BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s rapidly ageing population means people must rethink retirement planning and prepare financially for living to 100 years old, according to Bangkok Life Assurance (BLA), which warns that rising inflation and healthcare costs could leave many retirees without enough savings.
Speaking at the 2026 Advanced Economic Journalists Development Program, Sakao Samrankhong, CFP, a training executive at Bangkok Life Assurance (BLA), said while Thais are living longer than ever, their healthy years are not increasing at the same pace. She warned that many people could spend 30 to 40 years in retirement, facing chronic illnesses, rising living costs and escalating medical expenses. Without early financial planning, retirees risk exhausting their savings before the end of their lives.
BLA recommends planning finances based on living to at least 100 years of age, rather than relying on traditional retirement age assumptions. One suggested guideline is to take the age of the longest-living family member and add around eight years when estimating life expectancy.
The insurer also highlighted inflation as one of the biggest long-term threats to retirement savings. A meal costing 50 baht today could cost nearly 100 baht in 20 years with average inflation of 3% annually, while medical inflation is estimated to rise by around 10% per year, significantly increasing healthcare costs for older adults.
To manage those risks, BLA recommends using life and health insurance to help protect retirement savings from unexpected medical expenses. The company cited long-term stroke care as an example, noting nursing home costs can average 50,000 baht per month, or more than 600,000 baht annually.
According to the company’s estimates, someone hoping to spend 20,000 baht per month during a 25-year retirement would need savings of about 10 million baht, assuming average inflation of 4%. Those expecting to spend 50,000 baht per month would require approximately 25 million baht, excluding income from pensions or social security.
BLA also encouraged people to review their finances annually, maintain emergency savings equivalent to three to six months of expenses—or up to 12 months for self-employed workers—keep debt below 45% of income, and save at least 10% of monthly earnings.
The insurer stressed that starting early is critical, allowing compound interest to work in investors’ favour, while delaying savings can leave people battling compounding debt instead. It also advised investors to focus on balancing risk and returns through appropriate asset allocation rather than chasing the highest possible returns.
For retirement income, BLA said people should rely on a combination of social security benefits, provident funds, and personal savings and investments, while also taking advantage of tax-saving retirement products such as life insurance and retirement mutual funds to strengthen long-term financial security.
