According to the Institute for Population and Social Research and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (Thai Health), Thailand has a population of approximately 66 million with an average life expectancy of 75.6 years.
However, the health-adjusted life expectancy -- the average number of years a person can expect to live in full health -- is around only 68 years. This means Thai people often face six to 10 years of illnesses before death.
To raise awareness and encourage people to improve their health, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation partnered with Manoot Tang Wai (People of Different Generations), Bangkok Life Assurance, National Human Rights Commission and network partners to host a recent forum titled "As Thais Live Longer, Why Is Their Health Declining?" at Impact Exhibition Center, Muang Thong Thani.
Prof Piyamitr Sritara, president of Mahidol University, explained that advances in medical technology allow doctors to cure illnesses that were once fatal. For example, patients with lung cancer, who in the past would die within six months, can extend their lives by several years. Advanced technology has also turned cancer into a chronic condition.
Prof Piyamitr noted that while technology extends lifespan, it often leaves people in a frail stage for a long time before they die. This brings high medical expenses and a low quality of life. Since nobody wants to be in that condition, people should improve the number of years they live or can expect to live in reasonably good health.
Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, manager of Thai Health, revealed that the life expectancy average of Thais stands at 77.06 years, ranking 101st out of 200 countries on the Worldometer.
"Although Thailand's average life expectancy is reported to be 77 years, this average includes infants and children who die aged under five years. Therefore, the actual life expectancy for adults is higher," said Prof Piyamitr.
"If the average life expectancy is 85 years and people have to use a wheelchair at the age of 75, they do not have good quality of life. It would be better if people could be active and mobile until age 84 and then die at age 85.
"Quality life years are determined by two main factors: genetics and lifestyle. While people cannot change their genetics, they can improve their lifestyle, such as keeping a healthy diet and regular exercise."
When asked about the healthcare system factor, Prof Piyamitr compared Thailand to the United States. He said Thailand's universal healthcare provides underprivileged people better access to healthcare services than the US system, even though the US spends much more on its healthcare.
"It is astonishing that Thailand's ranking is lower than half of the countries in the world. Our healthspan and lifespan are on average lower than many other countries," said Dr Pongthep.
"Unlike other nations, many children in Thailand die from drowning while youngsters die from motorcycle accidents due to not wearing helmets.
"These early deaths drag down the country's average life expectancy. Adults also tend to develop drinking and smoking habits which often lead to cancer or stroke."
Dr Pongthep noted that while doctors in the past fought against infectious diseases with vaccines and antibiotics, today's healthspan enemy is people themselves.
He explained that Thais enjoy consuming sweet, oily and salty food and marketing campaigns encourage people to consume such unhealthy food, which can lead to non-communicable disease (NCD).
Prof Piyamitr pointed out that the NCD situation is serious and an increasing number of people are developing weight issues, particularly abdominal obesity.
"NCD treatments cost Thailand up to 1.6 trillion baht, which is a massive amount for the national budget. The most significant condition in the NCD group is cardiovascular disease. How quickly our blood vessels deteriorate depends on these key risk factors: diabetes, high blood pressure or abdominal obesity," explained Prof Piyamitr.
"According to the Thai National Health Examination Survey in 2024-2025, the obesity rate among Thais aged 15 and older has increased to 45%, with abdominal obesity at 44.7%. Half of the obese population in Thailand are of working age."
Prof Piyamitr shared a few examples which showed that Thailand faces health literacy issues.
"In Japan, it is difficult to find tea with sugar in vending machines, while in Thailand, it is difficult to find sugar-free drinks in vending machines," he said.
"To promote health, I convinced a major convenience store chain to sell low-sugar yoghurt, but it could not sell. The convenience store chain had to include syrup with the yoghurt, so that it would sell. I also persuaded a large manufacturer to produce low-sodium instant noodles, but it did not sell either.
"This highlights issues of Thailand's health literacy. If Thailand can successfully improve health literacy, consumers will make the right dietary choices and manufacturers will adapt to produce healthier products."
As the manager of Thai Health, which promotes many campaigns to fight against unhealthy food, Dr Pongthep explained that changing consumer behaviour requires more than just public campaigns.
Healthy or unhealthy habits are formed before the age of six. Children learn dietary preferences from their parents. If parents are obese, their children are likely to be obese as well.
"Thai Health partnered with the Excise Department to implement and increase the sugar-sweetened beverage tax. Consumers will shift to choose zero-sugar and low-sugar drinks when they have a lower price. However, the implementation of a sodium tax on snacks has been delayed. Promoting health literacy requires collaboration from all sectors of society," said Dr Pongthep.
He warned that physical inactivity is most dangerous because regular exercise builds muscles and burns energy. Keeping physically active keeps people from becoming bedridden.
"People aged 90 who are still active and mobile are usually slim and muscular. On the other hand, people aged 70 in a wheelchair are often chubby and lack muscle mass. To stay healthy, people should walk up to 10,000 steps or 5km a day or at least 6,000 steps or 3km per day," Prof Piyamitr added.
"It is never too late to start exercising to build up muscles as it is always beneficial. Building muscles helps people to stay independent and not rely on others. People should enjoy a good quality of life for as long as possible, rather than just living long, but without a good quality of life."
