Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

‘Over 45% of all districts across the country have already entered a completely aged society. Three districts with the highest ratio of seniors are in Bangkok,” said Assoc Prof Niramon Serisakul, director of the Urban Design and Development Centre (UDDC).

In a completely aged society, people aged 60 and over account for 20% of the population. According to the UDDC, seniors are most concentrated in Samphanthawong (35.4%), Pomprap Sattruphai (34.3%) and Phra Nakhon (33%) in Bangkok, followed by San Pa Tong (32.4%) in Chiang Mai and Pa Sang (32.3%) in Lamphun. In Thailand, the number of elders has now reached 13 million.

“It is a wake-up call for cities to adapt,” she said.

As a result, the UDDC unveiled AFCC-SHiP, an index measuring cities’ age-friendliness, in collaboration with the Thai Health Promotion Foundation on Sept 18.

Assoc Prof Niramon said the advent of the grey society is bringing about multiple challenges. In terms of social vulnerability, many seniors experience isolation. A combination of factors, including hectic life and generational gap, leads to lack of support for the elderly. In terms of economic vulnerability, a shrinking workforce is also resulting in economic slowdown.

“However, cities can be a starting point for change. As more than half of Thais live in urban areas [according to the UN World Urbanisation Prospects], cities can provide a textbook example for adaptation,” she said.

Assoc Prof Niramon said the urban environment impacts a person’s health. A wide range of factors from pollution, lack of green space to sedentary lifestyle can increase health risks. Even with better access to healthcare services, urban residents are still vulnerable to health problems and despite a decline in seasonal illnesses, non-communicable diseases and degenerative conditions are a growing concern.

“This is a big transition. Behaviour and degeneration affect our health,” she said.

Assoc Prof Niramon drew attention to how an unsupportive environment can cause extreme suffering in old age. For example, there are around 5.5 million seniors who are injured in accidental falls each year, with a death rate of three per day, according to a study by Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Nursing. The city’s environment, such as pavements and lighting, is not friendly to elders.

“Despite our life expectancy of 74, we suffer from illnesses for seven years, which accounts for 10% of our life,” she said. “It is clear that we age fast.”

Assoc Prof Niramon said an age-friendly city will enable people to accumulate “health capital” throughout their life. It is characterised by safety, promotion of physical and mental health and inclusion. For example, Akita in Japan encourages senior participation through several initiatives, including the one-coin bus and the multigenerational city hall. Meanwhile, Singapore’s silver zones enhance road safety for senior residents.

“Urban environment and well-being have a complex relationship. It requires a tool for analysis and assessment. AFCC-SHiP will be a helpful compass for building good cities. Old age isn’t the future. It is here and now,” she said.

Adisak Guntamueanglee, deputy director of the UDDC, said cities should first be able to meet basic needs and then gear towards age-friendliness. SHiP is adapted from a global policy framework for age-friendly cities and communities (AFCC). It covers four categories, including security, health, infrastructure and basic services, and participation.

“SHiP is not just an index. It can be seen as Noah’s Ark or shipping [a word used in Boys’ Love to denote homoerotic pairing] of urban environment and well-being,” he said.

A survey of over 1,000 municipalities and subdistrict administrative organisations across the country shows that poverty has the most adverse impact on urban residents (19%), followed by housing (14%) and NCDs (14%). Other challenges include pollution and natural disaster (13%) and lack of social welfare (12%). However, access to healthcare is a high priority for an age-friendly city.

An overall analysis found that “Bangkok is an outlier”. Its urban environment, including physical and socioeconomic aspects, can mostly fulfil basic needs of residents. Victory Monument is the country’s most concentrated medical hub. Other high-ranking areas include Phuket, Nonthaburi, Chon Buri and Chiang Mai. On the other hand, Buri Ram, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Kalasin and Sa Kaeo fall behind.

When it comes to age-friendliness, cities can be roughly divided into three levels. Top-tier cities are most equipped with age-friendly infrastructure, for instance, Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani and Khon Kaen. Mid-tier cities have mediocre capacity, for example, Rayong, Prachin Buri and Nakhon Nayok. Low-tier cities are most vulnerable and need urgent support, such as Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phayao and Bueng Kan.

“Urban environment is highly critical to the health of urban residents. It impacts the quality-adjusted-life-year (QALY). With access to healthcare, people in Bangkok are more likely to have the best QALY,” he said.

