The primary focus of this dissertation is the living arrangements of elderly people in
Bangkok, Thailand. The specific research questions are constructed around three major topics:
the determinants of living arrangements; the dynamics of living arrangements; and the function of
living arrangements. These issues are examined both quantitatively and qualitatively, using data
collected during one year of fieldwork. A questionnaire schedule, designed to follow the lives of
elderly respondents in a flexible manner, was used to collect over 1,000 cases of representative
data from the entire Bangkok Metropolis. In-depth life history interviews were also conducted
with both elderly parents and their co-residing children, producing a total of 28 taped, transcribed,
and translated interviews. Contextual information gathered through such ethnographic
approaches as participant observation in the life of Bangkok residents further added valuable
qualitative data.