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Can Thai tradition of indebtedness, gratitude to parents cause more harm than good?


webfact

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I used to think this was the best, kids taking care of the elder.  But, after living here for a few years I have changed my mind. I love the independence of having a pension and being able to go where I want and not having to depend on anyone. When the time is right just throw me in a bin and go on with your life. 

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16 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Section 1562. Lawsuit Against Ascendants

 

No person can enter an action, either civil or criminal, against his ascendants, unless the case is taken up by the Public Prosecutor upon application of such person or a close relative of such person.

 

The law doesn't seem to prevent any civil or criminal action against parents as the article suggests. The law merely says the public prosecutor has to find merit in the case before the civil or criminal action can proceed. That's not an onerously high obstacle standing in the way of justice.

 

Well said Gecko. The purpose of the law is not to stop justice if justice is deserved. Just bad journalism again 

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Yes, it´s very harmful for the whole society. The fact is that children are not always feeling greatful to their parents. They are just teaching them to lie from childhood. The cause is that they do not feel the difference between greatful and righteous. 

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According to Thai law, people suffering at the hands of their parents can ask their close relatives to file a police complaint and let justice run its course via public prosecutors.

 

So, that makes the entire article pointless. Kids can take parents to court through a third party, even close family.

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6 hours ago, H508 said:

Absolutely causes more harm than good. For the majority of Thai people that are poor, instead of saving money and providing a better life for their kids, they're having to spend that money on parents instead, so they're never moving forward. Granted this is more in general and not specific to the article which deals more with lawsuits.

spot on

 

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1 hour ago, 2baht said:

Is it actual respect or superficial respect like so many things in Thailand!

So many differing circumstances, almost too numerous to list, there will be those on the forum who buy into the family care scene wholeheartedly and if it is working for them credit due 

 

I follow partially in that the family care philosophy slows if I perceive any hint of a participant extracting the urine or seeking to take advantage

 

How about a situation where you are working your nuts off to give the wife enough baht to help out her parents, and the parents never have anything because they are generously jai dee with relatives and friends 

Just by way of example ???? should you be pleased the parents are receiving good karma? Or perhaps annoyed they are spraying your assistance against the wall ????

 

 

 

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43 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Westerners commenting here have forgotten history and the times when for example the UK had no national insurance and children worked in coal mines; Thailand still has no pension scheme for anyone except government officers. I remember this conversation many years ago. 

Me to government officer, "Why on earth are you happy to work in this ministry for 15,000 baht a month?"

Officer, "I will have a pension at 60 and my parents will have health coverage until they die."

Me, " Why didn't they save money?"

Him, " How much do you think they could save on 20,000 Baht a month and two children to feed and send to school?"

They are not given a pension scheme. They need their children to survive, so instilling the culture of filial respect is an absolute necessity, just as it was in early 20th century UK. 

Pretty much nailed it, but I'll add a bit. Who in their right minds would bet their "golden years" income on a pension in this volatile political/fiscal climate over having children to provide them with the basic necessities of old age? Children ARE the pension source. And let us not forget that those of you who partake of "working girls". Those young women send much of their income home to the family, which often are poor dirt farmers. So your "date" may party, laugh, etc with you.... but it may just be part of the great merit of taking care of your family any way they can. And lord knows the education here is so awful they only have the resource of their bodies to make a living

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1 hour ago, Purdey said:

Westerners commenting here have forgotten history and the times when for example the UK had no national insurance and children worked in coal mines; Thailand still has no pension scheme for anyone except government officers. I remember this conversation many years ago. 

Me to government officer, "Why on earth are you happy to work in this ministry for 15,000 baht a month?"

Officer, "I will have a pension at 60 and my parents will have health coverage until they die."

Me, " Why didn't they save money?"

Him, " How much do you think they could save on 20,000 Baht a month and two children to feed and send to school?"

They are not given a pension scheme. They need their children to survive, so instilling the culture of filial respect is an absolute necessity, just as it was in early 20th century UK. 

I agree even now in the west the working generation pay the pensions

In the cities your claim that the parents need their children may well be true, in the rural communities there are a surprising amount of self sufficient oldies, I know of a few who still occasionally provide financial support to their working children, the subsistence model is still very active

The issue for me is salary levels, as things are the elite have a cheap, subservient, available, workforce supply, under the cloak of being good devoted respectful children perhaps 'culture' works very conveniently for some

 

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3 hours ago, 2baht said:

Is it actual respect or superficial respect like so many things in Thailand!

what you don't automatically wai at little prayer stations and what not ? then go on to say steal money from the bank you work at and deny it.

 

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7 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Would it be right for kids to save or leave the house knowing their parents would be potless ? 

The cycle of life for the poorer end in Thailand..

parents scrape money together to send the kids to University.

The kids get a reasonable job and take care of the parents, once parents are deceased they do the same for their kids.

The richer end of the scale have children who are millionaires by mid twenties...

not mentioning any names.

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My gf from Khon Kaen told me how years back she reached a point where she had to tell he parents she was no longer giving them her earnings from Bangkok. Recently she complained that her father had failed to wish her happy birthday, and when she mentioned it to him he told her to get lost. I know him a little, he's an old jerk, and deserved to be cut off.

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From many reports the respect and honouring parents seems to be gone. How many murders have been committed by children on parents? This article was true 30 years ago but now most of the children have an entitled attitude and will do literally anything to their family if refused.

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