How Thailand is shifting to aged care in the home

Thailand’s ageing society is growing rapidly, with a quarter of Thais who are 60 years and older forecasted to account for one-third of the population by 2040. Despite expectations that the country would see a rapid escalation of assisted living and nursing homes being developed, COVID-19 became a game-changer.

While traditionally many Thais have lived and grown up in multigenerational homes with a larger family group, urbanization over the past decade eroded that trend. In that timeframe, the exodus from family compounds to condominiums and single-family homes took centre stage. The greying of a wider global population also saw many expatriates move to Thailand, with government incentives such as the liberalization of retirement visas and the Thailand Elite long-stay program.

Then came the global pandemic and the lifestyle changes for Thais and expats do an about-face and return…