Thailand's Population Of Teen Mothers Rising, Pregnancy Age Falling

[Bosse137]

To cupofcoffee, it is that the values espoused by the ruling class and Thai culture are so far away from reality, and yet NO ONE dares to change anything.

Either they are wilfully ignorant, in denial, or they are stupid.

The last line,does one have to choose?? Edited January 19, 2013 by Bosse137

[marchawkes]

There are different kinds of trolls but most of them just want to generate outrage. This comment was so ridiculous that it clearly was created for that purpose. It reads as if written by somebody much older who's trying to imitate the voice of a younger person. Another sign is to check out other comments by the same person. Note the recent join and then check out some of the other comments.

Sori, I don't share your views. After doing the checks you suggested first for SC and then going on to check some other people contributing - I chanced upon over a dozen current ThaiVisa blogs which by your definition are "trolls". I know I'd keep silent and not contribute to a debate if such "troll" paranoia & imaginings gripped me. I think ThaiVisa is a broad church which encourages contributions from "all types". In fact I'd love to hear from young people, however outrageous, even if it does not fit a 1920s view of things. Think the ThaiVisa pages are no place for the paranoid or prescriptive. Edited January 19, 2013 by marchawkes

[Thai at Heart]

To cupofcoffee, it is that the values espoused by the ruling class and Thai culture are so far away from reality, and yet NO ONE dares to change anything.

Either they are wilfully ignorant, in denial, or they are stupid.

The last line,does one have to choose??

No one has to, but sometimes for a given person, it can be all three.

[Bosse137]

To cupofcoffee, it is that the values espoused by the ruling class and Thai culture are so far away from reality, and yet NO ONE dares to change anything.

Either they are wilfully ignorant, in denial, or they are stupid.

The last line,does one have to choose??

No one has to, but sometimes for a given person, it can be all three.

Thankyou Thai at Heart;what a relief!!Now I can stop sweating over which alternativ to choose..!

[Lucie]

According to the 2012 CIA World Factbook, Thailand's fertility rate is 1.66 births per female, ranking it 174 in the world. Many Western nations have a higher rate, Australia for example comes in at 1.77. Topping the list is Niger with a staggering rate of 7.52, whilst Singapore is at the other end of the scale at 0.78.

From my personal experience, Thailand has much better public family planning education than I have ever seen in my home country Australia.

I find these statistics interesting, and useful for comparison. So it seems it's true that Thailand has a pretty low birth rate. But what worries me is that in Thailand, unlike in most Western countries, a stigma is attached to a girl if she has a baby as an unmarried teenager, and she is unlikely to ever marry, and may always be seen in the community as a "fallen" woman. I have seen that many times. It's less common in Western countries.

As for sex education - it's on the curriculum, yes, and from what I've seen, what's on the curriculum would be very helpful advice to teenagers. But, as with anything taught in Thai schools, there is minimal monitoring, and whether the syllabus is taught in full, or just skimmed over, depends on the individual teacher. Most teachers feel uncomfortable talking about sex, and a lot of parents would be upset by their daughters receiving such advice, so very often all that is taught is basic anatomy, and physiological processes. I saw some young mothers interviewed on TV the other evening, and several of them said that they were disappointed in their parents and teachers, for not providing them with the knowledge they needed to avoid pregnancy, and to make decisions about sex. They said they had no idea how to say no to an insistent and sweet-talking boyfriend. Of course that opens up a whole new topic that we could debate for months: male-female relations in Thailand...

I've asked my school a few times if they'll let me teach the sex education unit of their guidance / science courses, but have been denied... It's a Catholic school, and I'm on their records as atheist, so I'm not really surprised by their decision...!

[Lucie]

A large number of the posts on this topic are factually wrong and a waste of type. Sex education is already common in many Thai schools - depending on the town/province - i have Thai teacher-friends who have been teaching safe sex (with graphic aids) for some time. But as usual, it's easier to peddle insults based on no reliable information whatsoever.

It's also easy to take what you have seen in one place and assume that it's the same everywhere, without any reliable information whatsoever.

[dominique355]

One of the main reasons why there are so many teen pregnancies is that the fathers are never held responsible. They just walk away and go to the next girl. I have seen it many - way too many - times.

Society and law (incl. enforcement) must change in this respect and the biological father must be held responsible, at least financially responsible for all and any children he made.

These teenage mothers do not have the means to bring up a child, so more often that not, the child ends up with the grandparents, who also lack means to give these kids a chance in life. And the circle closes on itself.

