In the morning, everyone in the house gets ready and leaves for school or work. Tarn Sethaya, 77, also leaves for school — as do most of the people his age who live in Cheongdoi municipality in Chiang Mai.
Once a week, Tarn makes his way to Charaban Wuttiwitthayalai School. It is a place with unique prerequisites. Those who wish to attend must live within Cheongdoi municipality, and must be over the age of 55.
"The mayor invited us to come here," said Tarn. "The house is so lonely and quiet with my kids and grandkids outside working. I wake up every day without seeing anyone. Coming here, old people like us can talk and laugh with one another. We eat, sing and dance together."
Chanfong Sa-adluan, 92, is the oldest student at Charaban Wuttiwitthayalai School.
In the next 10 years, Thailand is expected to have fully transitioned into an ageing society. There currently are approximately 9.4 million elderly people in Thailand, accounting for 14.5% of the total population, according to figures from the Ministry of Public Health. The United Nations classifies anyone aged 60 and above as "elderly".
Based on the United Nations' indicator, countries with elderly persons constituting more than 10% of the total population are considered on the verge of becoming ageing societies. If that number rises to 20%, a nation is an ageing society.
"By 2026, there will be more than 20 million senior citizens. Are we ready for it?" said Cheongdoi's Mayor Chalarm Sanpang who pioneered the programme. "For this municipality, we focus our budget on the quality of life and education, not infrastructures. We can walk with holes in the road. But how are we going to make sure people are being educated and maintaining good health, as well as earning money and living in a good society?
Students show baskets they weaved at Charaban Wuttiwitthayalai School.
"If we only create roads and focus on all those materials, while the human conscience sinks low, then that is just useless."
The objective of Charaban Wuttiwitthayalai School is to reduce stress and depression in the elderly. It also aims to give students a space to express themselves and socialise with people their own age. Judging from the smiling faces around the classroom, these goals are being met.
Classes are held every Wednesday at Wat Phra That Doi Saket, located just 2km from Tarn's house. When the students arrive — grandmas and grandpas who are picked up by the free transportation service or dropped off by their children — they register their names and line up.
Afterwards, more than 200 elderly students are led into a grand assembly hall within the temple area. A Buddhist monk waits, ready to give his sermon. Some students listen quietly, while others quietly chat with their friends.
Following the sermon, there are different activities to occupy the senior citizens. Four subjects are taught at the school, rotating weekly: health education, vocational training, culture and technology.
Students eat lunch, a meal comprised of simple and traditional northern food such as sticky rice with pork, chilli dip and vegetables. Photos: Chumporn Sangvilert
At the school, a misconception of the elderly as being unable to contribute to society is being reshaped. Everywhere in the assembly hall, wrinkled faces are seen smiling widely, their eyes bright. In their hands are woven baskets they learned to make the previous week. They compare their handiwork with one another excitedly.
Recreational activities are ever-popular. The students play guessing games and sing songs. During the year-long curriculum, students must have 70% attendance to graduate and get a degree.
"It's unlike a degree given by other educational institutions," said Chalarm. "They're not getting more knowledge or qualifications to apply for jobs. It is a degree that can't be exchanged into anything. Rather, it creates pride for the senior members of our community, that they have achieved something and contributed to the community."
Since he took office as mayor of the municipality two years ago, Chalarm has been focusing on improving the quality of life of elderly people in his neighbourhood. Keeping seniors occupied and making sure they remain psychologically sound are just some of the tasks to which he is committed.
"Other family members always have things to do. But not these senior citizens. They have a lot of free time on their hands. They stay at home alone. It's stressful. Sometimes, they even think of committing suicide," Chalarm said.
Chalarm first took elderly people to Chiang Mai Night Safari and different temples. He also initiated a train trip to Lampang province. It was then suggested that the group should have more activities together, and involve more people. That idea culminated in Charaban Wuttiwitthayalai School.
So far, more than 250 people have graduated from the school. Graduates are welcome to return for more. In their second year, they attain a "master's degree". In their third, a "doctorate".
"They said we could always come back. And I just can't bear staying at home. So I think I better use this time to come and meet my friends," said former teacher Saiyood Anuwattanawong, 70, a student at Charaban. Along with Tarn and many others, she is back for her second year at the school.
"There's really nothing at home, you know. All us seniors can do is watch over the house. When the kids go to work, we basically just wither away," said Saiyood. "But everyone is excited about coming to school here. I wake up at 4am every Wednesday on my own. It just happens automatically."
The school runs on the municipal budget, which is why it is only able to accept people who live within Cheongdoi. Classes, lunch, equipment and transportation are offered free of charge. Unlike younger students who might feign illness to avoid school, students at Charaban Wuttiwitthayalai School can't wait to arrive, and protest when the school closes for a holiday.
Seeing this growing number of elderly people, Chalarm said Thailand could still do more to better accommodate their lives. Keeping the elderly company and finding activities to occupy their time are easy tasks to achieve. And that, he said, starts at the grassroots level.
"If you can't reform a local community, don't hope to reform a country. We have to reform the municipality and make it strong first. This process goes from bottom up to the top. Going top to bottom can't fix the problem."
