Back to school for Thailand's elderly

Reuters) - Wearing crisp red-and-white uniforms, a group of 60-year-olds pile into a bus, smiling broadly as they make their way to a school in Ayutthaya, a province in Thailand.

For this group, and others across the country, going back to school offers a way to fight loneliness at a time when changing demographics mean more elderly people are living alone.

"I've been looking forward to every Wednesday, when I go to school, dress up as a school student and meet friends. We get to talk and laugh together," said Somjit Teeraroj, a 77-year-old widow who is a student at the school for the elderly in Ayutthaya's Chiang Rak Noi subdistrict.

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After the death of her husband of 40 years, with her children visiting occasionally, Somjit said it was the school that helped her recover from her loss. (Click reut.rs/2rrLx4x to see a picture package on Thailand's elderly going back to school)

Somjit's story is emblematic of a larger problem in Thailand - a rapidly ageing population.

Thailand, together with China, is ageing faster than its regional neighbours. By 2040, it is expected to have the highest share of elderly people of any developing country in East Asia, according to the World Bank.

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