After years of struggle, students in Thailand have finally gained the right to wear their hair as they choose.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Administrative Court scrapped a 50-year-old directive from the education ministry that mandated short hair for boys and ear-length cuts for girls. While many schools had already relaxed these rules, some still enforced them, even resorting to cutting students’ hair as punishment.
The court ruled that the 1975 directive violated constitutional rights and was outdated. The case stemmed from a 2020 petition by 23 students arguing the restrictions infringed on personal freedoms. Activists, including Panthin Adulthananusak, have long opposed the rule, calling it a violation of human dignity.
Though the education ministry eased restrictions in 2020 and fully repealed them in 2023, some schools still followed the old directive. Schools defended short hairstyles as promoting discipline, but reports of forced haircuts sparked public outrage.
The ministry reaffirmed in January that hairstyle rules had been repealed, emphasizing diversity and fairness in education. The court’s ruling now reinforces this stance, asserting that hair choices should be left to students.
Despite the victory, Panthin warned that some conservative schools may still impose restrictions. However, he expressed hope that this decision would set a lasting precedent for student rights in Thailand.
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