Our counterpart municipality in this project, Bueng Yitho Municipality, has promoted community-based integrated elderly care through collaboration with the Thammasat University Faculty of Social Administration, Yugawara Town, and Nogezaka Glocal, while emphasizing citizen participation and local ownership.
Located approximately 40 km north of Bangkok, the municipality has a registered population of approximately 35,000, while the actual population, including unregistered residents, is estimated to be around 100,000.
The municipality has proactively developed a range of care-related facilities and services under local government leadership, including a medical and rehabilitation center, a day care center, and an activity center for older persons, which has since evolved into a multi-generational community center open to all age groups. In parallel, Bueng Yitho Municipality has strengthened collaboration with home-based care services and private residential care facilities.
As such, Bueng Yitho Municipality is widely regarded as one of the most advanced examples of elderly care led by a general local municipality in Thailand outside major metropolitan areas such as Bangkok. The municipality regularly receives study visits from local governments, organizations, and researchers from across Thailand and overseas.
SMART & STRONG Project by Bueng Yitho Municipality (English, 2026)
About Yugawara Town
Yugawara Town is one of the municipalities in Japan with the highest aging rates. Despite this, the town maintains a relatively low rate of long-term care certification, reflecting the large number of active and healthy older residents. The town is also known for its active international exchange initiatives.
Frailty supporters and dementia café volunteers from Yugawara Town visited Thailand and engaged in mutual learning activities with Thai community volunteers. Inspired in part by Thailand’s model of paid community volunteers for elderly care, Yugawara Town launched a new municipal initiative in fiscal year 2025 titled “Promotion of Community-Based Elderly Welfare Supported by Residents.” Under this initiative, trained senior citizens serve as paid community volunteers to support local elderly welfare activities.
In 2019, Bueng Yitho Municipality, Nogezaka Glocal, Thammasat University, and Yugawara Town successively signed cooperation agreements related to elderly care.
In 2020, the partnership was selected for the Grant Project implemented by Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) and carried out as the “Project to Support the Establishment of an Elderly Day Care Center in Bueng Yitho Municipality, Thailand.”
The initiatives of Bueng Yitho Municipality received both domestic and international recognition and won the “Second Prize” at the 1st Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative Awards, promoted by the Government of Japan under the Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AHWIN).
Cooperation Agreement between Bueng Yitho Municipality and Nogezaka Glocal (26 February 2019)
Left：Cooperation Agreement among Bueng Yitho Municipality, Thammasat University, and Nogezaka Glocal (26 July 2019) / Right: MOU between Bueng Yitho Municipality and Yugawara Town (23 July 2019)
Launch of the Thai Municipal Networking Initiative
In 2020, efforts began to expand the Bueng Yitho model nationwide through inter-municipal networking. Initially, four municipalities — Bueng Yitho Municipality, Thap Ma Municipality, Khao Phra Ngam Municipality, and Hua Hin Municipality — started exchanging experiences and knowledge.
The collaborative framework among these four Thai municipalities, together with Yugawara Town, Nogezaka Glocal, and Thammasat University, was recognized with the “Grand Prize” at the 2nd Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative Awards.
Launch of the Thai Municipal Networking Initiative
Cooperation Agreement among Bueng Yitho Municipality, Thap Ma Municipality, and Nogezaka Glocal (26 November 2020)
HAPI Award Ceremony in Japan
HAPI Award Ceremony in Thailand
JICA Partnership Program (Phase 1)
The mutual learning initiative on elderly care between Japan and Thailand was adopted as a JICA Partnership Program and implemented from August 2022 to July 2025.
The Thai municipal network, which initially began with 9 municipalities, expanded to 39 municipalities over the three-year project period. Through peer-to-peer learning among local governments, diverse initiatives were developed across Thailand, including dementia care, day care centers, training programs, home-based care by community volunteers, and local elderly care policy development.
Phase 1 Outputs (Example)
Output Area
Before Project
After Project
Notes
Municipalities in the Network
9 sites
39 sites
Expanded nationwide across Thailand
Day Care Centers
3 sites
8 sites
Additional centers under development
Dementia Cafés
0
4 sites
First dementia cafés introduced in Thailand
Dementia Supporter Programs
0
4 sites
Community awareness and volunteer training
Municipal Elderly Action Plans
–
25 sites
Local elderly care strategies established
Inter-Municipal Learning Visits
–
150+
Active peer-to-peer learning exchanges
Project Visitors & Observers
–
170+ Groups, 9,700+ Persons
Government, universities, NGOs, international agencies
National Conferences Held
0
4
Nationwide learning and sharing platform
Guidelines & Manuals Developed
0
6
Community-based elderly care operational guides
Educational Videos Produced
0
9
Training and dissemination materials
International Collaboration
Thailand-Japan focused
Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Korea, Philippines, Sri Lanka
Cross-border learning initiated
Academic & International Presentations
–
11+
ASEM, WHO-related forums, academic conferences
Media Coverage
–
Extensive
Featured by NHK, Thai PBS, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) White Paper, International Development Journal, CLAIR Forum, and others
Read digest version of Final Evaluation Report on Phase 1 (Tentative English Summary)
Aging is a shared challenge across Asia, not only in Japan. This project has demonstrated that a mutual learning system led by local governments and communities can be an effective approach to building sustainable societies. The experiences and lessons generated will continue to inform community development in Thailand, neighboring countries, and Japan alike.
