BANGKOK, 3 December 2012 – The Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC) has revealed plans to push the retirement age to 60 or 62 for public officials, in order to help cope with problems relating to Thailand’s aging population.
OCSC Secretary General Nontikorn Kanjanajitra said the office is concerned over the country’s shrinking workforce, which is the result of increasing life expectancy coupled with a declining fertility rate. He noted that the average age of civil servants was 45 in 2004, and affirmed that public services would diminish in the coming decades if the issue remained unaddressed.
The Civil Service Act was previously amended in 2008 to raise the retirement age to 70 for technical civil servants in high demand. The retirement age for such officials can now be extended by a further four years, with the possibility of two renewals of three years each.
The OCSC has also been developing plans to extend the retirement age of civil servants working in other capacities. The one-year study is expected to be completed this month for proposal to the government next year.
By RADIO THAILAND & INSIGHT INFO
