Politics can give you indigestion

Politics can give you indigestion

Since when did politics become a taboo subject in the family?

There is no definite answer to this, but what is for sure is that there are many Thai families who  constantly argue over the topic.

Take the Charoenpuras, for example. Actress Inthira “Sai” Charoenpura and her half-sister, who is a supporter of the Suthep Thaugsuban-led People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), recently criticised each other — on Facebook — because they think differently when it comes to politics and democratic reform. They even dragged their late actor and film director father Ruj Ronnaphop into their political tug-of-war, blaming each other for not taking care of him well enough.

Of course, there might be some ongoing family issues which are not mentioned on the social networking site, but the political divide surely aggravates and exasperates the argument even further.

And then there was the case of Chitpas Kridakorn — a core leader of the PDRC who refused to drop her role as one of the rally captains even though her family patriarch Santi Bhirombhakdi, managing director of leading beer and drinking water business Boon Rawd Brewery, sent a warning letter to Chitpas’ father saying that what she did could possibly hurt the interests of the family business.

To draw a clear line to separate her political activities from the family, Chitpas decided to drop her family name instead, from Bhirombhakdi, to her mother’s maiden name of Kridakorn.

The second case might be a tad different from the first, given it did not involve any aggressive or destructive conversations between siblings, but a family member changing their last name because of politics is pretty serious business.

These families are not the only two who disagree. There are a lot more opposing political outlooks in Thailand, especially when the political disagreement seems to be more clear-cut and serious today and when people are to a certain extent either directly or indirectly forced to take sides. If you are not with the PDRC or even if you choose to remain silent, you are likely to be seen as the opposition — a red shirt.

Thinking differently about certain subjects is not in itself unusual, especially in families. Going out for a family meal one Sunday evening may elicit many different restaurant preferences. We may also have contrasting tastes when it comes to movies. Mum may prefer romcoms, while dad may like the latest action blockbuster.

It’s natural therefore that family members disagree in other topics. While children might prefer an action-packed adventure in the summertime, Mum and Dad might want to visit a peaceful beach resort, disconnected from the outside world. Some families go so far as to have faith in different religions.

Amid these discrepancies is where understanding comes into play. At times, we hear that family members are encouraged to understand each other. Parents should understand and support their kids, and vice versa. There are even campaigns saying domestic violence, among many other social issues, could simply be solved by family members understanding each other more.

When it comes down to political discussions among family, however, it seems the family dining table suddenly becomes a battlefield and the concept of understanding suddenly turns into a word that seems to have never existed in the household dictionary.

Nowadays “political reform” has become almost like a cliché; a fantastical dream where people desperately try to reach a truly democratic society. It is crucial though, to fully understand what democracy really means. A Thai historian once said that democracy is a medley of different opinions and despite the differences, everyone should live on the basis of diversity and compromise.

Democracy does not mean who wins the election. The idea of the majority is just a part of democracy. In a democracy, it is of paramount importance that the voice of the minority is also heard and addressed. If we fail to listen or try to understand people who think differently from us, this is not democracy. So how can our country gear towards democratic reform, if people do not even understand the most fundamental part of it?

Politics and religion are two well known sensitive topics of discussion, but they should not be taboo, especially in the home. If someone brings up politics, be sure to handle it with care rather than belligerence and democratically rather than dictatorially.

After all, you cannot just kick your family out of an eatery if they do not like the place you decide to dine in. Nor can you ban your family from the living room if they’d have preferred to watch Disney’s latest. The same goes with politics. You cannot and should not tell your family member to move out of the house or live in a different country because he or she is unhappy with the traffic congestion caused by the anti-government’s movement that you side with.

Perhaps politics became a taboo subject in the family the moment we stopped trying to understand each other.


Arusa Pisuthipan is Muse editor for the Bangkok Post.

Arusa Pisuthipan

Deputy editor of the Life section

Arusa Pisuthipan is the deputy editor of the Life section of the Bangkok Post.

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