Birthday Gifts for Elders: Women and Men, by Age 50, 60, 72, 84 and Budget
The best birthday gifts for elders carry a wish they can keep, chosen for who they are to you and the age they are turning. For mum or dad, that can be a phuang malai (a Thai garland) that says thank you; for a senior at work, a smaller piece that stays modest.
We are Macrame by Nicha, and our pieces are handmade by Akha women through Akha Ma-De, our social program that creates jobs in Asha village, Mae Yao district, Chiang Rai, and empowers the Akha community. Below are ideas for women and for men, by age and by budget, with the Thai birthday milestones worth knowing.
Birthday gifts for older women: mum, an aunt or a senior at work
A garland is a natural place to start. The Royal Society of Thailand notes that Thai Buddhists bring พวงมาลัย (garlands) to pay respect to the elders they revere at festivals such as New Year and Songkran.
For mum or an aunt
Malai Petite Flowers, 1,890 THB. Our Malai Petite Flowers is white cotton with real dried flowers, and its Thai title, ความกตัญญูและคำอวยพร, means gratitude and blessings. Its page names mothers and elders among the people it is made for, which makes it our first pick for mum.
Malai Cuty, 890 THB. Malai Cuty, whose Thai title means sweetness and happiness, is dried flowers and cotton with a greeting card. Its page says it carries thanks, respect and love in one gesture, and kept well it lasts for years.
Malai Petite in her birthday colour, 1,590 THB. A Malai Petite with a sash in the colour of the weekday she was born on, covered in the birthday colour section below.
For more designs, browse our phuang malai and premium gifts.
For a senior woman at work
Keep it modest and useful. One Thai gift guide sums up what elders like: rarely the most expensive thing, but something they actually use and that isn't a burden.
Blue Lady bag, 490 THB. Our Blue Lady macrame bag is the modest, useful kind of gift that fits that rule.
Pursy Lady bag, 650 THB. For a little more, the Pursy Lady is another of our macrame bags. Malai Cuty, above, suits a senior at work too.
A family gift for a big birthday
Malai Serenity, 3,490 THB, from the whole family. Malai Serenity is a เครื่องหอมแบบไทย (Thai scented piece) in cotton with stones, named for peace of mind and protection.
Its page puts the idea simply: the blessing follows the person. Engraving is offered on its wooden box, and at this price it makes a gift from all of you together.
More ideas for her
The nine auspicious Thai sweets are a classic. Sanook notes they are given to elders you love and respect on important occasions, in place of spoken blessings.
Whatever you choose, add a short card with your name written clearly, a small courtesy the Thai gift guide quoted above recommends.
Birthday gifts for older men: dad, an uncle or a senior at work
A family gift for dad
Malai Prestige Gold, 3,090 THB, from the whole family. Malai Prestige Gold is in gold, believed to bring success, and carries the wish of ความมั่งคั่งและความเจริญรุ่งเรือง (wealth and prosperity), and its page lists milestones among its occasions.
At this price it is best given by the family together, for his 60th or 72nd.
For dad, an uncle or a senior at work
The Elephant Net, 1,990 THB. The Elephant Net is a เครื่องแขวนไทย (Thai hanging ornament), woven in cotton in place of jasmine. Its Thai title says what it wishes him: ความแข็งแกร่งและปัญญา, strength and wisdom.
It is made on pre-order only, so allow about a month.
Muay Thai mongkol keychains, 350 and 390 THB. For a dad or uncle who loves Muay Thai, our Muay Thai mongkol keychain is a handmade cotton take on the มงคล (mongkol, the Muay Thai headband).
The premium mongkol keychain at 390 THB is made in three colours of cotton. Either one is an easy, modest gift for a senior at work.
More ideas for him
Time together counts too. A ทำบุญอายุ (birthday merit-making) is done for wellbeing and long life, so a morning at the temple with the family can mean as much as anything wrapped.
Clothes are worth thinking twice about, since guessing a size can go wrong.
Birthday gifts for elders by age: 50, 60, 72 and 70 plus
Some birthdays weigh more than others in Thailand. Sanook's guide to ทำบุญอายุ (birthday merit-making) says every 12-year รอบ (cycle) counts, and 60 and 72 are the most popular.
50: half a long life
Sanook describes 50 as the age at which you have lived ครึ่งหนึ่งของชีวิต (half of a long life), a reason to make merit and celebrate.
