Thai Attitudes Towards Their Children...

[myauq]

i thought seeing as like 99% of posts seem to be about politics i would join the fray.

i reckon that a lot of the problems in Thailand today – social and political – can be attributed to the ways in which grown-ups treat children.

many Thais are not disciplined from adult/parent/teacher authorities (btw - i don’t mean the old-fashioned smacking variety). let me give you an example. adults are encouraged to stand-up and give their seats to kids on public transport. i have seen a 60 yo woman give-up her seat to a 9 yo school girl, and the girl then turned around and wai-ed politely. to them, they are showing respect, but for the life of me i can’t understand why children are permitted to sit ahead of adults. without adults (parents) there are no children, so adults are more important in that context.

in most other countries, children stand and give way for those more senior. same goes for eating, in other SEA traditional cultures, kids eat last, oldest first. a matter of respect, i would have thought.

i’ve also noticed that kids are seldom disciplined or encouraged to behave appropriately by parents or guardians. teachers are discouraged from criticising kids/students for fear of them loosing face. how dumb is that? children rule in that sense. without discipline – and an explanation of the value systems that underpin the discipline (i.e. respect for others, sharing, listening and understanding what others are saying, etc) – kids grow up into spoilt brats. the result is an adult population demanding everything, thinking they are just entitled to it. there is little (sincere) respect for other people, and no critical thinking as to the rule of law or justice (all elements of social discipline).

ok – so what has all this got to do with politics?

all of the powerful people who have bribed their ways into positions of power in their respective political parties and organisations have grown up in this discipline lax society. when these so-called politicians were younger they would have said ‘mum i want that, give it to me’... and they would have got what they wanted. no work, no respect or good behaviour required. no interest for what other people are saying or doing either. listening, understanding and responding respectfully to others is important for conflict resolution, as well as negotiating in business and diplomacy – important in politics, in other words. Sadly, these are all absent qualities in current political situation.

positive reinforcement goes a long way to inculcating people with self-esteem, personal achievement, understanding and respect for others. In other words, explain the rules of the game to folks at an early age, and reward appropriately when they get it right. ignore bad, disrespectful behaviour like lying, theft and greed.

all this is common sense to most of us, and it works and has worked in so many other places in the world, so why not here??

do these values apply to rich and poor equally? i would say no.

over to you...

[MSingh]

The lack of discipline in general with Children, & Adults for that matter, in this Country, is frightening in my opinion..

Ranging from some fo the topics you touched on, down to a complete ignorance & indiscipline to Road Laws for example, by Adults & Kids here too on Samui )..

But i doubt if it's different in that sense to many other SE Asian Countries & plenty more " Developing " Countries throughout the World, as Thailand surely still must be classified as..

[tijnebijn]

In my opinion its the other way around .

I think children have much more respect here in Thailand in general then their western counterparts

have for elderly .

[teacup]

Ahh and don’t forget the cultural phenomenal of …

Children should be seen and not heard

But that attitude isn't as common as it once was.

Children only have ears, and no mouths

which means that kids can't express their opinions on anything. I was often told this when I was a kid.

I think those are some of the negatives cultural aspect that have been shaping the character of the youth today and the adult of tomorrow

[myauq]

In my opinion its the other way around .

I think children have much more respect here in Thailand in general then their western counterparts

have for elderly .

i think to some extent what you're saying is true, but it's only really respect for elderly family members. even then this seems to be based on obligation rather than genuine heartfelt respect.

when it comes to respecting people in authority and other social positions of power (police, politicians, judges) power has not been earnt so people just don't have any good reason to show respect, other than through fear.

[freitag1]

The only way Thailand can have a chance to be on the same level as other countries in the future is if they finally realize that their education system is terrible and that their kids need some decent core values.

I doubt this will ever happen and that's one of the reasons I keep my kids away from Thai schools.

