Abstract
A common phenomena in rural Thailand is that adult children migrate to find work and leave their children behind in the care of their grandparents. The resulting living arrangement is referred to as a skipped generation household. This arrangement can benefit the intergenerational family but can also be associated with conflict. The present study explores how the members of skipped generation households manage the conflicts that occur. In-depth interviews were conducted with 48 grandparents in rural Thai skipped generation households. Using qualitative analysis, a variety of conflictual areas between grandparents and their adult children were identified. Conflictual areas included: the decisions made by migrant adult children; how to raise and discipline the grandchildren; and inconsistent remittances from the migrant children to the grandparents. Discussion will focus on the context of Thailand and the relationship between migration and conflict. Buddhist teachings play an important role in the way families react to conflict because children are taught to be accepting and to avoid arguments with their parents. Therefore, non-interference is a common strategy to avoid the escalation of conflict. Migration can result in family conflict but it can also be a strategy to avoid family conflict. That is, when conflict becomes intense, grandparents may encourage their adult children to migrate and offer to care for the grandchildren. Interventions that help families deal with stress and conflict will be discussed and adaptations to the cultural context of Thailand will be highlighted.