On 25 September 2025, an interdisciplinary research team from Mahidol University under the project “Caring for Work / Working for Care: Long-Term Care by Thai and Migrant Workers in Thailand”, in collaboration with the Mahidol Migration Center (MMC-JRU), organized a stakeholder meeting on the topic “Creating Pathways to Increase the Number of Elderly Caregivers in Thailand” under the concept “Social Lab: Caring for Work / Working for Care.”
The meeting was presided over by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jongjit Rittirong, Deputy Director for Research, Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR), Mahidol University. The event featured the presentation of research findings on long-term care provided by Thai and migrant workers, followed by discussions on the challenges and potential pathways for enabling migrant workers to play a role as assistant caregivers for the elderly.
Distinguished discussants included Dr. Chainarong Sangchang from the Department of Health Service Support, Ministry of Public Health, along with researchers from the Ramathibodi School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Physical Therapy, and Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University. The session was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sudarat Musikawong, Principal Investigator of the project and faculty member of IPSR.
After the presentations, participants were divided into small groups for in-depth discussions on key issues such as: Developing assistant caregivers to support primary caregivers and elderly care both in households and institutions, creating career pathways for migrant workers, improving working conditions to promote sustainability in the caregiving workforce, and addressing the workload and challenges faced by caregivers in various contexts.
More than 40 representatives from government agencies, private organizations, and partner institutions in the fields of public health, labor, and human rights participated in the meeting. These included the Department of Health Service Support, Bureau of Elderly Health (Department of Health), Thailand Professional Qualification Institute (Public Organization), Thai Elderly Care and Health Service Trade Association, Department of Older Persons, Association of Thai Licensed Recruitment Agencies, elderly care business operators, and representatives of caregiving workers.
The meeting concluded with key policy recommendations to advance the development of pathways for increasing the number of elderly caregivers in Thailand, an essential step toward addressing the country’s caregiving labor shortage and ensuring sustainability in the context of its rapidly aging society.
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