[myauq]

The only way Thailand can have a chance to be on the same level as other countries in the future is if they finally realize that their education system is terrible and that their kids need some decent core values.

I doubt this will ever happen and that's one of the reasons I keep my kids away from Thai schools.

i'm with you on that score, if ever i have children and live in thailand.

i can't believe the amount of 'luuk krung' kids who have rich parents but insist on the local education option. i think it's a crime if they have the money and don't send their kids to a better school, particularly when one of the parents clearly has had the advantages of an overseas education. i have no problems with state schools in places like australia, uk and europe, but thailand's education system is just simply dangerous to any poor kid.

[freitag1]

The lack of creativity, problem solving skills and independent thinking in Thailand is shocking. I do not invest in this country, I do not work in this country anymore and I'm ready to pack my bags anytime.

I really love Thailand but its only worth being here if you don't get too involved with some stupid aspects of the Thai culture and society.

[Geekfreaklover]

The only way Thailand can have a chance to be on the same level as other countries in the future is if they finally realize that their education system is terrible and that their kids need some decent core values.

I doubt this will ever happen and that's one of the reasons I keep my kids away from Thai schools.

i'm with you on that score, if ever i have children and live in thailand.

i can't believe the amount of 'luuk krung' kids who have rich parents but insist on the local education option. i think it's a crime if they have the money and don't send their kids to a better school, particularly when one of the parents clearly has had the advantages of an overseas education. i have no problems with state schools in places like australia, uk and europe, but thailand's education system is just simply dangerous to any poor kid.

Dangerous is the right word.

As a parent with two boys, 4 and 5 years old I've found the state school, here in Pak chong to be fine. Both boys are progressing well with written Thai and written English. They are taught good manors and understand respect for elders both at school and at home.

That said as soon as they reach age 6 and 7 (Next year) am afraid it's back to the west. Am sorry to say I don't even trust the International schools here in Thailand.

I had a comprehensive state school education back in the UK, and it seems to be a better education than you can get here, despite how much you pay your way through it.

[pauls2979]

Dangerous is the right word.

As a parent with two boys, 4 and 5 years old I've found the state school, here in Pak chong to be fine. Both boys are progressing well with written Thai and written English. They are taught good manors and understand respect for elders both at school and at home.

That said as soon as they reach age 6 and 7 (Next year) am afraid it's back to the west. Am sorry to say I don't even trust the International schools here in Thailand.

I had a comprehensive state school education back in the UK, and it seems to be a better education than you can get here, despite how much you pay your way through it.

agree with you , good post IMO

[bingobongo]

very intersting topic, i think the resulte or consequence manifests itself as emotional immaturity in many Thai adults

which is decribed as:

"Immature adults are not children nor teenagers. They are often self-centered and selfish adults. They may have little regard for others. They may be preoccupied with their own feelings and symptoms. They may demand your constant attention, sympathy and compliments. They may avoid participation if they can't have their own way or be the best. They may be obsessed with impressing people. Immature people may demand immediate gratification. They cannot wait. They may seem thoughtless and impulsive. They may be loyal only while you are useful. They have chaotic social and financial lives"

look at the table in the center of the page and you can clearly see some common Thai traits among the 8 categories such as "Does not learn from experience. Good or bad experiences are caused by luck, or fate. Little personal responsibility"

http://www.soulwork.net/sw_articles_eng/em..._maturity_2.htm

[freitag1]

Yes international schools are not the solution, plus you have to keep in mind with what sort of people you want your kids to hang out with. This will, as much as education itself, form them and make them the person they will be when they are grown up. I want my kids to be reliable and I have no idea where they could learn that in a society like here in Thailand.

Anyway, a Thai Obama with plans that make sense and not themselves richer would be a blessing for this country. I don't believe it will happen though and Thais will stay the "blonds of Asia".

The only thing that currently bothers me is that they now lost lots of credibility and the tourism and business areas will get screwed heavily next year. Desperate people can cause trouble...