Intergenerational Transfers and Family Structure: Evidence from Thailand

Abstract

This study examines the level and patterns of elderly parent and adult child resource transfer and the relationship between family structure and the direction of resource transfer. A sample of 657 elderly parents was chosen from the 2009 baseline panel survey and study on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Thailand (HART). The main results show that about 60 % of Thai elderly parents receive financial support from their adult children, whereas about 14 % of Thai elderly parents neither give nor receive financial support to or from their adult children. The annual median value of support received by elderly parents is 22,250 baht (about US$740). There is no significant difference in familial intergenerational transfers between urban and rural areas. While controlling for elderly demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, the family structure is significantly associated with parent–child resource transfer.