BANGKOK, June 26 — A bitter court case pitting members of one of Thailand’s wealthiest families against each other is raising questions over a century-old law reinforcing traditional values of obedience and hierarchy.
The measure, known as the “ungrateful child law”, is intended to protect parents from neglectful children.
It enables them to revoke gifts if their offspring are deemed ungrateful, physically abusive, neglectful in old age — or responsible for serious reputational harm.
Now, Siranudh “Psi” Scott, a fourth-generation member of the billionaire family behind Thailand’s Singha beer empire, is being sued by his own mother.
He triggered a firestorm of controversy in May with allegations that he had been sexually abused by his older brother and his babysitter.
Siranudh’s mother argued that he damaged the family’s reputation, and is seeking to reclaim land worth millions of dollars gifted to Siranudh by his late grandfather.
Siranudh said the law reflects an outdated view of family relationships.
“Looking at the fine print, this law is an attempt to kind of silence any damage done to a family name. Anything remotely damaging to the name is considered disobedient possibly by the law,” he told AFP.
“It has really no place in a liberal society that places importance on the welfare of children,” he added.
The lawsuit is based on 1908 legislation that enshrines in law the central place of family in Thai society, where children are widely expected to repay their parents’ sacrifices through respect, obedience and material support.
“While the closest English translation would be ‘ingratitude’, the Thai term carries a much stronger moral meaning,” Jiraporn Laocharoenwong, an anthropology professor at Chulalongkorn University, told AFP.
“It refers not simply to failing to appreciate someone’s kindness, but to betraying or violating a relationship of care and obligation.”
Siranudh’s mother, Chiranuj Bhirombhakdi, filed the lawsuit in February, prompting him to post his allegations on social media.
The court was seeking “an amicable resolution, with the ultimate goal of reuniting the family”, one of her legal representatives told reporters after a hearing.
“The mother is experiencing significant stress, as this case involves a person who she loves,” he added.
He did not immediately respond to requests by AFP for comment.
Family business
Lawyers told AFP most cases under the filial piety provision occur in wealthy families with substantial assets.
Most are resolved through court-mediated negotiations rather than judicial rulings, according to Pimyaphat Jullaphan of the Thailand Lawyers Network, a family lawyer of nearly two decades.
“The focus is on compromise to help repair family relationships, rather than having a judge declare a winner and a loser, which can leave permanent scars,” she said.
As a result, cases rarely reach the public eye. But one exception came in 2021, when an elderly couple who owned a petrol station outside Bangkok sued their son and his wife after being told to leave the family home.
The court ruled in the parents’ favour, ordering properties they had previously transferred to their son to be returned.
A lawyer also warned a Thai actor this year that publicly admitting he was no longer in contact with his mother could expose him to a similar lawsuit.
“It’s often used when children fail to take care of their parents, which is one of the highest values in Thai culture, and doesn’t always have a direct equivalent in the western societies,” said Pimyaphat.
Siranudh’s Bhirombhakdi family is listed as Thailand’s 15th richest by Forbes, which estimates their net worth at $1.75 billion.
He and his mother are due to appear in court on July 8 after two rounds of mediation failed to resolve the dispute.
Power to govern
The ungrateful child provision forms part of a broader legal framework that puts strong emphasis on preserving the family institution.
Thai law also obliges parents to care for their offspring, but legal experts said avenues for children to seek redress against delinquent parents remain limited, except in criminal cases.
And a child suing a parent would be considered contrary to Thai custom.
“Rather than asking only whether a child has repaid a debt to their parents,” professor Jiraporn told AFP, the Bhirombhakdi case “invites us to consider the conditions under which that moral debt is created, challenged, or even broken”.
Siranudh told reporters that after he informed family members about the abuse he was told to remain silent to preserve the family’s reputation.
“Please take your money and power away,” he said after a court-mediated hearing in June, referring to his family.
“Because my dignity can’t be bought.” — AFP
Singha heir sued by mother under Thailand’s ‘ungrateful child law’ amid abuse claims and family rift
