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This paper uses household panel data from the Thai Socio‐Economic Surveys of 2012 and 2017 to examine the effects of parental health shocks on child education and labour. Three measures of parental health are analysed: chronic illness, hospitalisation, and functional health status. The results show that the parentʼs illness decreases school enrolment and leads to fewer years of education completed. Boys are less likely to have attended school if any parent was chronically ill or had any health problems. Parentsʼ chronic illness increases the probability of entering the labour force for youths aged 15 and over; however, only maternal illness increases their time spent at work. Additionally, parental illness significantly increases household health expenditures, but there is a significant decline in education expenditures. The results suggest that targeted government support to low‐income families affected by major illnesses of parents could help them to maintain their children in school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses data on educational expenditure, including specific types of educational expenditure, from the 2009 Socioeconomic Survey of Thailand to investigate gender bias in the allocation of educational resources. Empirical Engel's curves are estimated to test for gender bias. The results show that girls receive more education expenditure than boys. The most likely explanations for this gender bias are: (1) According to the Thai cultural tradition, daughters are expected to be the main caregivers of their elderly parents and (2) wage incomes of daughters are more reliable sources of remittances for parents than the wage incomes of sons.

This article uses unique survey data to examine the determinants and potential impacts of financial capability on the savings decisions of Thai industrial workers. A random sample of 352 individuals was interviewed, using the questionnaire to gather information on demographics and financial capability. It finds that less than half of the respondents were able to handle an emergency expense of 1 month's income without borrowing. The results indicate that socioeconomic factors including education level, household income, and age are the key determinants of financial capability. Migrant workers from remote regions of the country are more likely to have a lower financial capability, especially in the financial knowledge component. An instrumental variable approach is used to investigate its potential impact on saving behavior. Overall, the strong and positive association between financial capability and savings adequacy suggests that financial education initiatives should place a strong emphasis on household budgeting and savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines household food consumption patterns in Thailand using the 2015 Socioeconomic Survey. A demand system consisting of six main food groups is estimated applying the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System model. The results indicate that the expenditure elasticity for rice and other grains is the lowest among all food groups. Meat and fishes, eggs and dairy products, and food-away-from-home (FAFH) appear to be luxuries. FAFH consumption is highly associated with household income and level of urbanization. All food groups are price-inelastic demand with supportive evidence of food purchase substitution. The responsiveness of food demand with respect to price and income show remarkable differences across socioeconomic status and geographic locations. Specifically, low-income and elderly-headed households tend to be more responsive to food price and income changes. This suggests that they are likely afflicted with inadequate food intake caused by soaring food prices or economic downturn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]