Adisak explained that these findings show a relationship between urban environment and senior well-being. Still, it should take into account socioeconomic differences — the poor in bigger cities experience more health vulnerability than those in smaller towns. He called for an improvement in infrastructure and basic service for the ageing, while promoting the silver workforce and ensuring access to healthcare.

Speaking at a public forum, Dr Suthee Saritsiri, director of the Health Promotion Division of the Department of Health of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said the city conducted a health checkup for around 200,000 seniors from October 2024 to September 2025. They are vulnerable to NCDs, which are related to paralysis, kidney disease and heart disease. Also, they live with dementia, fall injury and malnutrition.

The BMA has launched several preventive long-term care initiatives to increase social interaction. Currently, there are 490 activity groups, with at least 50,000 members. Moreover, it has equipped seniors with smart watches to ensure that they walk at least 7,000 steps per day to reduce the risk of NCDs and foster connection. In the wake of an earthquake in March, the city is also looking to provide more support for older adults living alone in condos.

When asked what the city can do more to address demographic shift, Dr Suthee said the family institution has been weakened because people focus solely on bread-and-butter issues.

“The urban environment should be designed to promote multigenerational activities. Community art and running events are textbook examples of bringing people together,” she said.

The long-awaited “contractor report card” system is still pending final approval from the new finance minister, according to Department of Highways (DoH) Director-General Piyapong Jiwatanakulpaisan.

Mr Piyapong, who assumed office on Oct 1, pledged to make safety a top priority in all projects, with particular attention being paid to Rama II Road, which has been the subject of much public concern due to recurring accidents.

He noted that contractors working on the project have already adjusted practices to reduce risks while ensuring construction continues on schedule without compromising safety.

“In the past, the Ministry of Transport set up a task force of engineers to identify and correct unsafe practices. These interventions have significantly improved operations. I want the public to be assured that the Department of Highways is doing everything possible to prevent accidents,” he said.

On the much-discussed contractor accountability system, Mr Piyapong explained that implementation rests with the Comptroller General’s Department.

Two legal steps are required: a ministerial regulation on contractor qualifications, allowing contractors to be upgraded or downgraded based on performance, and revisions to regulations on construction and contractor evaluations.

The cabinet has already approved the ministerial regulation, but it now awaits the finance minister’s signature before coming into effect, he said.

Legal experts correctly question whether the justice minister should recommend that His Majesty the King approve Thaksin’s request for a second royal pardon. As lawyer Chao Meekhuad noted, “Pardons exist for those who show genuine remorse, not as a passport for repeat offenders who refuse to respect the court’s verdict.”

In his previous 14th-floor saga, Thaksin had confessed to corruption, professing remorse. On that basis, His Majesty graciously pardoned him and reduced his sentence to a year.

But instead of turning over a new leaf, the convict immediately engaged in a year-long fraud to deceive the entire nation, including the King, of his “life-threatening illnesses” — as painstakingly proven by the Medical Council of Thailand. Additionally, genuine remorse requires making the injured party whole by returning all ill-gotten gains and repaying profits made.

Despite his 67.97 billion baht in net assets, Thaksin has not voluntarily returned any of the purloined money, let alone profits therefrom.

This is not remorse in any shape or form. Thumbs down to the unrepentant fraudster.

Burin Kantabutra

CO2 tax madness

Re: “No to carbon tax”, (PostBag, Oct 3).

I really like the relative newcomer to this column, Anna Aarts. She suggests Pigouvian CO2 taxes should be considered only with broad international cooperation.

Social engineering based upon taxation, subsidies, regulation, or cap-and-trade schemes is always a slippery slope, but taxing CO2 is never going to achieve universal international acceptance, and even if it did, it would be wrong in implementation and insane in conceptualisation — as Anna described well.

We now have voluntary carbon trading, which should be enough to satisfy those zealots who truly believe CO2 is somehow bad for the planet.

Michael Setter

Ganja grievances

Re: “Weed ruins lives”, (PostBag, Oct 2).

I’m sure I’m not the only reader who wonders what it is about Jason Jellison’s letters that endears him to the PostBag editor. I would have thought that Tarquin’s remark that we have well and truly registered that Khun Jason is anti-ganja-so-move-on said it all. Apparently not!

Today, Mr Jellison is again given the right of reply by proposing that he has just listened to a recent performance of a favourite song, performed seven years ago, with a virtuoso solo on the organ by a talented violinist! What made this performance so remarkable, apparently, was that none of the 100 musicians was stoned.

