Business
Redefining Life Beyond 60: Is Thai Society Prepared?
Is 60 truly the perfect endpoint of a working life? This question is becoming ever more pressing as Thailand and the broader ASEAN region rapidly transition into a “Super-Aged Society.” The economic and social structures that were once driven by a young workforce are facing mounting pressure. This is not merely a fiscal crisis or a social welfare burden — it is a pivotal moment that calls for a collective effort to revive the potential of an experience-rich human resource and restore it as a core engine of growth.
Key Points
- The “Age Wall”: Approximately 77% of formal-sector organizations in Thailand enforce a mandatory retirement age of 60, prematurely removing skilled and healthy individuals from the labor market.
- Worker Preferences: Surveys indicate that a significant majority of workers aged 50–60 desire to remain employed beyond age 60, with a strong preference for transitioning to part-time, “phased” work arrangements as they grow older.
- Employer Barriers: Businesses express concerns regarding the physical capacity of older workers, a perceived lack of digital and AI proficiency, and the inadequacy of current tax incentives, which only apply to low-wage employment.
- Need for Policy Reform: The report calls for a shift toward voluntary, mutually agreed-upon retirement arrangements that accommodate the specific needs of different industries.
- Proposed Solutions:
- Implementing a new legal framework to prevent age discrimination and provide targeted upskilling for workers aged 50–60.
- Updating labor laws to support flexible, hourly employment models.
- Enhancing tax incentives to encourage the hiring and retention of high-skilled older workers and offering income tax exemptions for employees over 60 who remain in the formal workforce.
These concerns are echoed in the preliminary findings of the study “Promoting Happy Ageing in ASEAN: Enhancing Health, Security, and Social Participation,” a collaboration among the ASEAN Centre for Active Ageing and Innovation (ACAI), the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP), and the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). The study aims to present pathways for promoting social participation and income security through employment, with the overarching goal of advancing happy ageing.
Among the proposed solutions for navigating an ageing society is a call for both the public and private sectors to revisit the Mandatory Retirement Age (MRA) — moving away from the fixed cut-off of 60 years toward a more flexible system — while championing the employment innovation of “Phased Retirement” to retain skilled workers and ensure income security for older workers.
The “Age Wall”: A Barrier to Quality Ageing
A survey of 1,573 formal-sector workers in government agencies, state enterprises, and private organizations aged 50–60 years across Thailand found that the current retirement structure remains largely “rigid age cutoffs.” Over 77% of organizations enforce a mandatory retirement age fixed at exactly 60, which has become a significant barrier forcing workers who are still healthy, skilled, experienced, and willing to work to exit the labor market prematurely.
Notably, 1 in 4 respondents expected to continue working after the mandatory retirement age — particularly those in elementary occupations and technical trades — wishing to work until around 62–63 years of age, driven by income necessity and a desire to remain socially engaged.
Workers Want a Gradual Retirement
The study paints an even clearer picture. Respondents do not wish to stop working entirely upon reaching 60 years old. Instead, they prefer a “phased retirement” model. The survey found that at age 55, 99% of respondents still wished to work full-time, with an average expected working week of 39 hours.
At age 60, 91.3% still wanted to continue working, though increasingly shifting toward part-time arrangements, with an average expected working week of 30 hours. By age 65, over 73.9% still had a desire to work — predominantly part-time — with an average expected working week of 18 hours.
Employers Concerned About Digital Skills and Ineffective Incentives
From the employer’s perspective, most indicated a willingness to retain older workers on a voluntary basis. However, employers raised concerns in three key areas:
Health and safety constraints: Employers are concerned about the mismatch between job demands and the physical condition of older workers, as well as the risk of workplace accidents if older employees continue in the same roles without job redesign. Without appropriate adaptation, this poses risks to both the individual worker and overall business efficiency.
Digital skills and AI gap: Employers perceive older workers as struggling to adapt to digital technology and AI systems — which are no longer optional but essential for business survival. This lag in adaptation is seen as a “productivity loss” unless the government steps in to bridge the gap through intensive upskilling and reskilling programs.
Cost trap and incentivising tax measures: The current double-deduction tax incentive for employing older workers is capped at a monthly salary of only 15,000 baht. This is a critical limitation in employers’ eyes. They think that the benefit cannot be fully utilised when hiring high-skilled older workers, who typically command salaries well above this ceiling. In effect, the measure incentivises only low-skill employment.