[Sayonarax]

Would be nice if girls remembered to take the pill. No good coming out suddenly and saying "pregnant". Have had 2 bad experiences. In 2010 a school friend who was going steady with me for 6 months. She suddenly got pregnant. I was shocked. The girl just 16 y.o. was thrilled and so were her Thai parents. It took Dad's intervention (my last resort and I was made to suffer ) to get the girl's family to re-consider. A second time just a few months back a lady working in one of the family businesses began going out with me. She's about 15 years older than me. Almost my Mum :-) LOL. Anyway, during the weekends I stayed at her home I became friends with her 17 y.o. daughter. Before you knew it the daughter got pregnant. They were delighted, the mum included. Again it took my family intervention to get them to understand that it was not okay.

sigh.....Thai women all seem to want babies whenever things are going well.

Never a care for the right time or the future or how the bloke feels.

For me its been two very expensive involvements, and I'm not even 20 as yet.

Keep it in ya pants, if it was my daughter id of castrated you by now.

[Radar501]

"Most teachers feel uncomfortable talking about sex, and a lot of parents would be upset by their daughters receiving such advice"

"One of the main reasons why there are so many teen pregnancies is that the fathers are never held responsible"

If it wasn't so sad, it would be amusing. Sex education in most parts of the world is aimed squarely at the female audience, because fornication might be just 10 minutes of fun for the guy, but a lifetime of responsibility (and often hardship) for the girl.

It takes two to tango.

[FlamingBull]

Would be nice if girls remembered to take the pill. No good coming out suddenly and saying "pregnant". Have had 2 bad experiences. In 2010 a school friend who was going steady with me for 6 months. She suddenly got pregnant. I was shocked. The girl just 16 y.o. was thrilled and so were her Thai parents. It took Dad's intervention (my last resort and I was made to suffer ) to get the girl's family to re-consider. A second time just a few months back a lady working in one of the family businesses began going out with me. She's about 15 years older than me. Almost my Mum :-) LOL. Anyway, during the weekends I stayed at her home I became friends with her 17 y.o. daughter. Before you knew it the daughter got pregnant. They were delighted, the mum included. Again it took my family intervention to get them to understand that it was not okay.

sigh.....Thai women all seem to want babies whenever things are going well.

Never a care for the right time or the future or how the bloke feels.

For me its been two very expensive involvements, and I'm not even 20 as yet.

Keep it in ya pants, if it was my daughter id of castrated you by now.

I've heard many cases like this one. Quite common among young wealthy Thai (or Thai-farang kids, as this case appears to be). As a caring & capable Thai policeman I can assure you that wealth & privilege mean that boys from rich families are difficult to get near. Makes it hard to "castrate" people one cannot get near & if one does "castrate" it may be ones last act on planet earth - given wealthy families in Thailand have a strong reach to settle scores. Another issue; lamenting the daughter's plight is one thing...how does one sort things out with the mother who seems rather pleased when the daughter got pregnant - to the same boy the mother had been sleeping with. If one thinks soapie's like 'Days of Our Lives' or 'Young & Restless' are untrue one has only to look at some of the everyday lives of wealthy Thai kids in our community. Shame on you young man. Barely 18 and you've checked out soooo much already. Edited January 21, 2013 by FlamingBull

[SparklingCascades]

Have copped lots of criticism here and some hate-mail. For no good reason. Maybe I am mistaken but I believe this forum includes young Thais and not just ageing farang. Before you go into overdrive with rude comments; you know Mum always says ' whoever is blameless let 'em cast the first stone'. ko-puun-kaap.

Edited January 21, 2013 by SparklingCascades

[Bosse137]

Aahh! So it was mum who said this! All my life I thought it was Jesus..

[Bosse137]

Well,SC,as the name "ThaiVisa" indicates,it is a forum for people not borne in this country.We seek advice and information from each other,concerning visum,places to eat and so on.Certainly any native Thai is very welcome to participate,at least by me,but a fail to see,how this forum can be of much interest to any young person,especially Thai.Me.for instance,have no interest to join some forum,where most of the people are young Thais.Or from any other nationality for that matter..And if I did,I certainly would not expect the majority of them to share my views on things..In conclusion,I think you have to accept,that the "ageing farangs" on this forum do not see eye to eye with your opinions.Try some forum for young Thais! But I can tell you this: For fun,I asked some young people in my wife`s family what they thought about your OP.The answer was :kon baa! (crazy person) Last,your "Thailand is a forum..." Well,correct me if I am wrong,but I do not think,that Thailand is a forum! It is a country,a nation. ThaiVisa is a forum.

