Listen to this story |
One thing is certain for all Thai commoners: bad education, bad schools. How? One of the most oppressive and traumatic experiences shared across generations is the school haircut rule. For decades, students were forced to have the same haircut, and those who resisted faced severe punishments—teachers would publicly humiliate them by cutting their hair unevenly, beating them, or forcing them to wait for a school-appointed barber while missing classes.
This rule became a shared trauma for Thai students. Some joke about it, recalling it as a bitter nostalgia, but many are still deeply affected—even thirty or forty years later.
But now, they can finally live in peace.
On March 5, 2025, a historic victory for the Thai student movement was achieved: the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the Ministry of Education’s 1975 haircut rule was unconstitutional. The court found that it violated students’ rights, failing to account for their age, identity, and social changes over time. Schools enforcing this outdated rule could now be acting illegally and illegitimately.
A Rule Born from Dictatorship
The school haircut rule, which mirrored military-style grooming, was imposed in 1975 during the Cold War era. It slightly modified the 1972 rule, but the essence remained the same—militarized discipline. That era was the peak of military rule, and just a year later, on October 6, 1976, the massacre at Thammasat University occurred, followed by a coup. The military remained in power for another decade, and any hope for educational reform was crushed.
For decades, Thai education remained stagnant, deeply authoritarian, and resistant to change. But by the 2010s, a new generation of university students emerged, advocating for democratic reforms. I played a small part in this movement.
From a School Journal to a National Movement
My activism began in high school. I wrote a small article in my handmade journal criticizing the school’s haircut rule. One day, I witnessed teachers publicly cutting students’ hair as punishment. Outraged, I wrote another article exposing this outdated and abusive practice. My school’s response? I was interrogated for five hours by ten teachers, placed on probation, and forced to stop publishing my journal.
One teacher, however, took an unexpected approach. He photocopied my article and distributed it to every class he taught—not for discussion, but as a test of loyalty. Students who agreed with my argument were given a score of zero. He was proud of this tactic.
The Rise of a Movement
Fortunately, social media helped me connect with like-minded students across Thailand. In 2013, I co-founded TERA (Thailand Educational Revolution Alliance) and later Education for Liberation of Siam, one of the largest national student movements of the decade. Our campaign to end the haircut rule gained nationwide attention, landing us on television debates and making our movement go viral.
That same year, Thomas Fuller, bestselling author of The Boys of Riverside and a journalist for The New York Times, visited my school. He reported on the harsh realities of Thai education, writing a front-page article for The International New York Times:
“Thai students have an altogether different impression. In Thai schools, a drill sergeant’s dream of regimentation rooted in the military dictatorships of the past, discipline and enforced deference prevail. At a public school in this industrial Bangkok suburb, teachers wield bamboo canes and reprimand students for long hair, ordering it sheared on the spot. Students are inspected for dirty fingernails, colored socks or any other violation of the school dress code.”
This international coverage gave our movement global attention—but within Thailand, we faced enormous backlash.
The Backlash and a Long Road to Victory
What was my crime? Talking about human rights. I argued that students should have a say in school rules. In response, teachers and school officials feared that if students gained any freedom, they would soon attend school naked and have sex all day. Yes, that slippery slope argument worked very well here.
Then came the 2014 coup. Education became even more militarized, and dissent was crushed. Our movement faded, students graduated, and the issue seemed to be lost.
But the seeds of change had already been planted.
By 2020, Thailand saw a massive student uprising. I was then President of the Political Science Student Union at my university. Though my focus had shifted, I still carried the unanswered question of the haircut rule in my mind. By then, I had already won a legal case against my university for punishing me over my freshmen orientation ceremony protest. I knew that the student movement could win in court.
Human rights lawyers thought the same. Together, we mobilized students, parents, and supporters, preparing for a legal battle against the Ministry of Education.
5 Years Later, Victory at Last
Five years after filing the case, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled in favor of students. Even the Deputy Minister of Education acknowledged that schools violating students’ rights could now be sued.
This decision changes everything. Education in Thailand will never be the same.
More Than Just Haircuts
This is more than a fight against outdated school rules—it’s a fight against an oppressive education system. Many dismissed haircut rule reforms as trivial or impossible, yet it became a powerful symbol of resistance against violent and authoritarian education policies.
This victory proves that students have power. They can demand change, organize, and fight for their rights—not just in schools but in society as a whole.
This is just one spark. I hope students will use their power creatively, collaboratively, and internationally. We need more young people to participate and take ownership of their future—because the future belongs to them.
And when they grow older, I hope they will continue to pass on the torch—to build a more free, just, and humane society for future generations.