I leave it to readers to make what they will of the 7th-grade event Mr Jellison subsequently recounts. Along with the recent story of a female British tourist collapsing at his feet, joint in hand, on a local trip to the shops, he seems cursed to encounter the evils of marijuana way beyond my experience in London and Sydney in the 70s and 80s.

Ray Ban

Let facts speak

Re: “Thamanat defends role in cabinet”, (BP, Oct 1).

Yesterday and again today on TV, I watched Capt Thamanat Prompow vigorously defend his reputation and threaten to sue for defamation if anyone called it into question. Having no wish to run the risk of being found guilty under Thailand’s draconian defamation and libel laws, I will adhere to known facts and offer no opinion or comment on them.

Fact 1: In Australia in 1993, New South Wales police charged Thamanat for his involvement in importing 3.2kg of heroin to Australia.

Fact 2: He pleaded guilty in the NSW District Court to conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of heroin with a street value of A$4.1 million, according to media reports, including The Sydney Morning Herald.

Fact 3: He was found guilty as charged and spent four years in jail. He was deported on his release from Parklea Prison.

Fact 4: Australia’s customs officers and police have the ability and the technology to determine the difference between flour and heroin.

Let the facts speak for themselves.

People’s Party MP for Bangkok, Rakchanok Srinok, has accused the Social Security Office (SSO) of allowing unauthorised individuals to attend sensitive investment meetings concerning the Social Security Fund (SSF).

In a Facebook post yesterday, Ms Rakchanok said two individuals joined SSO investment sessions as supposed representatives of Mercer, an international consultancy firm hired under a 15-million-baht contract. One, a Thai national, attended in person, while the other joined by video conference from overseas.

She said it later emerged that the overseas participant was Mercer’s sole official representative, but he remained silent during discussions as he could not understand Thai. The in-person attendee, meanwhile, was found to be a subcontractor, despite Mercer’s contract banning subcontracting.

Ms Rakchanok called the matter troubling, noting that both individuals continued to sit in on investment and risk management meetings, including one on Aug 26 where decisions worth more than 400 billion baht were discussed. This came despite Mercer’s contract with the SSO expiring in August 2024.

She questioned whether Mercer’s representatives had the required licences from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), stressing the impact of the SSF.

“The Social Security Fund is worth 2.7 trillion baht. Every decision affects market prices. If someone knew which stocks the SSF planned to buy or sell, they could profit enormously. This is why participation must be tightly regulated. How could the SSO allow unauthorised individuals to sit in on such critical discussions?” she asked.

The Bank of Thailand plans to introduce new business licences for white-label automated teller machines (ATMs) next year.

The licences are available to both banks and non-bank operators, with the goal of expanding financial inclusion nationwide.

According to the central bank’s Payment Directional Paper under the Financial Landscape 2025, the regulator is seeking approval from the Finance Ministry to issue these licences.

The central bank expects to submit the proposal to the ministry in early 2026, with implementation anticipated by late next year, said Daranee Saeju, assistant governor for the payment systems policy and financial consumer protection group.

Applications for the new licences are open to a broad range of operators, including banks, non-banks, fintech companies and ATM vendors.

The initiative is intended to enhance financial inclusion, particularly in remote areas, by providing broader access to affordable financial services.

“For basic financial services, fees charged for transactions on white-label ATMs must not exceed current rates. However, higher fees may be permitted for innovative financial services where appropriate, based on cost structures,” said Ms Daranee.

She said while bank branches and ATMs have been steadily declining in line with growing digital banking adoption, certain consumer segments still rely on traditional services. However, the central bank expects cash usage to continue to recede, said Ms Daranee.

Central bank data indicates cash transactions are projected to drop to 10-20% of total banking transactions in 3-5 years, down from 31% at present.

PromptPay, the national digital payment platform, has propelled Thailand’s shift towards a cashless economy. Average digital payment transactions per user rose to 651 in 2024, up from 538 in 2023 and 425 in 2022.

Ms Daranee said the central bank also wants to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt digital payments through the PromptBiz platform.

However, she said the regulator is cautious about aggressively pushing digital payment adoption in certain groups, such as seniors, to protect them from financial fraud.

Chaiyarit Anuchitworawong, senior executive vice-president at Bangkok Bank (BBL), said the bank is considering the new ATM licensing scheme and may participate in installations where it does not have a presence.

BBL, the country’s largest lender by total assets, has continued to scale down its brick-and-mortar branches and ATMs in the post-pandemic period.

