Strategies of Social Welfare Policy Implementation for Elderly People in Highland Ethnic Groups for Equality, Equity, and Social Justice in the New Normal under Multilateral Cooperation in Thailand

10.2478/bjlp-2023-0000024

Abstract

Thailand is completely becoming the aging society as a result of structural change of populations leading to the increasing number of elderly people every year. Getting prepared to support the aging society is essential especially for the elderly people in highland ethnic group who have and have no right as a citizen. Since these people are a part of the Thai society and it is becoming to the aging society, they should be developed as same as Thai people. Therefore, the study’s objectives were threefold: (a) to analyze situations and factors affecting the social-welfare policy implementation, (b) to develop strategies of the implementation and (c) to evaluate and provide policy-based and strategic recommendations for providing social welfare for elderly people in the highland ethnic group in Chaloemphrakiat District, Nan Province, Thailand with a mixed Methods. The findings reveal that the situation of social welfare policy implementation for the elderly people in the highland ethnic groups according to the standard of elderly support was generally at moderate level (=3.53). The technological and innovative factors related to follow-up and evaluation, management and cooperation of relevant authorities and leadership could be jointly exercised to predict the social welfare policy implementation for the elderly people in the highland ethnic groups in Chaloemphrakiat District, Nan Province, Thailand, for 51.3%.The result of developing the 5 strategies regarding the social welfare policy implementation for elderly people in the highland ethnic groups is under a concept of “create, promote, develop, follow up and assess”.