Across the world, grandparents are stepping in to fill the childcare gap left by soaring costs and insufficient support. A recent feature published in The Guardian highlights how “an overwhelming bond of love” is driving countless grandparents in the UK to take up sustained roles that look less like occasional babysitting and more like active parenting. This trend—rooted in love, necessity, and social circumstance—is not confined to the UK. Here in Thailand, shifting family structures, economic pressures, and policy gaps have likewise thrust grandparents into pivotal roles as childcare providers, producing both unique rewards and considerable challenges for Thai families.
For many Thai readers, the story of the “grey army” of British grandparents resonates with the realities of daily life. The Guardian feature describes grandparents who, due to high childcare costs and complex work-life demands, find themselves performing regular duties: morning school runs, preparing meals, reading bedtime stories, and providing after-school supervision. In the UK, as of 2023, more than half of grandparents are regularly engaged in childcare, with some providing over four hours a day on averageThe Guardian.
These numbers mirror, and perhaps even understate, the situation in Thailand. Here, grandparents’ roles have grown as dual-income families become the norm and urban migration separates parents from traditional sources of support. According to a report by The Asia Foundation in January 2025, nearly one in five Thai children under age four now live apart from their parents, often residing with grandparents in rural areas due to the lack of affordable, accessible urban childcareAsia Foundation.
The background to this shift is complex. Thailand’s historically high female workforce participation has dipped in recent years, in part because working mothers are squeezed between demands at work and the lack of reliable childcare. Without community-based, affordable alternatives, families often make the difficult decision to send young children “home” to rural grandparents. This generational transfer of responsibility preserves family units, but at a personal cost for grandparents—many of whom juggle their own health and dwindling resources to care for young children.
Several socioeconomic factors drive this trend. Childcare in Thailand remains expensive relative to average earnings. As of 2025, the average monthly cost of full-day private preschool is around 12,400 baht, according to Exiap dataExiap—a figure far out of reach for many low- and middle-income households. Compare this to the average monthly salary (after tax) of just over 20,000 baht. Public provisions for early childhood development exist, but coverage is insufficient and often geographically uneven.
A recent International Labour Organization (ILO) report points to ongoing economic strain on households, highlighting the absence of formal support for childcare and the resultant reliance on unpaid caregivers, especially grandparentsILO. This dynamic disproportionately affects low-income families, where older relatives must frequently step in without any financial compensation or social recognition. The burden falls even heavier on grandmothers, who are expected to shoulder both family care responsibilities and, in many cases, informal work to supplement household income.
The positive aspects of grandparental care are significant and deeply felt. Like their British peers, Thai grandparents report profound satisfaction and joy in forming close bonds with their grandchildren, passing down culture, language, and family stories. International research also suggests that frequent, meaningful intergenerational contact can enhance children’s emotional resilience, cognitive development, and sense of stability—benefits that persist especially during periods of family upheaval or parental absencePubMed.
Yet, the same studies caution against overburdening older relatives. Providing daily, intensive childcare can lead to fatigue, diminished opportunities for grandparent self-fulfillment, and stress or family tension, especially if there is friction about discipline, nutrition, or screen time. In interviews, some Thai grandparents express anxiety about keeping up with modern parenting standards, technology, or educational expectations. They may also struggle with feelings of obligation that crowd out their aspirations for retirement, travel, or personal rejuvenation.
Cultural context shapes these experiences in important ways. Thailand has long upheld the principle of bun khun, or the mutual debt and gratitude between generations. Looking after grandchildren is seen as both a duty and an extension of familial love—a way to give back for the earlier care they themselves received. This reciprocal ethic underpins family resilience, but may also normalize the invisibilization of grandparental sacrifice, making it harder to demand recognition or support from policymakers.
Policy gaps further exacerbate the situation. While government initiatives like the Thang Rat app—a ministry-backed platform that consolidates childcare provider information and welfare services—represent steps in the right direction, they are insufficient to address the systemic underprovision of public childcare and the patchwork nature of support for informal caregiversAsia Foundation. Experts from UNICEF and the ILO routinely call for more comprehensive, state-funded support, including direct child allowances, wage supplements for family caregivers, and flexible leave entitlements for parents.
The implications of these trends are felt most acutely as Thailand confronts demographic change: rising life expectancy, an aging population, and a persistent decline in birth rates. As more families rely on grandparents for daily childcare, the dual pressures of supporting both the oldest and youngest generations are likely to intensify. Unless governments act to expand affordable childcare and recognize the contributions of grandparent caregivers, existing solutions may buckle under the strain.
Looking abroad, countries like Finland offer different models. There, universal childcare subsidies have allowed grandparents to “swoop in with their stickers, sweets, and stories about life before the internet” only when and how they wish, rather than serving as the de facto main caretakers. “The benefits without the burden,” as sociologist Anna Rotkirch puts itThe Guardian.
In Thailand, as in the UK, the real solution is twofold: practical support and cultural appreciation. On the policy side, urgent reforms should include subsidized or free quality childcare near workplaces and homes, increased leave entitlements for working parents, and dedicated government recognition or financial support for grandparent caregivers. At the community and household level, families should communicate proactively to set reasonable expectations, maintain healthy boundaries, and value grandparents’ autonomy as well as their care.
For Thai readers navigating these waters, the call to action is clear: advocate for better childcare provisions in your workplace and community, make use of available digital support tools like the Thang Rat app for information about nearby centres, and—most importantly—value and openly acknowledge the tireless work of the Lao Jaek (maternal grandparents) and Phor Jaek (paternal grandparents) in your lives. Encourage dialogue within your family about roles, limits, and appreciation, ensuring grandparents enjoy both the joys of closeness and the benefits of a well-deserved rest.
As societal pressures reshape the rhythms of Thai family life, the overwhelming bond of love between grandparents and grandchildren remains a source of strength. But only with communal, institutional, and governmental support will this love continue to yield the intergenerational harmony so essential for a flourishing future.
Sources:
- The Guardian: ‘There’s an overwhelming bond of love’: the grandparents whose kids rely on them to raise a family
- Asia Foundation: Thai App Transforms Access to National Childcare Data
- ILO: Thai families are struggling to care for families and earn a decent living - says new ILO report
- Exiap: Cost of living in Thailand - 2025