It took me a while after living in Thailand to notice the way Thai people, especially mothers, use mock anger instead of actually getting angry the way Western people do, and I think it is actually a psychologically very sophisticated way of dealing with emotions and unwanted behaviour. But I am sure some Westerners living in Thailand have not even noticed it.

 

The mother raises her voice in a falsetto and pretends to hit the child, but never does so. Thereafter all that is needed is to raise the voice in that falsetto and the child knows they have overstepped the mark, and to rein in their behaviour.  I have tried it on adults here in the West and it works, but only if you make it over-exaggerated and obvious that you are play acting. In fact we do it already, but in quite a different way.

 

Does anyone have thoughts or observations on this phenomenon ?

My experience has been that, over time, they learn that Mother is only bluffing and the raised voice means nothing at all. 

You are simply teaching the child that hitting is okay.  It is a way to solve problems.  They will go to school and hit.  They will beat their wife and they will hit anyone that angers them.

Yeah right. What's the next fantasy story? Thai mock traffic accidents?