Dynamics of Policy Agenda Formation for Extending the Retirement Age in the Thai Civil Service (2014–2025)

Abstract

This study aims to 1) analyze the chronology and status changes of the policy agenda regarding the extension of the civil service retirement age in Thailand during 2014–2025, 2) explain the mechanisms coupling the problem, policy, and political streams under institutional conditions and public discourse, and 3) analyze the roles and strategies of policy entrepreneurs across different periods. Employing a qualitative approach, this study analyzes 29 documents, including 3 official reports, 6 media articles, and 20 academic publications, utilizing thematic coding based on the Multiple Streams Framework combined with framing and longitudinal analysis. The findings reveal that policy agenda-setting evolved non-linearly across three phases, progressing from a strategic agenda to agenda suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic due to generational job-crowding concerns, before re-emerging in the current phase as an executive study agenda. Crucially, the coupling of policy streams is not automatic; demographic and fiscal pressures alone are insufficient to open policy windows. Instead, policy windows depend on policy entrepreneurs who utilize institutional compromise and flexible employment models to mitigate public discourse surrounding intergenerational inequality. The study recommends implementing voluntary continued employment beyond the statutory retirement age and adjusting pension schemes through delayed retirement benefits to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability.