Bangkok (AsiaNews) – Every year, Songkran or Thai New Year is celebrated on April 13-15 and local tradition dictates that young people pour water over the hands of their elders and, after a religious celebration, present them with a garland in exchange for a blessing. For most, this ceremony is a token of respect, love and brotherhood and for this reason some parish priests have held mass as part of the event.

If current trends continue, the role the elderly play is going to grow as the Thai population ages. "Not only do world statistics show this trend, so do national figures," said Card Michael Michai Kitbunchu. "Any problem related to the elderly and the family concerns the Thai Church. We want the family to serve as a domestic church at a time when secularism caused by globalisation is destroying the family as an institution," he added.

"Unity among family members is possible with the aid of the Eucharist, the one true strength in our lives," he noted. "For the family to become a domestic church, it is necessary to pray together, have good intra-family relations and help each other in every family activity."

The number of elderly has been growing fast in Thailand according to Chatree Banchuen, Director General of the Department of Medical Services. "Thailand is becoming a country of old people. The average age for men is 68 and that for women is 73, which is higher than in Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar but still lower than that of Japan, Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia," he said. "There will be repercussions on the economy and society. We must further develop medical technology," he added.

For Dr Banlu Siripanich, the current lower birthrate explains why the population is aging. This means that "there are three main interconnected problems that concern the elderly: personal hygiene, what to do after retirement and what to do with loneliness as people lose their spouse."
Among the young the main problems are few children and proper sex education according to Fr Joseph Phairoj Homjinda, secretary general of Catholic Commission for the Family.

"We have drafted sex education programmes for those who teach this delicate topic in school in cooperation with Dr Chitra Sit-thiamorn, who is the director of the Institute of Health Research at Chulalongkorn University and representative for the Archdiocese of Bangkok at the Research Institute."

This trend has resulted in a growing number of elderly living alone or in poverty. According to the National Statistical Office, there are almost 700,000 elderly without any substantial income and almost 30,000 have been deserted by their families so far.

Fr Rattanasak Kitsakul, from the Commission for Human Development, held a seminar for Catholics operating in the health field to enable them to bring help. It was open to volunteers who help the elderly have access to aid provided by the government.