KUALA LUMPUR - According to ANN, Thailand is projected to face a shortage of more than 250,000 care workers by 2037 as the demand for home-based elderly care continues to grow, based on a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The report, released on the International Day for Care and Support, highlights the urgent need for public investment in community-based care systems and decent work opportunities in the care sector.

The report, titled ‘Care at Home: Projecting Thailand’s Need for National and Migrant Labour for Home-Based Care for Older Persons,’ estimates that Thailand will need at least 70% more paid home-based care workers to meet the growing demand.

It estimates that closing care gaps and ensuring decent working conditions would require about 250,000 additional care workers, including roughly 55,000 migrant workers.

Thailand’s ageing in place policy encourages elderly people to remain in their homes instead of moving to institutional care, a choice often made out of financial necessity.

Without stronger government investment, the ILO warns that the burden of care will continue to fall heavily on low-income families.

Currently, much of Thailand’s paid home care is provided by nurses, community volunteers, and domestic workers, many of whom are migrants.

The report says the role of migrant workers in care and domestic work is increasing and will continue to grow as Thailand’s population ages and fewer young people enter the sector.

ILO calls for greater public spending on the care economy, universal access to home and community care, and stronger protection for workers under Ministerial Regulation No. 15 (2024) of the Labour Protection Act 1998.

The report also promotes fair and legal migration pathways, training, and certification for both Thai and migrant care workers to ensure quality services and fair treatment.

It further recommends expanding community-based care, improving health literacy, and using technology such as telemedicine and assistive devices to reduce care shortages.

The use of such innovations, the report notes, could cut the projected shortfall to fewer than 100,000 workers.

Director of the ILO Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia, and the Lao PDR, Xiaoyan Qian said Thailand’s home care model will only succeed if care work is recognised and valued as a skilled profession.

“Investing in decent care jobs for both Thailand and migrant workers will help this country build a sustainable, fair, and inclusive care system that benefits families, communities, and the economy,” she said.

The report was produced under the ILO’s TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme, funded by the Australian and Canadian governments, to support Thailand’s policies on ageing, labour migration, and care economy development.