Policy Recommendations for Happy Ageing
To address the “rigid” mandatory retirement age (MRA) and structural barriers, the document proposes the following:
- Shift from Mandatory to Voluntary Criteria: Moving away from fixed retirement ages of 60 toward flexible, mutually agreed-upon arrangements between employers and employees based on the specific nature of the work.
- Development of a Legal Framework: Establishing a dedicated legal framework for older worker employment that includes:
- Anti-age-discrimination protections.
- Legislative revisions to accommodate flexible working arrangements and hourly employment in the formal sector.
- Support for “Phased Retirement”: Designing work arrangements that allow for a gradual reduction in working hours as employees age, while ensuring these workers maintain essential benefits and protections.
- Targeted Upskilling/Reskilling Programs: Implementing government-led initiatives to close the digital and AI skill gaps for workers aged 50–60 to ensure they remain productive and relevant in an evolving workplace.
Flexible retirement criteria: Shift from fixed mandatory retirement ages to voluntary, mutually agreed arrangements between employers and employees based on the nature of work, in order to reduce the loss of skilled and experienced personnel.
Flexible employment frameworks: Establish a dedicated legal framework for older worker employment, with anti-age-discrimination protections and targeted upskilling support to close digital and AI skill gaps for workers aged 50–60.
Promote phased retirement: Encourage government authorities, employers and relevant stakeholders to design working arrangements that allow hours to be gradually reduced as workers age, while maintaining essential protections and benefits. Labor laws should also be revised to accommodate flexible working arrangements and hourly employment for older workers in the formal sector.
Improve tax measures for tangible results: Enhance tax benefits to make it genuinely worthwhile for employers to adapt working environments and introduce incentives such as income tax exemptions for employees aged 60 and above who choose to continue working in the formal economy.
Redesigning life after 60 is not just a matter of economic systems or social welfare frameworks. It is a question of national human resource management. If we can break down the rigid walls of outdated regulations and replace them with flexible policies that recognize the diversity of older workers’ skills, experience, and capabilities, we can transform older people from “benefit recipients” into “economic drivers” who are both secure and fulfilled.
The real question, then, is not whether 60-year-olds should stop working — but whether Thai society is ready to let them keep going.
Kanyapak Ngaosri is a researcher at the Thailand Development and Research Institute (TDRI).Their policy analyses appear in the Bangkok Post on 6 May 2026.
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NYC Puerto Rican Day Parade 2026 Draws Millions with Star Honorees, 5th Avenue Route and Cultural Celebration
NEW YORK — New York City will pulse with Puerto Rican pride on Sunday as the 69th annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade marches down Fifth Avenue, featuring a star-studded lineup of honorees, live music, colorful floats and cultural performances that highlight the community’s enduring strength and diversity across the diaspora.
The parade, themed “We Are More Than 100×35” (“Somos Más Que 100×35”), underscores the resilience of Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million residents and the more than 5.8 million people of Puerto Rican descent living in the United States. Organizers expect millions of spectators to line the route, transforming Midtown Manhattan into a vibrant showcase of heritage, activism and unity.
This year’s event, set for Sunday, June 14, beginning at noon, continues a tradition that began in 1958. Founded on principles of cultural awareness, education and justice, the parade has grown into the nation’s largest demonstration of Puerto Rican pride, drawing participants and visitors from across the country and beyond.
Parade Route and Street Closures
The procession will travel along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan from 44th Street to 79th Street, spanning 35 blocks. Formation areas include sections of West/East 43rd through 48th Streets, with dispersal extending to East 79th through 85th Streets and surrounding avenues.
The New York Police Department will implement extensive street closures in Manhattan for public safety and crowd management. Affected areas include Fifth Avenue between 42nd and 86th Streets, Madison Avenue between East 42nd and 86th Streets, and multiple cross streets from 42nd to 74th. Motorists are advised to use alternate routes and expect significant delays throughout the day.
Public transit adjustments will also be in effect, with some bus routes rerouted and subway stations potentially crowded. Officials recommend using the MTA’s trip planner and arriving early for optimal viewing spots along the avenue.