Over the past three years, the bank has closed around 300 branches nationwide, averaging about 100 closures per year, as digital transactions continue to increase.

An abusive teacher is facing legal action after the parents of a seven-year-old boy rebuffed his apology for assaulting their son and a request to settle the matter quietly.

The 23-year-old teacher has been accused of violently striking the first-grader with a metal ruler and slapping him multiple times for eating the teacher’s marshmallow snack. The incident left the child’s face badly bruised, sparking outrage among local residents and community leaders.

The teacher and his mother earlier visited the family’s home to apologise and offer compensation – only to flee when confronted by reporters.

According to community leaders, the case came to light after a local headman and village chief visited the child’s home in tambon Na Sak of Mae Moh district. They said they found the boy with visible bruises on his face and neck. Upon questioning, the boy admitted he had eaten the teacher’s snack because he had no money to buy his own.

The victim’s mother, identified only as Da, said she refused to accept the teacher’s apology. ‘They came unannounced with a gift basket to ask forgiveness, but I told them it’s too late,’ she said.

Da said the teacher’s mother begged her to settle the matter privately and offered financial compensation, claiming her son was mentally ill.

Da recalled that on the day of the assault, she had no money to give her son for snacks.

‘He told me later that he had eaten some of the teacher’s marshmallows without asking. When I got home, I found him sitting quietly in front of the house with bruises all over his face and neck,’ she said tearfully.

‘He told me he doesn’t want to go back to school because he’s scared of being beaten again. I want this teacher transferred immediately.’

Village headman Narongdej Wong-ai and tambon chief Rat Umhong said they were alerted by a local official who was checking on why the boy was not at school. Initially, they suspected domestic abuse, but after questioning, learned the injuries were caused by the teacher.

The boy was later taken for a medical examination, which confirmed the bruises were consistent with blunt-force trauma from a hard object.

Following the discovery, the teacher reportedly called the local chief to apologise and pleaded for leniency. However, community leaders refused, saying the assault was too severe and other children could be in danger.

Other teachers at the school said the accused had a history of isolating himself and previously punished students by locking them in a room.

The village headman added that when the boy’s mother first tried to file a police report, officers refused, suggesting they feared the child might be labelled a thief.

After intervention from the village and tambon chiefs – both of whom also serve on the school’s board – the police finally accepted the complaint.

Local leaders and the boy’s family have vowed to pursue the case until justice is served. They are demanding that education authorities remove the teacher from the school and that legal action be taken against him for physically assaulting a minor.

Affinity’s professional graphic design applications are now available for permanent free download on the Apple App Store for iPad.

The suite includes Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher and Affinity Designer, giving users a chance to access the tools without any subscription fees.

The announcement follows Serif’s sale of Affinity to Canva in 2024. At that time, users were only offered a seven-day trial across iPad, personal computers (PCs) and Mac.

The new development suggests that iPad users can now keep the apps for free, although some speculate it may be the result of a technical error rather than a planned policy.

To secure a permanent licence, users must first download the app free from the App Store and activate the seven-day trial.

Returning to the Affinity Photo page on the App Store will show a licence option labelled ‘Affinity Photo 2 for iPad licence.’

Downloading it again registers the app for permanent use. Affinity has long been marketed as a one-time purchase alternative to Adobe’s subscription-based services such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere. On iPad, the interface and workflow are like Adobe’s apps, but Affinity traditionally charges a single fee (USD$18.49), while Adobe requires monthly payments (USD$9.99 – 22.99/month).

The Royal Thai Navy has ordered the immediate transfer of officers accused of involvement in oil theft and procurement irregularities at its logistics base in Trat province, pending a full investigation.

Spokesman Rear Adm Parach Rattanachaiphan said the First Naval Area commander has ordered a probe into the allegations and temporarily transferred the accused officers to its headquarters to prevent interference.

On the claim that conscripts were deployed for private work, Rear Adm Parach said the navy has already investigated such abuse of conscripts, found grounds for the allegations and taken action against those responsible.

The navy’s clarifications are in response to People’s Party MP Chetawan Tuaprakhon, who said the House committee on military affairs received three complaints about misconduct and irregularities in the navy.

The first involved the use of conscripts for work at private ferry piers in Trat’s Laem Ngop and Koh Chang, while the other two involved the alleged smuggling of fuel out of the base and irregularities in procurement contracts for logistics operations in Trat.