A garland for her or the Elephant Net for him marks it without going overboard.
60: แซยิด, the 60th-birthday celebration
Turning 60 completes the fifth 12-year cycle, and Thai Buddhist practice has a merit-making rite of its own for it.
Thai-Chinese families call the day แซยิด, from the Chinese word for "birthday", according to Thai Wikipedia. In Chinese belief, as Sanook puts it, a person who reaches 60 has become complete.
It is the birthday for a family gift, such as Malai Serenity for mum or Malai Prestige Gold for dad.
72: the sixth cycle
At 72, a person completes the sixth cycle, the other most popular age for birthday merit-making. A garland in their birthday colour is a gentle way to mark it.
84: the seventh cycle
At 84, a person completes the seventh cycle, and Thai families and communities hold merit-making ceremonies for it too. It suits a gift from the whole family, such as Malai Serenity or a garland in their birthday colour.
70 and over
For every birthday from 70 on, choose light pieces that need no looking after and wishes for long life, and note that Thai-Chinese families also mark 70 and 80, according to Thai Wikipedia.
Our cotton turtle keychain (350 THB, in turquoise) fits both: in Thai folk belief the turtle is a long-lived animal, and releasing turtles is spoken of as extending one's life.
Planning a 60th or 72nd, or several gifts at once? Tell us the age, the budget and who it is for, and we will send you a quotation.
Choosing by budget: 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 THB plus
As a starting point, one Thai gift guide puts 500 to 1,500 THB as enough for most older relatives, without making them feel เกรงใจ (uncomfortably obliged). Here is where our pieces fall.
| Budget | From Macrame by Nicha | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Around 500 THB | Muay Thai mongkol keychain 350, turtle keychain 350, premium mongkol keychain 390, Blue Lady bag 490 | A senior at work, or a small extra |
| Around 1,000 THB | Pursy Lady bag 650, Malai Cuty 890 | An aunt, an older relative or a senior woman at work |
| Around 2,000 THB | Malai Petite birthday colour 1,590, Malai Petite Flowers 1,890, The Elephant Net 1,990 | Mum or dad, or a respected senior at work |
| 3,000 THB and up | Malai Prestige Gold 3,090, Malai Serenity 3,490 | A family gift for a 60th or 72nd |
For a senior at work, the Elephant Net at 1,990 THB is our pick. Giving to a government official who isn't family? Officials may accept up to 3,000 baht per person per occasion (NACC announcement, 2020), and this pick stays within it.
Buying birthday gifts for clients or partners as a company? Our corporate gifting page is the place to request a catalogue and a quotation.
Birthday colours: a garland in the colour of their day
Our Malai Petite birthday colour garland (1,590 THB) is a cotton Malai Petite with a sash in their สีประจำวันเกิด (the colour of the weekday they were born on). It comes in all seven weekday colours, plus a custom option.
It suits mum, dad or a senior at work alike.
Not sure of their colour? The table of birthday colours for each weekday is in our guide to garlands for blessing a new car.
Tell us the day they were born and we will match the sash.
Frequently asked questions
What should I give for a 60th birthday?
The 60th, แซยิด (the 60th-birthday celebration), completes the fifth 12-year cycle, so it suits a gift from the whole family. Malai Serenity (3,490 THB) or Malai Prestige Gold (3,090 THB) fits that role, and Malai Petite Flowers (1,890 THB) is a gentle choice for mum.
How is a birthday gift for mum different from one for a boss?
For mum, the gift can be personal and as generous as the family wants, and a garland of gratitude such as Malai Petite Flowers says it well. For a boss, keep it modest and useful so it never reads as เกินหน้าเกินตา (going beyond your place), and if they are a government official, stay within the limit in the budget section above.
For more ideas for a boss, see our gift ideas for your boss.
How far ahead should I order a birthday gift?
Each product page gives a lead time. Malai Serenity and the birthday colour garland take 10 to 20 business days, and Malai Petite Flowers, Malai Cuty and Malai Prestige Gold take 10 to 20, or 5 to 7 in the Mother's Day period.
The turtle keychain, both mongkol keychains and both bags take 5 to 10 business days, and the Elephant Net about a month, so ordering a month ahead covers every piece here.
Still choosing? Tell us who it is for and the age they are turning, and we will help you pick.
Birthdays are one occasion among many. Our guide to gifts for elders for other occasions covers the rest of the year, in the family and at work.