peasants are sooo ungrateful!

[NCC1701A]

is there no place left on the earth that has no lost its freedom?

[lostmebike]

I thought they did look after the elderly, don't they get 500 baht a month pensions, dear oh dear these peasants are sooo ungrateful!

Aren't they just. Goes a long way that 500 Baht!

[tingtongteesood]

It irritates me how they keep going on about how everywhere needs to keep having more and more kids as there aren't enough people to keep the countries afloat with taxes. The world is already over populated as it is, where does the madness end ! If all the corrupt bastards stopped stealing money from the countries coiffers and governments actually worked for the good of the people and the country, a large part of the problem would not exist...

[hellodolly]

Nothing going to happen. Thailand already have a high birth rate. There just is not land to go around to support any more increase in population. so this artical is utter rubbish.

Exactly. I don't get this 'We must breed more to work in our factories and fields' crap. Nature is doing what does despite the arrogance of humankind. Too many people? Just let them die off naturally and breed less.

This obsessive need for 'growth', whether it be the economy or population is insane and ruining our planet.

The biggest problem facing the world today is over population and yet in the pursuit of the all mighty Lord Money mankind keeps on encouraging more people to produce more people to use up more of the planets natural resources and have more die from starvation.

Talk about the elephant in the room this is a house with an elephant in every room including bathrooms and closets and hardly any one can see them.

[hellodolly]

is there no place left on the earth that has no lost its freedom?

As I age I understand more and more that song freedoms just a word for nothing else to lose.

Edited September 18, 2013 by hellodolly

[doremifasol]

Top 20 Largest Countries by Population (live)

Thailand

67,056,346

Current World Population

7,179,838,021

http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

Edited September 18, 2013 by doremifasol