In answer to your question, Bamboo Grove, as far as Thai people are concerned who can't afford private care there is a big difference. We live next to a government Old Folks' Home. I only see the residents when I'm mowing the garden, and some of them come out from their rooms to watch. Some of them have difficulty in walking, and they have a plastic chair to shuffle along with. Some are obviously suffering from some kind of dementia and make strange noises at night. Some look pretty healthy, but, I guess, have no where to live. Mostly on the weekends a bus-load of people will turn up to 'entertain' them. That's when our dog (who pops over there regularly) returns with buns, and other stuff that the old folk don't want.
As far as I can see, none of the residents' rooms are are conditioned, but the main big office is nicely cool with all the mod cons. A few months ago they were bathing the naked residents, male and female, in full view of our house with a 'bucket and chuck it' affair. Elderly females were standing naked, while elderly males were waiting in line.
To sum up, the place next door to us is where you can off-load your old mum or dad if you don't want to pay any money, or they don't have any children to take care of them. It's not the sort of place I would like to end up in.
VS
