How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024) didn’t just kill it in Thailand—it’s also taken Indonesia by storm. After watching Billkin Putthipong and Taew Usha light up the screen, I couldn’t help but wander back to another Thai drama gem: In Family We Trust (2018). If you’ve seen both, did the same thing cross your mind?
The one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb in both is the tension around inheritance—a recipe for drama. Both stories centre on families with Chinese-Thai roots, and the cultural backdrop shines through. Whether it’s the Cheng Meng rituals in How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies or the funeral traditions in In Family We Trust, there’s a clear link between these shows’ heritage exploration and the brewing family conflicts.
Both dramas’ core lies the same old issue: the patrilineal tradition where men inherit everything. Here’s how these two stories reflect similar struggles in their fresh ways.
Sons Cash In, Daughters Miss Out
Source: imdb,com
There were a couple of jaw-dropping moments in How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies that I just couldn’t shake. First, when Amah hands over the house deed to her youngest son, Soie, to pay off his debt. I was screaming internally—why on earth is this guy getting help after already stealing from her?! Yet, there she is, still helping him, even as she ends up in a nursing home once his debts are cleared. Meanwhile, M’s mom, who arguably deserves the help more, gets nothing.
The next gut punch comes when Amah asks her brother, who already inherited a ton from their parents, for a loan. His cold, selfish response left me feeling completely gutted. Seriously, at their age, how can you still be that greedy?
In Family We Trust spins a similar tale but with even more layers. The show kicks off with the mysterious death of Praset Jiraanan, the eldest son of the family. But beneath the surface, the real drama begins with the unfair division of Grandpa’s estate. Patsorn, the only daughter who spent years running the family hotel, barely inherits anything, while her brothers and nephew walk away with the lion’s share.
Naturally, Patsorn is a prime suspect in her brother’s murder—not just because she found him, but also because her bitterness over the inheritance is no secret. Despite having four sons herself, Patsorn is left with crumbs compared to her nephew Pete, who gets a massive portion of the wealth simply because he’s the eldest male grandchild.
Soie, Amah’s brother, Praset, and Pete—they all represent the deeply ingrained patrilineal traditions of Chinese-Thai culture, where the sons walk away with almost everything, and the daughters are left wondering where their share went.
Boys Get Rich, Girls Get… What?
Source: MyDramaList
There’s a line in How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies that had me both laughing and cringing at how spot-on it was. In a conversation between Amah and M’s mom by the fridge, Amah reminds her to take care of herself because of her cancer history. M’s mom responds with a biting joke: “Sons get the inheritance, daughters get the cancer.”
Oof. Dark, right? But it sums up the situation perfectly. While the film doesn’t dive into exactly how much inheritance M’s mom gets, it’s clear from the plot that it’s close to nothing. All Amah has is her house, and that goes to Soie, leaving M’s mom with next to no assets.
On the flip side, Patsorn from In Family We Trust comes from a wealthy family running a hotel business. She does inherit 200 million baht from her father’s savings, but even that doesn’t hold a candle to what her brothers and nephew receive. Each of them gets 750 million baht worth of hotel shares—three times what Patsorn gets.
You can’t help but feel for Patsorn. Not only did she spend years managing the family hotel, but even her son worked for the family’s theatre business. Despite all that dedication, she ends up with the smallest slice of the pie. And to make matters worse, because she’s married, her name is no longer Jiraanan—it’s now Patsorn Suriyapairoj, her husband’s surname. This marks her as an “outsider” in her own family, adding fuel to the fire of this already intense conflict.
A Cultural Rollercoaster with Meaningful Lessons
Source: MyDramaList
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies and In Family We Trust offer more than just juicy drama—they also give us a window into the rich Chinese traditions embedded in Thai culture. From holiday celebrations to social etiquette, these stories paint a vivid picture of how deeply Chinese customs run through everyday life in Thailand.
But beyond the cultural vibes, both works carry profound messages about life. Whether it’s accepting hard truths, dealing with family rifts, or managing expectations when things don’t go your way, the themes hit home for anyone, no matter where you’re from.
One lesson that jumps out from both stories? Life’s not just about money and inheritance. In How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, M starts off taking care of Amah with the hope of securing some inheritance. But by the end, M uses the little money Amah left her to buy a burial plot—an act of love, not greed. In In Family We Trust, what begins as an inheritance battle escalates into a revenge-fueled murder mystery, with the truth being far more twisted than anyone expected.
As modern views and mindsets evolve, patrilineal traditions may be shifting. But what’s your take? Should inheritance still follow these long-standing customs, or is it time for a more balanced approach where daughters get a fair share too?
Both of these shows are must-watches if you’re into family drama with a cultural twist. You can catch How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies and In Family We Trust on Netflix dan Youtube—they’ll leave you entertained, enlightened, and probably a little heartbroken.