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Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
National

More than just a dress code protest

Teen activist Thanalop 'Yok' Phalanchai is seen casually dressed outside the Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School. Photo: NUTTHAWAT WICHIEANBUT

Teen activist Thanalop "Yok" Phalanchai was the centre of public attention when her anti-uniform protest kicked off in June.

Attending classes in casual outfits and with her bright pink hair, Yok showed her resistance to Thailand's school uniform rules.

Her school, Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School in 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 guardians can complete the registration process.

Yok was also arrested and charged with violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the royal defamation law.

Police accused her 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 hairstyle rules were first implemented in 1972 by the military government.

The rules 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 relaxed the strict hairstyle codes.

However, dyed hair, permed hair and moustaches or beards are strictly prohibited.

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.

On June 29, 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.

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