Thailand's population is ageing rapidly, and with it, the country's need for home-based care is expected to soar. A new study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) projects that by 2037, Thailand will need up to 250,000 additional paid care workers, including about 55,000 migrant workers. This is more than 13 times the current number to meet the needs of older persons wishing to age at home.
The report, Care at home: Projecting Thailand's need for national and migrant labour for home-based care for older persons, finds that as family structures change and traditional unpaid caregiving declines, the demand for paid home-based care is set to rise by at least 70 per cent in the next 12 years.
Thailand's policy to promote "ageing in place" means most older persons will continue to live in their homes rather than in institutions. Yet, many families cannot afford to pay for private care. The study warns that without public investment, large care gaps will persist, especially among low-income households.
Paid care in Thailand is currently provided by nurses, community volunteers and domestic workers, many of whom are migrants. The report notes that migrant workers already make up a growing share of domestic and care workers, and their role is expected to expand as the Thai workforce ages and fewer young people enter care occupations.
To meet the growing demand, the ILO calls for greater investment in the care economy that ensures access to affordable home-based and community care services and promotes decent working conditions for care workers in line with 2024 Thailand's new Ministerial Regulation No. 15 on Domestic Work. The report also encourages the promotion of regular and fair migration pathways for care workers and the recognition and upgrading of care-related skills, both for national and migrant workers. Strengthening health literacy, expanding community care systems and investing in technologies such as telehealth and assistive devices could also significantly reduce Thailand's projected care gap, potentially lowering the need for additional care workers to fewer than 100,000.
"This study makes clear that Thailand's ageing-at-home approach can only succeed if care work is recognized, protected and valued as skilled work," said Xiaoyan Qian, ILO Country Director for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao People Democratic Republic. "By investing in decent work for care workers, both national and migrant workers, Thailand can build a sustainable, equitable care system that benefits families, communities and the national economy."
The ILO report forms part of the TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme, funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Global Affairs Canada. It provides evidence to inform Thailand's policies on ageing, labour migration and the care economy, in line with the 2024 ILO Resolution concerning decent work and the care economy.
