Attributes of active ageing among older persons in Thailand: Evidence from the 2002 survey

Thai people’s life expectancy has risen from 59 to 72 years between 1964 and 2005 (Prasartkul and Vapattanawong, 2005), while the proportion of persons aged 60 years and over in Thailand has been dramatically increasing, from 4.6 per cent in 1960 to 9.5 per cent in 2000 (National Statistical Office (NSO), 1960 and 2000). It is expected that Thailand will face a “population ageing” crisis in the year 2017, when older persons will constitute approximately 14 per cent of the total population, an increase from 7 per cent in 1987 (Jitapunkul, 2000). In other words, the percentage of older persons will double within 30 years and will further increase to 25 per cent of the total in 2035, based on a recent population projection done by the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University (2006). This means that Thailand has only a relatively short time to prepare to respond to the various challenges brought about the greying of its population and in particular issues related to the health, welfare, housing and long-term care of older persons.