The upcoming long holidays to mark the Thai traditional New Year or Songkran festival are usually time for family gatherings, an occasion to show respect for one's parents and the elderly.
It should also be time to ponder how social change — financial pressure during the economic downturn, more competitive lifestyles and ever-rising demands of modern living — are affecting our family values and how to keep this fundamental social unit from deteriorating.
Two news reports about parenticide — one occurring in March and the other just last week — have sent shock waves around society.
The March case involved a 18-year-old who shot dead his parents and elder brother out of anger at his mother who would not buy a car for him.
The latest case has to do with a 22-year-old who allegedly conspired with a friend to hire gunmen to kill his father, mother and elder brother to acquire a large inheritance.
Many people reel in disbelief that such a grievous crime considered one of the worst sins a human being can ever commit according to Buddhist beliefs has occurred not once but twice over a short period of time.
Others, however, have started to question if the terrifying cases reflect some serious corrosion in the family institution that has led young members to perpetrate such unthinkable crimes against those who raised them.
These people include health authorities and psychologists. Following the incidents, deputy director-general of the Department of Mental Health Dr Phanpimol Wipulakorn said in a report in Matichon that while the motives behind the two crimes could be a complex mix of many factors and they are up to the police to unravel, a decline in family cohesion and increasing divide between parents and children are clearly causes for concern.
She said it's very worrying that many children have become more open about their personal lives and activities with strangers they have probably only encountered through social media than their family members. These youngsters can be easily led astray, she said.
An invasion of materialistic values as manifested in how most youngsters equate success in life as merely a rush to finish school and land well-paid jobs has also resulted in a lack in ethics and moral restraints, which are necessary if one is to live a balanced life with a capacity to make positive contributions to society, according to the doctor.
Director of the Rajanukul Institute for children with behavioural problems Dr Amporn Benjaphonpitak said she can see two main reasons why people commit crimes against their own family. First, they see no value in themselves. Second, they appreciate the acquisition of money or materials more than their own self-worth or the happiness they can obtain from their family.
She said the misconceptions and misbehaviour could stem from a lack of warmth or an inability by family members to communicate effectively, adding that said it's crucial that parents understand child psychology and development while conveying their love and fostering familial bonds.
Wanchai Boonpracha, secretary-general of the Family Network Foundation, agreed that a balanced and quality upbringing goes a long way in preventing children going astray. He said parents must have time for their children, listen to what they say without prejudice, and develop ways to solve any problems in the family together.
Effective communication is the key to family togetherness, Mr Wanchai said. It is the basis for tackling other family-related problems including crime and violence.
As the country celebrates the traditional New Year and embraces family days starting tomorrow, it's worth considering these experts' advice.