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“Family Law and Consolidation of Modern Thai Version of Patriarchy”
        By Chalidaporn Songsamphan

In 1976, the so-called Thai ‘family law’ had to be amended since the Constitution of 1974 establishes the equal status between men and women. All the laws granting different rights or privileges, usually favorably to men, had to be revised accordingly. Interestingly, the modification of these laws on the ground of gender equality was limited significantly by the claims to preserve different standards of sexual conducts for men and women. This paper will examine the debates in the Thai parliament in the process of revising the ‘family law’ to show how different interpretations and beliefs about the realities of Thai family led to the affirmation or preservation of modern patriarchal marriage and family.

“Managing Differences in Family Practices of the Karen in Chiang Mai City of Northern Thailand”
        By Kwanchewan Buadaeng

In the past two decades, Karen peoples from mountainous areas of Northern Thailand have increasingly migrated to cities such as Chiang Mai, the biggest city in the Upper North. Young people come for study while working to support themselves. Many others come to work to find more cash to fulfill their increasing need of modern facilities. At the same time, more migration from Burma across the border to the North of Thailand has also taken place. In the urban context, intermarriage between Karen of different background: different subgroups, original countries, etc, has also taken places. It is interesting to understand how differences in family practices of Karen from different background are managed in order to understand the dynamic of cultural practices and its relations with Karen identity. The paper will describe two case studies of the intermarriage between Pwo and Sgaw Karen and between Burmese and Thai Karen, in Chiang Mai city. Data has been collected within the last two years. The cases show that in the globalized and urbanized context, some cultural practices have to be adjusted but some maintained in order to maintain their family relations, and also their relations with Karen community and broader society.