A study carried out by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has found that most senior citizens below the age of 69 can still take care of themselves.
The director of ThaiHealth's Population Health Promotion division, Porranee Phuprasert, said a 2019 study by the organisation found that 96.9% of Thai seniors aged between 60-69 were able to take care of themselves without relying on others. Furthermore, only 2% of Thais aged 80 and above depended on others for support, most owing to health problems.
To prepare Thailand as it transitions to an ageing society, ThaiHealth is focusing on four areas, namely health, the economy, social and environment, Ms Porranee said.
ThaiHealth had previously forecast that Thailand will be an ageing society in all aspects by 2022 and a super-aged society in 2033.
That said, the vice president of the Senior Citizen Council of Thailand, Pongsiri Prathnadi said 95% of elder Thai citizens suffer from non-communicable diseases caused by lifestyle choices during their productive working years.
Half of them have not received an annual health check, he said, before reminding people that regular check-ups can help prevent chronic diseases from worsening over time.
The remarks were made ahead of the National Day of Older Persons, which falls today.