Abstract
Thailand is ageing rapidly, and it has taken about two decades to transform from an ageing society to an aged society. This chapter explores the socio-economic critical issues related to policies and measures for the well-being of the Thai older adults under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the upcoming development of the UN Convention on Human Rights for Older Persons, employing documentary research method and descriptive statistical analysis using secondary data from the Older Persons Surveys by the National Statistics Office (NSO), and a longitudinal panel study on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Thailand (HART) from the Center for Aging Society Research, National Institute of Development Administration. The study found that the living standards of the majority of the Thai older population were poor. They obtained a low level of formal education and depended on family transfers and old-age allowances from the government. Their living arrangement tended towards living alone or with a spouse with less children to support them in their old age. The critical issues reviewed suggest integrated policies and participation from various stakeholders at all levels. One of the main challenges to become an active ageing and healthy ageing society points to the strength of lifelong learning—the education for older adults with ICT support.
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Notes
- 1.
Whenever possible, author strives as much as possible to refrain from using the term “older persons” and to use a term “older adults” instead as the term “older persons” tends to denote a negative connotation.
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Anantanasuwong, D. (2021). Population Ageing in Thailand: Critical Issues in the Twenty-First Century. In: Narot, P., Kiettikunwong, N. (eds) Education for the Elderly in the Asia Pacific. Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, vol 59. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3326-3_3
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