OPINION

Forget births, cut Thai deaths first

Oped, Sergei Scherbov & Vipan Prachuabmoh, Published on 23/04/2026

» Thailand's demographic debate is too often framed as though the country had only one option: raise fertility or accept a shrinking workforce. That view is understandable, but for the next two decades, it is mostly the misaligned policy horizon. If the question is how Thailand can strengthen its workforce before mid-century, the fastest answer is not higher fertility, but rather lower mortality.