Star-Studded Honorees and Special Dedications
The 2026 parade boasts an impressive roster of honorees celebrating excellence in entertainment, public service, arts and sports. Daddy Yankee serves as Grand Marshal, bringing reggaeton energy to the festivities. Dayanara Torres is named Queen, while actor Anthony Ramos takes the role of King.
Lifetime Achievement honors go to musician Charlie Sepúlveda and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez. Ambassadors include Lila Nikole, Elizardi “Eli” Castro, Papo Vázquez and Lilibeth Torres “La Boricualorian.” Additional recognitions feature JJ González as Trailblazer, Chef Iván Clemente as Hijo de Borinquen, and rising stars Camila Colón and Milton Dávila Jr.
Athletes of the Year are Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr., with Los Rivas receiving Orgullo Puertorriqueño, Comité Noviembre as Community Champion, and Word Life (Facts is Facts) as Influencer of the Year. The celebration is dedicated to Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rican community of New Jersey.
Pre-parade events include the 152nd Street Cultural Festival, a Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and a scholarship gala, building excitement throughout the week.
Cultural and Historical Significance
The Puerto Rican Day Parade has evolved from modest beginnings into a major cultural institution. It serves not only as a celebration but also as a platform for advocacy on issues affecting Puerto Rican communities, from economic development to disaster recovery and political representation.
Participants typically include marching bands, dance troupes, community organizations, elected officials and corporate sponsors. Floats adorned with flags, traditional symbols and messages of pride create a visual spectacle, while bomba, plena and salsa music fill the air.
This year’s theme emphasizes that Puerto Rican identity transcends geographic boundaries, honoring contributions in arts, science, politics and everyday life. The parade fosters connections between island residents and the diaspora, strengthening cultural ties amid ongoing challenges like economic recovery and climate resilience.
Community Impact and Viewer Tips
The event generates significant economic activity for local businesses while providing a powerful display of unity. For families, it offers an opportunity to introduce younger generations to their heritage through music, dance and storytelling.
Spectators are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and sunscreen, stay hydrated and follow safety guidelines from organizers and police. Those unable to attend in person can watch live broadcasts on local television stations and streaming platforms. Post-parade festivities often continue in neighborhoods like Spanish Harlem and the Bronx.
Looking Ahead
As the 69th parade unfolds, it reinforces New York City’s role as a global hub for Puerto Rican culture. Future events will continue adapting to contemporary issues while preserving traditions that have sustained the community for decades.
Organizers emphasize inclusivity and education, aiming to inspire civic engagement and cultural preservation. The 2026 edition promises to be a memorable showcase of joy, resilience and forward momentum for millions connected to Puerto Rican heritage.
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of a people who have shaped American life in profound ways. On Sunday, Fifth Avenue will once again become a river of pride, color and celebration, reminding all who witness it of the rich contributions and unbreakable bonds of the Puerto Rican community.
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A JetBlue Airlines plane lands near the Air Traffic Control tower at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Oct. 7, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
JetBlue Airways is already the biggest airline in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and it wants to get even bigger.
“Lauderdale has been a star for us,” JetBlue President Marty St. George said this month about Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Capitalizing on growth at the Broward County airport is key for JetBlue as it revamps its network and rolls out more high-end options like a domestic first-class cabin to return to profitability. Its last profitable quarter was two years ago.
JetBlue was looking to expand in Fort Lauderdale even before Spirit Airlines, the South Florida-based discounter that was No. 1 at the airport, collapsed on May 2 under the weight of debt and years of snowballing problems.
JetBlue is now the top carrier with 36% market share by capacity at the airport, according to a Cirium tally of 2026 capacity, up from about 24% a year earlier. From May to June of this year, JetBlue added 5% more capacity, while big competitors pulled back in the Florida offseason, according to Cirium.
The carrier has about 106 flights scheduled a day for this year on average, up from about 68 a day last year, Cirium data shows.
Just hours after Spirit’s collapse, JetBlue and other airlines laid out their own travel plans, adding flights to fill the void at Fort Lauderdale.
JetBlue raised its revenue forecast for the year on June 1, citing strong demand.
“I’m feeling very, very bullish about how customers have responded to JetBlue’s growth,” St. George said.
JetBlue says it’s planning for even more growth as additional gates become available after Spirit’s demise. Some of those gates are still tied up in bankruptcy court.
