On January 27, 2026, Associate Professor Tavida Kamolvej, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, joined an expert panel titled “Demographic Divides and Health Equity: Aging Thai Society and the Realities of Migrant Workers in Urban Thailand.” Held at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre, the discussion featured representatives from the University of Toronto, Chulalongkorn University, and the National Health Security Office (NHSO).

During the session, Deputy Governor Tavida presented findings from a recent survey on Bangkok’s elderly population, focusing on health challenges, labor dynamics, and the barriers migrant workers face when accessing healthcare and infrastructure. She underscored the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) commitment to inclusive health policies that ensure no demographic is left behind.

As a core component of the Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC 2026), the panel examined the growing tension between an aging population requiring long-term care and the young migrant workforce essential to the city’s economy. Using Bangkok as a primary case study, participants explored how community medicine and “social prescriptions”, guided by World Health Organization (WHO) standards, can reduce health disparities.

The session concluded with a call for more resilient urban health systems. Proposed strategies include streamlined referral pathways, inclusive funding models for migrants, and enhanced cross-sectoral collaboration to adapt Thailand’s urban healthcare to its evolving demographic landscape.

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