Mr Chetawan said fuel logs indicated repeated withdrawals of 1,000 litres for “backhoes,” raising suspicions of fraud, while photos showed pickup trucks leaving the base with large fuel tanks.

Regarding irregularities in procurement contracts, 16% was deducted from the contracts, raising questions about whether receipts were issued without the actual delivery of goods, according to the MP.

Thailand’s new foreign affairs minister, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, said on Thursday that Thailand will be back on the “global radar” while he serves in office.

Speaking to the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok, Mr Sihasak outlined his plans to execute diplomacy during the current administration’s four-month tenure.

Mr Sihasak said that after a long absence, Thailand deserves to make a global comeback, adding that it is necessary to restore its international image by presenting itself as a dynamic country of economic significance.

“Foreign countries often refer to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam when they talk about Southeast Asia,” he said. “Thailand is only known for having good food, good people, and tourist spots, but we need to portray our economic dimensions as well.”

Mr Sihasak’s schedule is busy over the coming months with international meetings planned, including those related to the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, the general election in Myanmar slated for December, the Asean Summit in Malaysia’s Putrajaya in November, and the Apec Summit in South Korea at the end of October.

“We need to head in directions where Thailand’s benefits could be taking place,” he said.

Mr Sihasak said his ministry will aim to improve communication efficiency in its diplomatic efforts. During the border conflict, Thailand’s communication was perceived as limited and slow compared to that of the Cambodian side, he said.

It is necessary to respond more quickly while creating understanding among the Thai public, he said.

Thailand’s unstable politics have also been a factor limiting the country’s presence on the world stage, Mr Sihasak added.

Now that the dust has settled on the dramatic events at Bethpage last weekend, it is time to reflect on what was a most extraordinary Ryder Cup tournament that will long be remembered for both good and bad reasons.

We should not allow the poor behaviour of sections of the crowd to detract from the terrific golf that was played throughout the tournament. It should also not be forgotten that on those first two days the American team didn’t play that badly but the Europeans were simply outstanding. It was teamwork at its best under the inspirational leadership of captain Luke Donald.

The American golfers produced a brave fightback in the singles. It made the last day much more gripping than had been expected and the final 15-13 score more acceptable for the hosts. However, the damage had been done on the opening two days.

The sad thing is that the brilliant golf from both teams at times became secondary to the unsavoury incidents sparked by some of the crowd. You know something is not quite right when mistakes by players are greeted by louder cheers than any fine shots. It’s a bit like tennis fans applauding double faults.

At most regular stroke-play golf tournaments around the world, the galleries are very respectful, knowing when to clap and when to keep quiet. But in the Ryder Cup it is a different story, brought on by the admittedly exciting match-play format in which every hole counts and the fans know it. As a result the galleries have become increasingly boisterous, sounding more like football crowds.

At Bethpage the raucous crowd was to be expected, but the vitriolic nature of the insults aimed at the Europeans was over-the-top. It didn’t do the American players any favours either, as it must have been uncomfortable for them hearing the slurs directed at their opponents. All credit to Justin Thomas who repeatedly gestured to the crowd to calm down when the Europeans were putting.

The great American golfer Tom Watson was so upset that he apologised for the “rude and mean-spirited behaviour” of the fans.

Unfortunately the event will always attract those who think it is clever to shout out something stupid when a player tees off. We should be thankful there were very few water hazards at Bethpage so at least we didn’t get those idiotic cries of: “in the water”. However, this time it was “in the bunker”. And of course the tiresome “get in the hole” accompanied virtually every shot.

Fortunately there were many things to admire on the playing side. US “rookie” Cameron Young performed well throughout the tournament, highlighted by a dramatic win over Justin Rose in the singles.

Despite the loss to Young, Rose epitomised the commitment of the European squad. Some of his putting was absolutely brilliant. Rory McIlroy played well considering the crowd hostility, which clearly affected him. Tommy Fleetwood was also outstanding and displayed an amazingly cool demeanour despite the pressure.

Shane Lowry will always be remembered for his Irish jig as he celebrated sinking the putt that guaranteed Europe would retain the trophy. His reaction reflected the tension the players were experiencing.

Arguably the best shot of the tournament came from Spaniard Jon Rahm when he chipped in from an almost impossible lie on the eighth hole on the second day. Rahm was a truly inspirational figure on those first two days.

Let’s hope that in the 2027 tournament at Adare Manor in Ireland we will return to fans cheering the good shots and not the mistakes.