Developing societies (including Thailand) have enjoyed the presence of extended families, in contrast with the smaller unit of nuclear families. This broader coverage, encompassing not only the parents and children but also grandparents and other dependants, has offered a social safety net to support family members. Yet, that extended unit has now been disintegrating for some time, compounded by the stress due to Covid-19. What then are the areas needing more attention to tackle the changing scenario?
A recurrent challenge is domestic violence, aggravated by financial and other pressures brought about by the pandemic. While in law and policy, this is no longer considered to be a private matter but a public issue, the measures used to address the question have been inadequate. Since 2007, Thailand's Domestic Violence Act has prohibited violence within the family and imposes an obligation on those who witness violations to report abuses to the governmental authorities. Yet, in practice, this law has been criticised for allowing too much mediation between the perpetrators of violence and the victims, without sufficient accountability of the wrongdoers.
