Five political parties joined a health policy discussion: Bhumjaithai supports elderly care; Prachachon presented 206 policies covering care from childhood to death; Pheu Thai introduced AI for patient care; Democrat highlighted the “Health Insurance” fund; and New Opportunity proposed reforming the public health system.
On 28 Jan 2026 GMT+7, the Media for Health Foundation (MHF) hosted a forum titled “Media Meets Political Parties: Seeking Health Policies for Sustainable Society,” with representatives from five major political parties participating.
Mr. Nikorn Jamnong, a Bhumjaithai party list MP candidate, said the forum should define health clearly. Having overseen road safety work and witnessed many accidents, including recent severe crashes causing dozens of deaths, and a pickup truck accident transporting students that killed one, he questioned whether these issues fall under health. Road safety has many aspects requiring cooperation from agencies like the police, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education, and others. Health cannot be the sole responsibility of any one agency. Clear communication to the public is necessary, and the media must raise demands and questions to all political parties to engage in this issue.
Bhumjaithai’s policy focuses on strengthening communities, especially caring for the elderly, promoting volunteer nursing professions to care for this group, as well as children and people with disabilities. Another health impact is disasters and subsequent severe diseases, such as floods in Hat Yai district, which heavily affected vulnerable groups. The party is ready to implement policies by collecting data on vulnerable populations to provide care during disasters or other serious events.
Regarding budget sources and policy implementation, Mr. Nikorn stated that defining health clearly is essential and cannot be vague. Stakeholders must present proposals to all political parties to participate in policy-making and work collaboratively with clear objectives, especially by establishing a Single Command system to ensure aligned and targeted efforts.
Dr. Wayo Asawarungroj, Deputy Legal Head of the Prachachon Party, emphasized the party’s 206 policies divided into four main pillars, each overseen by one of four deputy leaders, further broken into eight categories such as medicine and public health, education, agriculture, irrigation, land reform, and environment. These relate to daily life, reflecting the health and quality of life of Thai people. The party’s approach requires integrated work across ministries and related agencies. Currently, Thailand faces a low birth rate and an aging population; if trends continue, in 20–30 years, one-third of the population will be elderly. With only about 400,000 births annually, demographic imbalances arise, placing a heavy caregiving burden on the millennial generation.
Nevertheless, the party has policies to care for people from birth to death. For newborns, care begins in the womb, focusing on quality of life for healthy growth. The party supports extending maternity leave from four to six months to promote breastfeeding and plans to introduce shared parental leave to allow fathers more time off. It also aims to establish nurseries to care for children aged six months to two years, alongside creating one million caregiver positions for both young children and the elderly.
The party sees two main funding sources for health policies: domestic and international, especially budget and tax revenues from expanding the tax base, including inheritance tax, land tax, and corporate tax. Cutting unnecessary projects could free up hundreds of billions of baht. The party plans to create new jobs as Care Keepers by training village health volunteers (VHV) through specific courses to care for vulnerable groups, targeting two million new jobs.
Dr. Surapong Suebwonglee, former Deputy Head of Policy Advisory to Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra and Pheu Thai campaign assistant, said the world is changing rapidly and unpredictably, making it harder to understand and respond. Since the universal 30-baht health insurance introduced in 2001, much has changed. The party will emphasize using modern technology, especially AI, to assist in caring for and treating Thai patients. Those with minor illnesses can consult pharmacists and get medication without hospital visits. AI now helps with paperwork, symptom analysis, and more.
Regarding health challenges, AI helps better understand Thai people by analyzing behavior and lifestyle to plan efficient health care and wellness strategies. It also assists doctors in assessing terminal patients to enable them to spend their final days at home.
Dr. Chonlapat Jaturongkul, party list MP candidate from the Democrat Party, said he focused on sustainability, which depends primarily on individuals. The party invests in human resources; for maternity leave, it allows six months off, then offers opportunities to work online from home while raising children. The party plans to build nurseries near workplaces. It has many policies not fully covered in the forum, citing the “education buffet” policy that lets students choose subjects relevant to their careers while maintaining core curricula, ensuring graduates work in their chosen fields.
Additionally, the party promotes establishing a “Health Insurance” fund to cover medical expenses, including fitness memberships, which would be tax-deductible to encourage health maintenance and wellness among Thais. It also supports decentralization and upgrading village health volunteers nationwide to become caregivers from birth to death, including improving medical personnel’s compensation and benefits.
Dr. Tosaporn Serirak, the New Opportunity Party’s second prime minister candidate, stated the need to reform the public health system, particularly patient referrals to hospitals and payment systems. Decentralizing healthcare responsibility and budgets to localities is essential, especially for vulnerable groups. While advanced technology like AI is necessary today, individuals still must care for themselves, and AI should be infused with compassion.
Currently, with declining birth rates and increasing longevity among the elderly, it is believed that in 60 years, Thailand’s population will shrink to 33 million. Policies for caring for Thais, especially the elderly and disabled, must adapt appropriately and realistically to these demographic changes.
