Reflections:
Options for the future
By HelpAge International22
Thailand’s demographic profile has changed
radically in recent decades but the fundamental
traditions of society remain in place. Many Thais
continue to work into old age, sometimes earning
an income, but often helping their family without
being paid. This unpaid work includes freeing
their adult children to earn an income by taking
care of grandchildren, helping with housework or
assisting with the family business. However,
health declines with age. When older people
become less able to work, they have traditionally
relied on their families to provide material
support and care. This assistance has become
more of a challenge as family sizes shrink and a
large proportion of younger people migrate away
from their home town for work.
Despite the challenges, as the analysis of John
Knodel, Vipan Prachuabmoh and Napaporn
Chayovan has shown, older people in Thailand
continue to rely heavily on their adult children.
In turn, their children remain devoted to their
parents while coping with their own difficulties,
however may not be able to provide sufficient
support, particularly care and practical assistance
for activities of daily living. In parallel with the
growth in Thailand’s economy, the huge expansion
of the Old Age Allowance and health benefits
has allowed the state to assist families financially
and to give some additional security for the older
poor. However, chapter 4 has demonstrated that
such state benefits have not undermined the assistance
that adult children provide to their parents.
Survey findings suggest that there has been little
or no decline in financial support from children
between 2007 and 2011, although for a minority
of older persons the amount provided by the Old
Age Allowance now exceeds that provided by their
children. Thus, the Thai people are doing their
best to maneuver through unprecedented social
and economic change and they continue to lean
on strong cultural traditions.
In planning for the future however, it is important
to keep in mind the additional major challenges
looming as a result of demographic change. One
challenge is that the traditional family-based
umbrella of protection is already strained, often
as a result of the poverty of the family as a whole
or the wide dispersal of family members. Thus,
many older people in Thai society remain highly
vulnerable despite the country’s economic development.
Another major challenge is that the gaps
in protection may widen as demographic changes
continue into the future. Projections in chapter 1
show that by 2040, nearly a third of the country’s
population will be age 60 or older. Families will be
smaller than in earlier generations and younger
people will continue to migrate for better job
opportunities. The country therefore needs to
continue preparing for additional social change.
The purpose of chapters 1–6 is to describe the
situation of older people rather than to provide
advice about how to prepare for the future.
However, by painting a picture of the context
as of 2011, the survey findings provide evidence
for policy makers on multiple issues. In addition,
when assessing the options for the future,
it is important also to learn from past experience
in programs and service delivery. Thus the
reflections here draw on the accumulated experience
of HelpAge International and other actors
in addressing challenges in ageing and a range
of documented evidence, both in Thailand and
elsewhere.