1. Background and Issues
Population aging is accelerating worldwide, and Thailand in particular is projected to transition rapidly from an “aging society” to a “super-aging society.” The proportion of the elderly population, which was slightly over 10% in 2015, exceeded 14% in 2022, with rising medical and long-term care costs becoming a significant challenge. While the central government has attempted to promote home care and establish day care centers, limitations in budget and beneficiary coverage have become apparent. Consequently, it has become urgent to strengthen elderly care at the local government level.
Against this backdrop, from August 2022 to July 2025, the “SMART & STRONG Project: Development of Local Authorities for Promoting Community-based Integrated Elderly Care Models through Networking in Thailand” was implemented with the scheme of JICA Partnership Program by Yugawara Town (Japan) and Bueng Yitho Municipality (Thailand), along with other local authorities. Yugawara Town, despite its high aging rate, has maintained a relatively low rate of long-term care certification through initiatives that support active and healthy aging. This project was launched by linking this experience with the needs and challenges identified by Thai counterparts.
2. Objectives and Characteristics of the Project
The hallmark of this project lies in its focus on a “local government network” and a “mutual learning system.” Instead of transferring knowledge to a single city, the project created a platform for multiple municipalities to learn from each other, share experiences, and scale up their initiatives collectively.
Starting with nine municipalities, the network expanded to 39 within just three years. It now spans all regions of Thailand—Central, Northern, Northeastern, Eastern, Western, and Southern—and includes both large cities and small rural communities. Even municipalities with different cultural backgrounds, such as those with majority Muslim populations, joined and generated new synergies through shared learning.
3. Specific Activities
Participating municipalities carried out diverse initiatives, including:
Establishment and operation of day care centers: Providing spaces where the elderly can receive care and rehabilitation during the day, thereby supporting both users and their families.
Introduction of dementia cafés: Inspired by Yugawara’s experience, Thailand’s first dementia cafés were launched, offering informal community gathering places for the elderly, families, and local residents.
Training courses for dementia supporters: Developing local residents as human resources who understand and support people with dementia, with pilot programs even for junior high school students.
Creating gathering spaces for the elderly: To encourage the participation of older men—who tend to be less involved in community activities than women—creative initiatives were introduced for older adults regardess of gender, such as opening a nighttime ‘60’s Bar’ where alcohol is served
Lifelong learning and recreational activities: Karaoke, picnics, and short trips were organized to prevent isolation and promote well-being.
To sustain these activities, six types of guidelines (e.g., “Day Care Center Guideline,” “Dementia Café Dissemination Materials”) and nine types of video materials were developed. These have been used not only within the project network but also widely across Thailand.
4. Outcomes and Evaluation
The three-year project achieved results in multiple dimensions:
Model establishment: Bueng Yitho Municipality’s initiatives became widely recognized nationwide as the “Bueng Yitho Model.”
Network expansion: Far exceeding the initial target of 20, 39 municipalities joined. Active exchanges included mutual visits and online interactions, welcoming 9,703 visitors between 2023 and 2024.
Citizen engagement: Both unpaid and paid volunteer systems grew, expanding the base of community actors. Volunteers from Yugawara also visited Thailand, advancing mutual learning among citizens.
Policy alignment: The project was consistent with Thailand’s 3rd National Plan for Older Persons and decentralization policies, ensuring strong alignment with national directions.
International outreach: Project results were presented at 11 conferences and symposia, including the ASEM International Forum and the Japan Society for International Development. Coverage by media such as NHK and Thai PBS drew international attention.
5. Learning for Japan
The project was not only beneficial for Thailand but also generated lessons for Japan. For instance, inspired by Thailand’s paid volunteer system, Yugawara Town began planning a new initiative in which residents provide mutual support. Thailand’s diverse community activities also provided new insights for Japan’s own community-based integrated care initiatives, demonstrating the value of two-way learning through international exchange.
6. Efficiency and Sustainability
The project also stood out in terms of financial efficiency. The Japanese budget was mainly allocated for dispatching experts and producing educational materials, while most training and activity costs were borne by Thai municipalities. From the third national conference onward, Thai municipalities covered the costs themselves, establishing a self-sustaining system. Furthermore, the use of Thailand’s national health funds and private sector contributions strengthened the project’s sustainability beyond external aid.
7. Impact and Spillover Effects
The impact of the project extended beyond municipal exchanges:
Social impact: Mechanisms enabling elderly persons and their families to live securely in their communities spread widely, enhancing well-being.
Human resource development: Municipal staff and volunteers grew into key actors in elderly care, strengthening community capacity.
International ripple effects: The project attracted interest from neighboring countries such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and South Korea, highlighting its potential as a model for aging societies across Asia.
8. Recommendations for the Future
The final evaluation report offered the following recommendations:
Expansion to small municipalities: To date, participation has been mainly from large and medium-sized cities; strategies are needed to include small municipalities with fewer resources.
Stronger government support: Sustaining municipality-led initiatives will require national-level support in terms of legislation, budget, and human resources.
Regional dissemination: As other Southeast Asian countries face similar challenges, Thailand’s successful model should be leveraged for wider regional application.
9. Conclusion
Over three years, the SMART & STRONG Project significantly exceeded its initial goals. The establishment of a 39-municipality network and the dissemination of practices such as day care centers and dementia cafés marked a substantial advancement in Thailand’s elderly care. At the same time, the project offered valuable reciprocal learning for Japan, providing new perspectives on the future of community-based integrated care.
SMART & STRONG Project 
