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The Land and Its People
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The Family
Perhaps the best way to comprehend
Thai social values is to focus on the
basic unit, the family, and not in an
urban setting but in a rural village, which
is where most Thais live. Generally this
will be an extended family, consisting
of several generations living under one
roof, or perhaps several roofs wilhin
the same compound. It is here that the
Thai child learns codes of behaviour that
will guide him through much of his later
life, whether he spends il in the village or beyond.
In a typical village, home is usually
a simple, wooden house raised on posts;
domestic animals like buffaloes, pigs, and
chickens are kept below, and the family
lives above, often in a single room
though larger structures may consisi of
several rooms around a common outdoor
platform. There is little privacy, which
is not as highly regarded as in Western
societies, and the communal life style
instills a strong sense of social harmony
in which tact, compromise, and tolerance
are essential. Even in large cities, several
generations are likely to share the same
compound. The father is regarded as
the leader, but the mother also plays a
significant role, particularly in the family
finances and instruction of the children.
When small, children are treated
permissively by various older members
of the family, which as often as not will
include grandparents and sometimes
more distant relatives as well. Respect
for elders is taught very early, however,
and by the time a child walks he is aware
of his position in the family hierarchy, a
distinction that applies not only to the
relationship between parents and
children but also to that between siblings
of various ages. This same delinealion
of roles also applies to the wider world
outside the family and will remain
deeply ingrained throughout life. thus
explaining the reluctance of younger
Thais to oppose or otherwise confront a
senior during their subsequent careers
in business or government. It also
explains the close bonds thai continue
to bind members of family even though
they may be scattered far apart.
Children are taught respect and family values.
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A sense of responsibility is also
inculcated in early childhood. Each child
is assigned cenain duties according to
age and ability feeding livestock.
leading the family buffalo to graze in
nearby pastures, taking care of younger
brothers and sisters while parents are at
work in the fields. As they grow older,
responsibilities increase and they
are allowed to participate in family
discussions, with their opinions taken
into account when important decisions are made.
One of the prime responsibilities
placed on children is that of taking care
of parents in their old age, a prominent
feature of the Thai concept of family.
This is not done out of a mere sense
of duty or with any feeling of being
inconvenienced; on the contrary, their
wisdom gives aged parents an honoured
place in the household and their
counsel is actively sought in teaching
grandchildren and great-grandchildren
to be responsible adults with the same traditional values.
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