Better Me: Preparing for a high-quality and happy retirement

As Thailand transitions to a super-aged society, more and more Thais are asking whether they are adequately prepared for retirement.

The Sustainability Expo 2024 (SX2024) at Bangkok's Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) runs from September 27 to October 6, offering insights and solutions.

The expo’s Better Me zone, back for its fifth year, focuses on preparing for the changes associated with ageing through holistic approaches that can be easily incorporated into daily life.

The Better Me zone is designed under the theme "Preparing for Ageing with Quality and Happiness".

Visitors will gain valuable insights and discover new innovations to help them adapt and plan their lives effectively, aiming for a quality and fulfilling old age, both physically and mentally. The zone also features exhibits and spaces on lifelong learning.

The main expo seeks to educate visitors about health-promoting foods, such as functional foods, a current trend for health and longevity, and anti-ageing foods.

Innovations for the elderly being showcased include the Pencil Robot, an AI assistant that serves as both a companion and a health alert system, and Mr Muse, an intelligent humanoid robot developed by the National Science Museum.

Another highlight is the Sati App, which provides a safe space for those with mental health issues. The app matches users with trained volunteer listeners and is designed to help people suffering from depression or anyone experiencing stress who needs someone to talk to.

The expo’s Stress Challenge measure stress levels via Canvas Longevity (Gebfosis), a health service that uses biological data to tailor personal health services for effective and convenient care.

SX2024 also answers financial security concerns, with information boards on retirement planning that help visitors to understand and plan their finances. Information on private retirement homes and savings statistics for different generations is also available.

Innovations unveiled at the expo include “Death Cleaning”, inspired by the Swedish concept of "dostadning", or decluttering before death. Presented by Cheevamitr in collaboration with 10DK Home Tidying and PanKan store, Death Cleaning is used to ease the burden on those who are departing as well as the loved ones they leave behind.

Cheevamitr is also introducing the Living & Leaving Note, a new tool inspired by Japan’s Ending Note but tailored to Thai society. This notebook helps plan for a good life and death and communicate real needs to loved ones, while promoting effective end-of-life care coordination with the government. Visitors can join the Living & Leaving Note workshop at the Idea Lab zone on G floor on Monday, September 30.

The Lifelong Learning Exchange Zone showcases social innovations including Finlab, a learning and skill-building space focused on financial literacy for high school students and young people, and Scamtify, a platform for detecting various types of scammers, developed by 88 Sandbox, Thammasat University.

It also offers solutions for students and adults to manage stress, including “From Houseplant to New Pet”; Mind Shoes, an all-in-one smart insole for the elderly; and a cigarette-free vaping cessation product from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.

Elsewhere, the Creative Young Designer project presents models of collaboration with communities and the elderly. This initiative involves students working with communities to enhance local crafts through design and marketing strategies, resulting in new products.

Examples include collaborations between King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok and the Nong Han pottery community in Udon Thani, and Chulalongkorn University with the Torfa Ban Mai Rat Bamrung group in Dokkhamtai, Phayao.