Ageing society development strategy from a marginalised elderly group in Southern Thailand

ABSTRACT

While the population is ageing rapidly, we are facing an economic crisis that needs a solution. This study with an elderly group in a Southern Thailand rural area found a suggestion model that applies Participatory Action Research (PAR) with “the ager's social capital” and “the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEPP)” to empower seniors in solving their problems and needs. After four years, the group was upgraded to be the national social welfare management partner; their careers became a community enterprise, green products were created, and the elders received community-based management care.

KEYWORDS:

• Ageing society development
• community-based management
• ageing networks
• development strategy
• elder
• PAR
• social capital
• sufficiency economy philosophy

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank all the participants from the PY community. The elderly group significantly assisted the study, as did the authorities, private sector groups, villagers, and leaders who joined the research. Also, thanks should go to the Scholarship Awards for Thai Ph.D. Students under Thailand's Education Hub for the Southern Region of ASEAN Countries, Prince of Songkla University, which supported the research budget.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The study was conducted under the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Centre for Human Research Ethics Social and Behavioural Sciences, Nursing Faculty, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai (ID: PSU IRB 2019- PSU-St 002)

Notes on contributors

Rungrat Charoenwisal

Rungrat Charoenwisal (Rung) B.Sc.(Biology), M.Ed.(Research and Evaluation), Ph.D.(Human and Social Development) (in progress), as well as some certificates in teaching, English teaching, New Entrepreneurs Creation, and a Human Resources Development Diploma. I was an ex-WeD project data manager (PSU. Campus); a Southern Thailand LA21 facilitator for the Office of People Promotion Participation, Department of Environmental Quality Promotion (DEQP), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; a school assessor in the South; assistant teacher at Rajabhat University and PSU; and an assistant foreigners researcher, before opening a Happy Time Learning Centre at Hat Yai, Thailand. I am interested in wellbeing in research about developing countries, especially for aging groups and real-life situations. Most of my time now is spent as a dependent researcher for fun rather than funding. I am keen to learn and would like to help the ageing people who surround me. Five years ago I observed the ageing society phenomenon and would like to share information about its impacts. So, I applied for a Ph.D. program. I did not know that it would last so long until I got into research.