Thailand had become an ageing society since 2007, with over 10% of the population identified as elderly.CHATNAT KATANYU

With the number of elderly increasing, the government is studying Japan's housing management model for that segment to apply it here, especially for low-income families.

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak recently visited Grande Maison Geihinkan Kyoto Arashiyama to learn about the senior living business. He said Thai companies should study how it develops housing projects for the elderly.

After Grande Maison found in a study that most elderly were reluctant to stay at a nursing home, the company aimed to design and develop environments and services that are comfortable for residents in their retirement years.

The company offers services to make the elderly feel like they are staying at a hotel. Rooms measure 25.11-25.28 square metres. Residents can stay alone or with a spouse and enjoy premium food. Each room has an emergency button, an intercom, a bathroom and a small kitchen.

For the elderly who cannot take care of themselves, the company has provided bathroom machinery or equipment to assist them.

Akami Namatani, 88, said she is happy and feels comfortable at Grande Maison Geihinkan Kyoto Arashiyama because the company offers good services and her son and her relatives can visit or stay overnight if they want.

Mrs Namatani has stayed for four years at Grande Maison Geihinkan Kyoto Arashiyama, where she uses her pension and insurance to pay the equivalent of 300,000-400,000 baht a month. She moved there after her husband died four years ago.

Mr Somkid said related state agencies and the private sector should step up their preparations to assist the elderly because Thailand is already an ageing society.

The Finance Ministry's Fiscal Policy Office found that Thailand became an ageing society in 2007, with over 10% of the population identified as elderly.

That percentage rose to 14.2% in 2015, while Thailand is expected to become an aged society by 2025, when the percentage of the population deemed elderly is forecast to reach 21.2%.

The UN estimates Thailand's population at over 69 million. The population is expected to continue rising, albeit at a slow pace.

By 2022, the fertility rate is expected to be on a par with the mortality rate, resulting in zero population growth, according to a study by the Institute for Population and Social Research at Mahidol University. The study said population growth may turn negative after 2022.

Mr Somkid said the elderly in low-income families are a concern for the government, as many lack their own house.

"I have no worries about the elderly who are high-income earners, because some private companies have already built lodgings for well-heeled ageing people and foreigners," he said.

Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong said 9 million elderly citizens are registered with the ministry's welfare smartcard scheme, out of 11.4 million total registrants.