Thailand prepared for aged society

BANGKOK, May 23 (TNA) - Thai health authorities are studying Japanese care for the elderly, as senior citizens will form a quarter of the total Thai population within 10 years. The Thai health authorities, led by Public Health Minister Pradit Sintawanarong, are visiting Japan from May 23-26 to study services for senior citizens, relevant problems and experiences, being members of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's entourage during her ongoing working visit to Japan this week. Dr. Pradit told TNA on Thursday Thailand is becoming an aged society within a decade based on the fact that the country's fertility rate has been falling, as a Thai woman has only 1.5 children on average now and people aged 60 and above will, therefore, form a quarter of the Thai population over the next 10 years. Dr. Pradit noted that the development is a national problem and the Thai government is preparing budgets and care systems to cope with it through both short and medium-term solutions, under which the administration will raise the life expectancy of Thai people to 80 years and their quality adjusted life expectancy to 72 years, in parallel with developing efficient and effective care systems for the elderly to relieve the burdens of their family members. For long-term solutions, the health minister acknowledged, there will be many measures, including an increase in Thailand's fertility rate to 2.1 children per Thai woman, tax incentives for all large-scaled workplaces to have nurseries and the development of balanced proportions of people at all age ranges to prevent the shortage of workers in the Thai economy. The Thai health minister mentioned that Premier Yingluck may have an opportunity to present long stay services for Japanese people in Thailand, pointing out that Thai personnel, especially those in the private sector, have potential to provide Japanese citizens with the services and, as Thailand has a policy on changing its regulations to welcome international visitors, Thai doctors and nurses, along with other Thai people, are to also learn the Japanese language. (TNA)