The Bangkok Podcast | Expat Life In Thailand Via Expats From Canada & America

This is Part 2 of Greg’s interview with Ilya Smirnoff of Childline Thailand. Ilya begins with the ‘timeline of a child,’ which is basically a roadmap of the rights and responsibilities of children as they age. It begins at birth, when responsible parents should get both a birth certificate and house registration certificate for the newborn. At age 7, Thai children have the right to attend nursery school, and at age 12, young people become criminally responsible for at least some of their actions, something that every kid should know, of course. Age 15 is the age of consent, where Thais can leave school if they want and also work certain jobs in safe environments. Although Thai men must register for the draft at 18, citizens don’t become fully legally adults until age 20. This allows them to marry without their parents consent and buy cigarettes and alcohol.  Greg asks about parents and what role they play in Childline, and Ilya notes that about 10% of the calls they receive are from parents or teachers who ne