Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin cautioned that Thailand’s population could plummet from 66 million to a mere 33 million within six decades.
This alarming forecast, issued yesterday, spells out dire consequences for the nation’s economic vitality and security, with the working-age populace dwindling from 46 million to a mere 14 million, according to Somsak.
Speaking at a meeting of a committee on preventing teenage pregnancy, which he chairs, Somsak underscored the urgency of addressing the issue of plummeting birth rates.
Somsak cited statistics from the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). He highlighted a staggering decline in the fertility rate from 6.29 in 1970 to a mere 1.08 in 2023.
“The number of newborns in Thailand has plummeted below 500,000 annually, a stark contrast to the over 1 million births recorded in…
