BANGKOK/CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- Early one recent morning, Yupadee Sukosol sat in front of her tiny residence in Samut Prakan province, around 40 kilometers south of Bangkok, sipping tea and watching as her orchids began to bloom in the sunshine.

Yupadee Sukosol, left, in her residence at the Sawangkanives care home south of Bangkok. Demand for such facilities is expected to soar in the coming years as Thailand's population ages. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Hospitals and businesses jump in as demand surges