The demographic structure of the Thai population has shifted to an ageing society with an increasing number of elderly people living in urban areas. This research, therefore, is aimed to study and analyze the housing conditions of the elderly as well as relevant behaviors and issues, and provide recommendations for improvement. This research employs interviews and onsite-surveys for data collection. Findings showed that the current conditions are inappropriate; bedroom furniture should be less high; handrails should be installed in bathrooms; stair risers should be shortened, and a common area e.g. a gazebo, should be provided for the elderly to spend time outside together.

This study examines the postures and activities of elders using activity-monitoring device or diary booklet. The research focuses on using the tracked data to assess sedentary behaviors, toss-and-turns, and sleep duration. Fifty seniors participated in the study for 14 days to obtain anecdotal evidence: half of them wore Sookjai, a motion-tracking device; the other half recorded their activities manually via a diary. The results show that they spent most of their time in the sit/stand posture; they tossed and turned during naps and sleep. Both groups showed a similar pattern of activities: the higher level of sedentary behavior is related to a longer sleep duration. Sedentary behavior and naps increased the number of toss-and-turns at night; toss-and-turns did not affect sleep duration. These independent living adults rated themselves healthy regardless of the extent of their sedentary behaviors or tossing and turning. Although the device did not meet all expectations, the seniors did indicate a positive intention to use wearables.

Good health and well-being are some of the most significant trends in the contemporary world. Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Thai people have healthier lifestyles, more concerned about their health, and consequently, change their behaviours to adapt to the ‘new normal’ ways of living. According to the result of an opinion survey by Suan Dusit Poll, 45.39% have changed their attention to healthcare by exercising, eating more healthy products, and emphasising housing and health education, and criteria for evaluating residential buildings have been established. The research study shows that the assessment criteria such as LEED and BREEAM mainly focus on energy and resource efficiency to reduce environmental impacts. At the same time, WELL and CASBEE tools are primarily occupant-oriented and include universal design principles. All of these aim for improving residents’ quality of life. The analysis of factors for healthy housing development indicates that residents were satisfied with eight essential factors such as location, lighting, materials, water quality, comfort, sound, air quality and energy conservation. Among these aspects, comfort and sound are the most critical factors. The results highlight the emphasis of project developers and architects. In the context of Thailand, the SOOK Building Standard by Thai Green Building Institute (TGBI) is a criterion used to evaluate both residential and other types of buildings. The objective of this research is to produce building evaluation criteria for residential and other building types. Consequently, future studies are recommended to study the physical characteristics and satisfaction of residents within a project with a healthy home concept., particularly in the projects that have received a certificate of building assessment criteria.