The Old Age Allowance in Thailand: Wellbeing and self-worth for older people

Sammanfattning: South East Asia, and Thailand in particular, are experiencing rapid population ageing. In Thailand older people are increasing in both proportion of the population and absolute number. Adaptations are needed to support this ageing population and to prevent poverty in old age. Since 2009 Thailand has had a minimum universal social pension, the Old Age Allowance (OAA) for all citizens aged 60 and over. This research used 19 semi-structured interviews with older people in a rural area of Northern Thailand and 3 informant interviews to find which aspects of their wellbeing were influenced by the Old Age Allowance and how. It compared the elements older people identified as influenced by the OAA, with an integrated model of wellbeing consisting of seven domains. It finds that the OAA has some positive influence on all of these domains, which are: enjoying peace of spirit, accessing resources, exercising participation/agency, building social connections, sustaining close relations, enhancing physical and mental wellness and experiencing self-worth. It also finds some limitations of the OAA on older people’s wellbeing, especially by not challenging their dependence on their family and in not preventing the poorest from struggling for basics such as food.