Act now on ageing society before it's too late

While their numbers increase, the majority of old people have low or negligible savings and assets to care for themselves.

In the next three years, people aged over 60 in Thailand will account for 13.8 million, or 20% of the population. This means in a group of five, there will be one elderly person. In demographic science, a country where 20% of its people are aged 60 years old or higher is categorised as an ageing society.

The problem is aggravated as a result of a low birth rate that causes the number of people of working age to drop sharply.

In fact, demographic scientists have warned us for so long about such a development but the state is still sluggish, and puts efforts into immediate problems like economic hardship and the cost of living, without any solid plans to handle an ageing society efficiently.