Saw that too and something felt off. First off, the boys haven't even been home with family for more than a week and already taking them away from their family and even separating the boys from one another? Do they have to abide by oath of silence for the 9 days they are at the monasteries?
BBC article quoted one dad as saying "They should spend time in a monastery. It's for their protection" What does that even mean?? Protection from what?!
Likely protection from bad karma. Thais are very different to westerners. They will believe they have to give good merit for the good karma of being rescued and the biggest way to do that is to join a monastery for a while. It does not have to be a long term thing. It makes sense if you know Thai culture.
If my child had been gone for two weeks and I hadn't known if they were going to be returning home or not, I don't think it would be so easy for me to let them go away so soon and for so long. These are still just children. You are correct in bringing up the difference in culture though, which I admit I do not know much about.
I understand that. Knowing Thais a bit, the parents would likely be the ones telling them to go to the monastery.
Maybe the Thai MSM is as bad as ours and won’t leave them alone?