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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Diamond Power Infrastructure shares jump 10% after Rs 435 crore order for Hyderabad data centre projects
According to a filing with the exchange, the company received a supply order valued at Rs 435.71 crore (exclusive of GST) for High Tension (HT) and Low Tension (LT) power cables for the 310 MW HYD22 to HYD26 Data Center Projects at Hyderabad.
The project is to be executed by L&T, Sterling & Wilson, and Blue Star. According to the filing, the total project cost includes packing & forwarding and freight & transit insurance, but excludes GST. Price is on a variation basis per the IEEMA PV formula, using April 2026 IEEMA indices as the base.
The scope covers the supply of approximately 21.35 lakh meters (over 2,100 km) of cables, with deliveries commencing from the first week of August 2026 and completing in a staggered manner by March 2027.
The filing with the exchange stated this is among the largest single cable supply orders in India’s data center segment and reinforces the Company’s position as a preferred supplier of power cables for mission-critical digital infrastructure.
The order was received in the ordinary course of business and at arm’s length and the transaction does not fall within related party transactions.
“Data centers are emerging as one of the most significant demand drivers for the Indian cable industry. This order for the 310 MW Hyderabad campus validates our manufacturing capability, quality systems and delivery reliability for mission-critical infrastructure. This is among the largest Data Center orders for Power Cables in the Country. We look forward to executing it to the highest standards within the committed timeline.” Says Umesh Chayya, Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing.Diamond Power Infrastructure is an integrated manufacturer of power transmission equipment, offering LV, MV, HV and EHV power cables, control and instrumentation cables, fire-resistant and flame-retardant cables, solar DC and EV charging cables, and conductors, serving sectors including power, infrastructure, oil & gas, renewables, real estate and data centers.
In the last one year, the shares went up 56.56% and in the last two years, they went up 72.77%. In the last three months and six months, the shares of Diamond Power Infrastructure were up 69.04% and 53.32% respectively.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
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The temporary organization behind the Department of Government Efficiency reached its scheduled termination date Saturday, July 4, 2026.
President Donald Trump’s executive order last year creating the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization set a July 4, 2026, termination date for that temporary organization.
“A smaller Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence,” Trump said when he announced the initiative.
DOGE claims it saved $215 billion, including by slashing duplicative software licenses, canceling diversity, equity and inclusion grants and terminating leases for underused office space. The figure has been disputed, and DOGE’s public receipts do not fully document the headline savings claim. The webpage showing DOGE’s savings listed $215 billion in estimated savings as of Sunday.
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U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization reached the termination date set out in Trump’s executive order. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Billionaire tech executive Elon Musk, who led DOGE’s cost-cutting efforts when Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, stepped down from the department in May of last year.
“The final step of @DOGE is to delete itself,” Musk said in December 2024.
DOGE initially aimed to save $2 trillion in government cuts before reducing its goal to $1 trillion.
In its final social media post, DOGE said: “While the formal mission of DOGE has come to an end, the mission to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse will continue.”
“Good stewardship of taxpayer dollars and accountable government are not temporary initiatives,” the July 4 X post reads. “We hope those principles endure long into America’s next 250 years. It has been our greatest honor to serve the American people. Happy 4th!”
Billionaire tech executive Elon Musk, who initially led DOGE’s cost-cutting efforts, stepped down from the department in May of last year. (Fabrice Coffrini / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The White House praised the administration’s efforts to cut government spending through DOGE.
“President Trump was given a clear mandate to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse from the federal government,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement to Politico. “He has made significant progress in making the federal government more efficient to better serve the American taxpayer.”
No final DOGE review is expected, according to Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought.
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President Donald Trump’s executive order last year establishing the cost-cutting agency set a July 4, 2026, self-destruction date. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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“We have no plans to do kind of a closing DOGE report,” Vought said at a hearing on Tuesday. “We’re always happy to give you our assessment of that work. I think it made some really important strides.”
The White House budget proposal released in April asked for $35 million for the U.S. DOGE Service. But Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, pointed out that DOGE “was pretty much eliminated.”
DOGE Service acting Administrator Amy Gleason has also taken on a new role, leading a health technology office at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Healthcare Dive reported last month.
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MEXICO CITY — England and Mexico are set to meet in a Round of 16 showdown at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a high-stakes knockout match that fans across the United States and around the world can watch through a range of television and streaming options.
