Thailand is ill-equipped to deal with an ageing society as a large number of elderly people lack financial security and live in poverty, a seminar was told. Suthichai Jittaphankul, of the Committee for Empowerment and Coordination of Older Persons, said a survey in 2004 found there were 6,161,000 people aged 60 and over - 10% of the population. 

More than 50,000 of them were sick and bedridden and needed intensive care.
 
About 2,200,000, or nearly 36%, did not have the means to make ends meet.
 
The survey found that 7.6% live in destitution and lack housing security, as 20 state-run homes for the elderly cannot cope with the rising grey population. 

It also said that 3.5% of elderly people are forced to live on their own and 2.3% have to stay with people not their relatives. 

Mr Suthichai said the elderly in developed countries such as Sweden, France and the US enjoy access to far better social welfare schemes. Many of them become wealthy before they reach old age, but this happens rarely in Thailand.
 
Mr Suthichai said Thailand's ability to tackle the problems of an ageing population is limited. 

''This is because no long-term preparations are in place and Thailand's ageing population grows three to four times faster than in developed countries. 

''For example, it would take 114 years to see the French elderly population increase from 7% to 14%, as opposed to Thailand which took only 22 years to reach the same percentage,'' he said. 

Banlu Siripanich of the Thai Health Promotion Fund (THPF) said the agency, in collaboration with the Elderly Council of Thailand, has initiated projects aimed at promoting the health benefits of exercise for elderly people in remote rural areas. 

The project will target elderly people's clubs which lack funding to hold activities. Currently, 330 such clubs have participated in the programme. 

Another project is intended to create drug-free, health-promoting villages. The villages will be made up of groups of people who take regular exercise, and the elderly members must have a health log book. 

Food safety checks will also begin.

The villagers will be encouraged not to give cigarettes to monks and novices. Drinking alcohol and gambling will not be allowed on temple premises. 

There will be 'elder brother clubs' for older people and 'younger brother clubs' for younger ones. They will live together and learn from each other. 

There are currently 67 elder brother clubs, while the number of younger brother clubs will increase to 105 next year. 

Copyright © Global Action on Aging
Terms of Use  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us