การเตรียมความพร้อมในการเข้าสู่วัยสูงอายุของคนวัยทำงานในจังหวัดเชียงใหม่

Abstract

The objectives of this study are to examine the personal background and quality of life in social and economic terms and to understand the preparation for retirement years of the persons still in working ages. The study is confined to 400 samples of working age persons in 40 – 60 year-old bracket who live in Chiang Mai Province. The samples comprise two groups which are further distinguishable into different occupational categories. The first group includes 96 samples of those in welfare system which can be separated into 21 samples of persons employed in state sector as civil servants and workers in government agencies and state enterprises and 75 samples of employees in private companies and those in and outside agricultural sector. The second group consists of 304 samples of persons that are not in welfare system which can be set apart as 87 samples of individuals in trading profession, 207 samples of farmers, and 10 samples of owner-operators. The analysis was based on the results of descriptive statistics including frequency, arithmetic mean, and percentage. As a whole, the majority of samples under study are characterized as female, 51 years old on the average, married, with primary school education, engaged in farming, living with spouse in one’s own home, earning averagely 25,000 baht monthly income, and spending on the average 12,000 baht per month. Most of them indicated that they did not hold any social position and that their quality of life in both social and economic terms was considered moderately good. About their private life after retirement, they planned to live in their own home mostly with spouse or their offspring. In preparing for income after retirement, they generally expected to get financial assistance from their children and planned to make money on their own by engaging in secondary occupation. Regarding savings for old age security, most of them made saving deposit with commercial banks. To prepare for health care after retirement, the samples generally indicated they would use the services provided by the state as well as depend on their own selves to spend for it. In the group with welfare benefits after retirement, most samples can be described as being female, 50 years old on the average, married, holding bachelor’s degree, having one’s own home, earning averagely 35,000 baht monthly income, and spending 13,000 baht per month on the average. Those who are employed in state sector generally have higher income than those employed in business sector, however. Most samples in this group held no social position in the local community, except a few individuals in the category of private company employee that joined the housewives’ group and served as assistant to village headman. The quality of life both in social and economic aspects of persons in this group was measured to be at the moderate level on the average. With respect to preparation for retirement years in terms of private life, most samples planned to live in their own home and alone. For income, they would take up secondary occupation after their retirement. About savings, virtually all samples had already made savings with commercial banks. To prepare for old age health care, most of them would use their entitlement to social welfare benefits or otherwise would spend out of their savings for health and medical cares. In the group without formal welfare benefits after retirement, the majority of samples were found to be female, 52 years old on the average, married, with primary school education, having one’s own home, earning averagely 22,000 baht monthly income, and spending 12,000 baht per month on the average. Those in the categories of traders and farmers appeared to have lower monthly income than those owner-operators. Compared with the first group, more and in fact most people in this group participated in local community affairs. The quality of life in economic terms of persons in all employment categories was considered moderately good. About the preparation for retirement years in terms of private life, most samples indicated they would remain living in their own home with spouse or offspring. For old age income, they generally expected to get financial assistance from their children. Regarding savings for old age spending, most of them had already saved their money in commercial banks. In preparation to get health care services after retirement, they would get access to government benefits provided under the universal health coverage scheme for Thai nationals as well as spending out of their savings for health care and medical treatments if needed.