The match is being played at Estadio Ciudad de México, formerly known as Estadio Azteca, in the heart of Mexico’s capital. Kickoff was originally scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 5, but severe and highly volatile summer storms in the area, including heavy downpours, forced organizers to push the start time back by one hour to 9 p.m. ET, or 2 a.m. GMT on July 6. Fans checking listings should be aware of the adjusted schedule when tuning in.
In the United States, the match is being broadcast in English on FOX and FOX Sports, with a Spanish-language broadcast available on Telemundo and Universo. Viewers without access to traditional cable can stream the game through FOX One, the network’s dedicated streaming platform, which offers a short free trial period for new subscribers. FOX One carries a live feed of every match at this year’s tournament, making it one of the most straightforward options for cord-cutters looking to follow the World Cup from start to finish.
Beyond FOX’s own platforms, the match is also available through a number of other streaming services, including Fubo, DirecTV, YouTube TV, Peacock and Sling. Fubo and DirecTV both offer free trial periods for new customers, giving fans a way to watch the match and other World Cup coverage without an upfront subscription cost. Peacock, meanwhile, carries the Spanish-language Telemundo and Universo simulcasts as part of its live sports offerings, alongside a broader library of on-demand programming.
Fans outside the United States looking to access a specific regional broadcast, such as the official Mexican feed carried by TelevisaUnivisión and TV Azteca, can do so using a virtual private network service to route their connection through a server in the relevant country, a common workaround for accessing geo-restricted sports broadcasts. Viewers using this method should be aware that terms of service for some platforms may restrict this practice, and access can vary depending on individual streaming providers.
The stakes for Sunday’s match are significant for both sides. Mexico has been one of the standout performers of the tournament so far, sweeping through Group A without conceding a single goal before following that up with a 2-0 win over Ecuador in the Round of 32. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez were on the scoresheet in that win, with Jiménez’s goal marking his 47th international strike for Mexico. As co-host of this year’s tournament, Mexico has drawn heavily on home advantage, with Estadio Ciudad de México providing a raucous atmosphere and Mexico City’s altitude posing a physical challenge for visiting teams.
England’s path to the Round of 16 has been considerably less smooth. Thomas Tuchel’s side needed a late brace from captain Harry Kane to overcome DR Congo in the Round of 32 after trailing early in that match. Kane’s performance made him the first English player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Gary Lineker accomplished the feat in 1990, and he now has five goals in the tournament overall. England finished top of Group L during the group stage, though a scoreless draw with Ghana along the way suggested the team has not always found its rhythm easily.
Historically, the overall head-to-head record favors England, which has won six of the nine previous meetings between the two nations. The teams’ only prior World Cup meeting came in the 1966 group stage, a match England won 2-0 en route to lifting the trophy that year. The two sides last met in a 2010 international friendly, which England won 3-1. Despite that overall record, Mexico has never lost to England on home soil, a streak that dates back to their first meeting in Mexico City in 1952, which El Tri won 2-1. Mexico’s most famous victory over England at Estadio Azteca came in 1985, when a Luis Flores goal secured a 1-0 win during a warm-up tournament ahead of the 1986 World Cup.
The winner of Sunday’s match will advance to face Norway in the quarterfinals. Norway, led by Erling Haaland, pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far earlier Sunday, defeating Brazil 2-1 in a result that reshaped the bracket heading into the latter stages of the knockout rounds.
Off the pitch, Sunday’s match has also drawn attention for its entertainment lineup, with the Mexican rock band Maná scheduled to perform for the sold-out crowd at the stadium. The match’s designated anthem is “Aquí No Es Así,” a well-known track from Mexican band Caifanes, adding a local flavor to the atmosphere surrounding one of the tournament’s most anticipated Round of 16 fixtures.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks the first men’s tournament hosted jointly by three countries — the United States, Canada and Mexico — and the first to feature an expanded 48-team format. The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19, with matches spread across 16 host cities, including Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Toronto and Vancouver in Canada; and 11 cities across the United States. The expanded format has resulted in 104 total matches this year, up significantly from the 64-match structure used in previous 32-team tournaments.
For fans looking to plan their viewing beyond Sunday’s match, the knockout rounds continue into the following week, with Portugal facing Spain and the United States taking on Belgium on Monday, July 6, followed by additional quarterfinal matchups later in the tournament. Fans are encouraged to check official broadcaster listings for the most up-to-date kickoff times, as adjustments due to weather or other factors, as seen with Sunday’s Mexico-England match, remain a possibility as the tournament progresses through its business end.
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