Edited January 21, 2013 by Bosse137

[DocN]

Well,SC,as the name "ThaiVisa" indicates,it is a forum for people not borne in this country.We seek advice and information from each other,concerning visum,places to eat and so on.Certainly any native Thai is very welcome to participate,at least by me,but a fail to see,how this forum can be of much interest to any young person,especially Thai.Me.for instance,have no interest to join some forum,where most of the people are young Thais.Or from any other nationality for that matter..And if I did,I certainly would not expect the majority of them to share my views on things..In conclusion,I think you have to accept,that the "ageing farangs" on this forum do not see eye to eye with your opinions.Try some forum for young Thais! But I can tell you this: For fun,I asked some young people in my wife`s family what they thought about your OP.The answer was :kon baa! (crazy person) Last,your "Thailand is a forum..." Well,correct me if I am wrong,but I do not think,that Thailand is a forum! It is a country,a nation. ThaiVisa is a forum.

...and even if: idiocy is idiocy! No matter what age, nationality or whatever...

[marchawkes]

Well,SC,as the name "ThaiVisa" indicates,it is a forum for people not borne in this country.We seek advice and information from each other,concerning visum,places to eat and so on.Certainly any native Thai is very welcome to participate,at least by me,but a fail to see,how this forum can be of much interest to any young person,especially Thai.Me.for instance,have no interest to join some forum,where most of the people are young Thais.Or from any other nationality for that matter..And if I did,I certainly would not expect the majority of them to share my views on things..In conclusion,I think you have to accept,that the "ageing farangs" on this forum do not see eye to eye with your opinions.Try some forum for young Thais! But I can tell you this: For fun,I asked some young people in my wife`s family what they thought about your OP.The answer was :kon baa! (crazy person) Last,your "Thailand is a forum..." Well,correct me if I am wrong,but I do not think,that Thailand is a forum! It is a country,a nation. ThaiVisa is a forum.

I don't agree with SCs behavior. It comes across as one of excess which comes from being wealthy.

However, I have no problem with young Thai's participating even if they are different and bring something radically new to traditional fare served up on ThaiVisa. Talking to moderators - I am told that ThaiVisa was set up for 'visa matters' many many moons back. Over time ThaiVisa has mellowed, matured and morphed into a range of subjects and a broad mix of people participating. Moreover there are moderators whose job it is to decide what they are happy with and perhaps the changes that they wish to see as Thailand goes forward with a huge under-21 age group who are Internet savvy, curious and unstoppable.

The future belongs to the young (even reckless) ie: except where a club is called "Over-50s Farang only". I am told that ThaiVisa is not such a site and those who cannot change with the times must perish - like dinosaur's. So far be it for me to preach to young Thai's who participate driven by curiosity or boredom or to influence the farang debate or whatever.......

SC says "Maybe I am mistaken but I believe this forum includes young Thais and not just ageing farang"

Calling someone "crazy" because you disagree or find their behavior distasteful is not okay.

I don't think SC would worry about what the Thai wife's family says - given the cold indifference which come (if I guess rightly) with wealth & privilege. Put simply its nice to remain civil.

@SparklingCascades - Rest assured "this forum includes young Thais and not just ageing farang". I've checked with moderators and owners on this.

Lets keep discussions civil and all-inclusive even if we don't agree with people. This may have been a visa forum. It is now more, much more even if the name remains from the old days.

Edited January 21, 2013 by marchawkes

[Bosse137]

marchawkes hallo! I think I stated very clearly in my latest post,that "any native Thai is wellcome to participate,at least by me".But I think,that even a Thai person,young or old,who put his tale on a public forum like this,must,like everybody else,accept that some people will voice an opinion on it.Isn`t that a part of why we do it?Even you started off your post by saying "I don`t agree with SC:s behavior" !!! The reason I asked YOUNG people in my Thai family concerning SC:s views was that he seems to indicate,that all the criticism comes from "ageing farang",which in his mind means,that young people have a different take on his story.Which,in turns means,to him,that young people are not wellcome.Actually,I do not recall ANYBODY,who has said something like that!NOBODY criticise him for beeing young or Thai;what people react to,is how he blames the young girls,who perhaps work in the familybusiness and feel pressured, for the result of his selfish actions,let`s his father clean up the mess and then act in the same way again!!If I,an ageing farang,would come out with a similar story,I think the roof on the forum would fall down on me...BTW,it was not my expession,kon baa,even if I am responsibel for putting it on print.

[Jawnie]

I would suggest that the Elephant in the room here is the price of condoms.

All of the big brands are manufactured here but the local prices are ridiculous because condoms are viewed as a Farang only consumable and priced accordingly.

Remove the ridiculous Farang tarriff so that condoms are affordable to Thai kids.

Education is important, but entirely facile if Somchai junior still aint got the satang for a raincoat.

Yes, they can't afford condoms but they can afford to raise a child or two (plus the cost of a motorcycle and a couple of phones). Yes, the cost of condoms is the real culprit here.....not!

[Jawnie]

OK I admit it, i'm responsible for a couple of babies, so what

Are you going to be a father to them? That's 'so what?'.