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Using the concept of human security, the purpose of this paper is to explore the subjective perception of insecurities experienced by Thai subcontracted workers in industrial value chains and examines how they mitigate these insecurities.

This paper uses a qualitative approach and analyses the narratives from in-depth interviews with 23 female subcontracted workers in low-income communities in Bangkok, Thailand. Four male subcontracted workers were also interviewed to compare gender differences. Five key informant interviews with NGOs and academicians were conducted.

There are three main findings. First, subcontracted workers’ economic insecurities are influenced by their work and personal trajectories in the labour market. Second, many of their health and care-related insecurities are fuelled by relational rather than individual experience; that is, they are worried they will not be able to provide care for their children, to fulfil their responsibility as mothers, or they are concerned with the effects of their hazardous work environment on their family members. Third, most subcontracted workers mitigate their insecurities using their immediate relational network in the absence of formal protection.

While earlier literature on subcontracted workers’ vulnerabilities in Thailand discussed the issues from a politico-economic perspective, this paper uses the concept of human security, which enables us to better understand their insecurities as context-specific experiences in their daily lives.

This article aims to present the issues that challenge women and family to provide elder care. It also shows weaknesses of policy that strongly attaches to traditional expectation and does not adapt to actual changes by presenting an example of Thailand.

The review of secondary data.

Rapid growth of old age population, fewer number of children, changes in women's roles and women's employment, migration, family and societal changes challenge Thai traditional role of women and family as the main elder care providers. Academicians and policy makers are aware of these challenges, but Thai National Policy on Aging still puts responsibilities back to family.

A limitation is that information is based on available literature. Implication is to stimulate an ongoing research to give feedback to policy.

A top‐down approach can create the gap between policy ideology and reality. This article provides argument information to close the gap and improve policy that better corresponds with actual social changes and life condition of older people, women and family.

This article urges an understanding that family, women and older people are not homogeneous.

This article gives reasons why policy on aging needs to detach from traditional expectation, seriously prepare elder care that corresponds with social changes and provide elder care by family and non‐family.

The purpose of this paper is to examine women homeworkers' access to healthcare services in Thailand. Specifically, it focuses on how the state's universal healthcare service, introduced in the year 2002, has responded/not responded to the needs of poor women homeworkers in Bangkok.

Data collection was done through a structured questionnaire with 415 women homeworkers from 16 districts in Bangkok, Thailand, ten in‐depth interviews and 13 group discussions.

It was found that less than half of the women homeworker respondents accessed the universal healthcare scheme. The obstacles for access include both financial (transportation cost, loss of wage) and time. Also, homeworkers need support from the community/household to access these services. Universal health services itself is not enough to ensure access to healthcare service, especially among poor and minimally educated homeworkers with small children.

The research showed the need to have multiple approaches (state‐provided services and community organizing, as well as awareness among men about their role in care work), in order to ensure universal healthcare coverage.

Universal healthcare services are considered the best way to extend healthcare services to workers in the informal economy. This paper argues that total dependence on state‐provided services does not ensure universal healthcare coverage. There is a need for additional community‐based support mechanisms to ensure access to these services.