Teen activist Thanalop “Yok” Phalanchai was the centre of public attention when her anti-uniform activism kicked off in June.
Attending classes in casual outfits and with her hair bleached bright pink, many saw her resistance to Thailand’s mandated school uniform rules as heralding a hopeful shift in society while others have deemed it untimely activism.
Not long after her act of defiance made headlines, Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School in Suan Luang district of Bangkok declined to enroll her to finish her high school education, citing her parents’ failure to complete the registration process.
This was despite the fact the Ministerial Regulations on Student Registration 1992 say authorised guardians are legitimate stand-ins to complete the registration process.
The public reception of Yok might have been influenced by the fact she was arrested and charged with violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the royal defamation law.
Yok was arrested on March 28, the same day a 24-year-old man was caught spray-painting a “No 112” message on the wall of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Police said they had a warrant to arrest the girl, accused of insulting the monarchy during a rally in October 2022 in front of Bangkok City Hall. She was 14 at the time.
Last year, she spent 51 days at the Ban Pranee Juvenile Vocational Training Centre for Girls in Nakhon Pathom before being released on May 18.
“My activism did not kill anyone. It was a symbolic act. My casual clothes did not bar me from education, it was school staff who did. This is proof that education institutions and some of my compatriots are willing to bury whoever calls for changes in society.”
Yok published these remarks on her Facebook page on June 17 in response to the overwhelming criticism she received from netizens about her anti-uniform stance.
School authoritarianism
Fellow activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, 26, who challenged various social norms since he was himself at high school more than 10 years ago, told the Bangkok Post that society is looking at Yok’s activism through a different lens than it used to scrutinise his actions.
“I think society is supporting Yok more. Back [in my day], it was rare to have supporters being vocal about my activism. My activities were only reported by independent news outlets like Prachatai. Yok has been on national broadcasts and covered by big media outlets,” said Mr Netiwit.
Mr Netiwit himself called for an end to strict enforcement of rules on students’ uniforms and hairstyles.
He said schools or universities should be an open space where students can experiment with new things. Even though Yok’s anti-uniform stance may fail practically and ideologically, it should not be such a big deal if the school functions as an experimental ground.
But above the uniform and hairstyle controversies, Mr Netiwit said the real issue is authoritarianism in the school system.
“We need to dig deep into the roots of such authoritarian rules. They were initiated by an authoritarian government who opposed socialism or democracy. School uniform and hairstyle rules are only the surface of a deep-rooted authoritarianism,” he said.
The hairstyle codes were first implemented in 1972 by the military government led by Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn.
The rules were published in the first Education Ministerial Regulation, which said male students must not grow their hair longer than five centimetres while female students must not grow their hair below the earlobes. Students are not allowed to wear makeup to school either.
Fast forward 51 years, most public schools have compromised on the strict hairstyle codes. Female students can grow their hair longer but they are not allowed to let their hair down while in school. Male students can grow bangs but their sides must be cut short.
However, dyed hair, permed hair and moustaches or beards are strictly prohibited. Any students who violate such rules will face punishment such as forced hair-cuts by teachers or score deductions.
More student engagement
Yok’s case has been reviewed by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School, as a clash between a 15-year-old student and much more experienced and authoritative figures.
Ticha Na Nakorn, adviser to the Children, Youth and Family Foundation, said many saw Yok as a threat to school establishment. However, she did not reject the regulations outright.
“Some rules have been enforced for a long time. If we want an improvement, why don’t we try asking the students for their ideas?” said Ms Ticha.
She suggested public schools hold talks among teachers, students and parents on hairstyle and uniform rules. The sense of engagement will allow participants to feel like they are a part of the institution and should temper disputes over the rules.
Speaking about being an active citizen, a concept widely celebrated in schools, Ms Ticha said the public education system encourages students to be active citizens but simultaneously forces them to be docile.
“These Gen-Z students are not comfortable with adult instruction. It is a different period of time and their demands are changing as well,” she said.
However, Yok’s case is unique since she was charged with royal defamation, an allegation which arouses public sentiment. “If Yok had been just a teenage girl who wants a makeover like most girls her age do, teachers would have simply warned her not to break the rules,” Ms Ticha said.
Once facing the lese majeste charge, Yok was seen as a threat to national security. This may have led to her being rejected from admission to school, which Ms Ticha believes was undeserved.
On June 29, Sunai Phasuk, Thailand’s representative for Human Rights Watch, said Yok has been allowed to attend school in casual clothes and dyed hair.
However, some teachers have reportedly refused to grade her homework and the school cannot issue her a graduation certificate as she failed to complete the registration process.
A committee comprising the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the Department of Children and Youth, Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School and its Parent-Teacher Association has yet to give any updates on Yok’s student status, said Mr Sunai.