The first National Conference of LTOP was held on May 15th 2013, at the Miracle Grande Convention Hotel, Bangkok. The Conference was jointly organized by Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and JICA. There were about 300 participants attended from LTOP Project, MOPH, MSDHS and local authorities from six pilot sites – Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, and Surat Thani.
The main aims of the Conference were; to disseminate the concept of the LTOP Project to key stakeholders throughout the country, to share information about six pilot sites and raise awareness on aging society and care of the elderly to public, to facilitate collaboration on the aging issue among related organizations and to prepare Thailand to be a learning center on the issue of aging in ASEAN in preparation for the forthcoming ASEAN Community.
Thailand is facing the most rapid aging increase in all ASEAN countries. 12.3% of the population is aged over 60, and, in that group, the number aged over 80 has increased from 10.1% in the year 2000 to 12.7% in 2010. Therefore, Thai Government, MOPH, MSDHS and other relevant ministries have requested the assistance to JICA to carry out this new LTOP Project which aims to develop new Model Services in Thailand to care vulnerable people, especially the frail elderly who need long-term care at community level, those who cannot perform daily activities due to chronic disease, and help reducing the burden of their families. The LTOP Project plans to develop human resources on Care Management, disseminate Operational Manual for Model Services and Policy Recommendations will be formulated. The Project, an extension or combination of the former CTOP Project (Community Health Care and Social Welfare Services Model for Thai Older Persons, 2007-2011), will be conducted for five years, from 2013 to 2017, at the above-mentioned six pilot sites.