The rate of
divorce in Thailand has tripled from 10.8 per cent in 2009 to 33 per cent in
2012, while domestic violence has been recorded in at least a third of Thai
families.
At a Chulabhorn
Research Institute seminar yesterday, Wimontip Musikaphan, a lecturer at
Mahidol University's National Institute for Child and Family Development,
presented family-happiness indicator studies between 2009-2012. The survey
involving 4,000 respondents focused on the importance of family, economic
status and family members' vices.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
opens Thailand’s first IT-equipped One Stop Crisis Centre on April 9 this year.
Photo: UN Women/Montira Narkvichien
The 2012 survey
found that 61 per cent of the families had at least one member with a drinking
problem, Wimontip said, adding that gambling was also a growing issue among
families. More were found waging money on lottery (58.6 per cent) or betting on
other things (40 per cent) compared to the 2010 figures of 52.6 per cent and 19
per cent respectively. While over 80 per cent of the respondents said their
families earned enough to take care of themselves and have some savings,
families with children under the age of 22 or senior citizens were seeing a
10-per-cent rise in debts.
Although the
survey found that family members communicated more, domestic violence continued
to rise, with 30.8 per cent of the households reporting abuse in 2012, she
said.
Many of the
families reporting domestic violence had at least one member addicted to
gambling, she said. Spousal cheating has also increased, hence the rise in the
rate of divorce.
"The
family situation in Thailand is fragile due to risky behaviour related to
vices, like alcoholism and gambling. Plus, more elderly people are being left
home alone," she said.
Wimontip also
called on all stakeholders to strengthen their families via the "four
stops" campaign - Stop Vices, Stop Debt, Stop Domestic Violence and Stop
Spousal Cheating.
Phuket Gazette Editors - phuketgazette.net