JetBlue’s plan is to operate about 150 daily flights at Fort Lauderdale in the peak winter months, which include Presidents Day weekend and some school breaks, a schedule that will put it on par with JetBlue’s Boston Logan International Airport hub, its largest after New York.
The plan includes more international destinations leaving from Fort Lauderdale and a focus on premium air travel.
St. George said the carrier has been reviewing sites for a lounge — which would be the third in its network — at Fort Lauderdale to cater to those customers. It already has lounges at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and in Boston.
“It is unclear right now where we would put a lounge,” he said. “The airport folks, I think, are equally motivated to have a lounge down there. Certainly, given the size of our operation and the number of premium customers going in and out of Fort Lauderdale, I think [it makes] a lot of sense, we just have to find the right location.”
The big competitive threat lies about 26 miles south, at Miami International Airport, an American Airlines hub that dwarfs Fort Lauderdale. Both airports, though Miami is much larger, are major hubs for leisure customers as well as those visiting friends and relatives in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“There’s a good number of customers for [whom] Miami is the right airport, who will never leave Miami, and we’re not planning on converting those customers,” St. George said. “I do think that as we get more service in Fort Lauderdale as a bigger breadth of destinations, that utility of Lauderdale Airport will go up.”
American on Friday said it plans to operate a record 100 destinations to the Caribbean, Mexico and other airports in Latin America from the U.S., with 77 of them leaving from Miami, including a new flight to Maracaibo, Venezuela, from July 14 and to Cap-Haitien, Haiti, starting Nov. 1.
JetBlue, for its part, announced Fort Lauderdale to Caracas service recently, as carriers build up flights. American in January announced it would resume resume service to Venezuela from the United States for the first time since 2019, weeks after the U.S. captured Venezuela’s president.
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Alex Pettee is President and Director of Research and ETFs at Hoya Capital. Hoya manages institutional and individual portfolios of publicly traded real estate securities.Alex leads the investing group iREIT®+HOYA Capital. The service features a team of analysts focusing on real income-producing asset classes that offer the opportunity for reliable income, diversification, and inflation hedging. Learn More.
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of RIET, HOMZ, IRET, ALL HOLDINGS IN THE IREIT+HOYA PORTFOLIOS either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Hoya Capital Research & Index Innovations (“Hoya Capital”) is an affiliate of Hoya Capital Real Estate, a registered investment advisory firm based in Rowayton, Connecticut, that provides investment advisory services to ETFs, individuals, and institutions. Hoya Capital Research & Index Innovations provides non-advisory services, including market commentary, research, and index administration focused on publicly traded securities in the real estate industry. This published commentary is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing on this site nor any commentary published by Hoya Capital is intended to be investment, tax, or legal advice or an offer to buy or sell securities. This commentary is impersonal and should not be considered a recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific individual, nor should it be viewed as a solicitation or offer for any advisory service offered by Hoya Capital Real Estate. Please consult with your investment, tax, or legal adviser regarding your individual circumstances before investing. The views and opinions in all published commentary are as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date, but we do not guarantee its accuracy, and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. Any market data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results. There is no guarantee that any historical trend illustrated herein will be repeated in the future, and there is no way to predict precisely when such a trend will begin. There is no guarantee that any outlook made in this commentary will be realized. Readers should understand that investing involves risk, and loss of principal is possible. Investments in real estate companies and/or housing industry companies involve unique risks, as do investments in ETFs. The information presented does not reflect the performance of any fund or other account managed or serviced by Hoya Capital Real Estate. An investor cannot invest directly in an index, and index performance does not reflect the deduction of any fees, expenses, or taxes. Hoya Capital Real Estate and Hoya Capital Research & Index Innovations have no business relationship with any company discussed or mentioned and never receive compensation from any company discussed or mentioned. Hoya Capital Real Estate, its affiliates, and/or its clients and/or its employees may hold positions in securities or funds discussed on this website and in our published commentary. A complete list of holdings and additional important disclosures is available at www.HoyaCapital.com.
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“We take note of Anthropic’s statement and are assessing,” said Thomas Regnier, a spokesman for the European Commission, which this month unveiled measures to slash the 27-nation bloc’s dependence on America and Asia for key technologies, including AI.
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