The Development of Thailand's Elderly Policy: The Policy Paradigm Shift

Abstract

This article aims to present the development of Thai elderly policy in the paradigm dimension of the policy. Qualitative research methodology was employed and data were collected from documents, books, research papers, official documents and in-depth interviews. The study revealed that the development of Thailand’s elderly policies is divided into three period. 1) The first is the period of social assistance which was prior to the year 1981. Here, the policy actors believed that the elderly must be taken care of by their families if not the government had to give helps. So, the policy paradigm aimed at giving basic assistance to the elderly who were in difficulties. 2) The second is the period of social service creation which was started from 1982-2002. At this point, the actors had a belief that the elderly deserved good social services. As a result, the main paradigm of the policy was to provide decent social services for the elderly who met designated criteria. 3) The third is the period of rights protection which was ranged from the year 1997-2018. The actors believed that there were both the elderly with powerlessness and those with potential. Nonetheless, these elderly deserved equal social services. Consequently, the main paradigm of the policy was to promote and protect the rights of the elderly, focusing on providing social services to all elderly people according to basic rights. The paradigm shift of Thailand’s elderly policy can be explained as adding and replacing. In the new period, a new paradigm had occurred and replaced the original one. As a result, the original one was altered from the main paradigm to minor paradigm in the newer age. Thailand’s elderly policy, evidently, consists of all three paradigms. Accordingly, policymakers should balance social assistance, social services, and rights protection according to current circumstances.