The pink pound or dollar could receive another boost in future as the world ages, according to a senior doctor. Dr Chaiwat Songsiriphan said that LGBTQ+ pensioners could flock to Thailand which has a good track record in gender diversity. He is the founder and medical director of Safe Clinic Bangkok which is a private sector HIV and STD clinic.
Addressing a conference on gay retirement, he said the country was already known for same-sex parties and nightlife entertainment, but needed more healthcare specialists. Brendan Berne, an Australian diplomat and economist, supported the idea for the medium term future and quoted a report that 18 percent of people born after 1997 identified as gay, a far bigger percentage than the baby boom generation (1946-1964). “LGBTQ retirement can be a new sector with Thai government support.”
Pattaya Mail asked a random group of current gay retirees about the proposition, but received a decidedly mixed response. “Actually many gay retirees have returned home to Europe or America because they fear the medical bills here once they fall sick,” said American citizen Charles Montgomery. He added that elderly foreigners were difficult or impossible to register with medical insurers, or found out too late they were not covered for a specific health condition requiring a surgical procedure.”
Several British retirees pointed to discrimination which dissuaded foreign settlement, in particular the frozen old age UK pension and reduction of front-line welfare services by the British embassy. Others observed that retirees were less interested in nightlife as they aged and were influenced more by the presence of friends or partners in particular locations. Most European expats had been here many years and were not being replaced as they died off.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s tourist and expat profile is changing with increasing reliance on Chinese and Asian arrivals as the number of Europeans and Americans falls. “The retiree markets of the future might not be English speakers which raises all sorts of questions,” concluded British expat David Sutherland who lives here with his life partner who is also from UK. “If one of us died, the other would likely return to Britain.”
