Conducted in 2004, the survey found that out of more than seven million Thais aged 60 years and older, 35 per cent of the women and 24 per cent of the men had dementia.

Diseases like hypertension, cancer, kidney failure, partial paralysis and degenerative joint disease were common in all but 13 per cent of the elderly.

Vallop, speaking at the opening of the Centre for the Development of Elderly People in honour of HM the King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Yasothon, set up at a cost of Bt4 million, said his ministry planned to encourage every province to establish a centre where the elderly could gather and enjoy activities to enhance their health and life.

According to Vallop, the number of senior people over 60 now exceeds seven million or 10 per cent of the population and about 648,000 of them are over 80 years old. "Elderly people are four times more vulnerable to diseases, especially those over 80, and they need special care," said the minister.

Yasothorn Hospital director Pichet Angsuvajarakorn said that there are 56,435 elderly in the northeastern province and the number constitutes to 9.6 per cent of the provincial population. The ailment most suffered by senior people in the province is diabetes, he said.