Support of Parents (as demanded by the Buddha)

It is a refreshing difference to witness people here in Thailand taking care of their parents, sometimes taking great hardship upon themselves to provide them with funds. This is in stark contrast to the West, where 'senior citizens' often have to fight for themselves, being pushed in the impersonal hands of the state and the social net.

Why is this so? Is it really just the tradition of a (still) agrarian society or does taking care of their own parents goes much deeper here in Thailand?
The answer lies in the Sutta Nipata, a sutta collection in the Khuddaka Nikaya, part of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. The excerpt below comes from the Parabhava Sutta (Reasons for Downfall), part of the Sutta Nipata (Sn 1.6):

Though being well-to-do,
not to support father and mother
who are old and past their youth
-- this is a cause of one's downfall.
Sutta Nipata Sn 98

More discussion on Buddhism and Respect for Parents.