Thai students allowed to have long hair after 50-year ban

After more than 50 years of debate over Ministry ofEducation regulations, students in Thailand can now have long hair.

Thailand's new ruling allows students to freely choose their hairstyles to school - PHOTO: THE NATION

According to the Bangkok Post , the Supreme Administrative Court of Thailand has decided to cancel the Ministry of Education's directive on hairstyle regulations for students.

The final ruling was announced on March 5, effective immediately, on the grounds that "the old regulation violated individual liberties protected by the Constitution, and was not suitable for a changing society".

In addition, the court said the enforcement of this regulation in Thailand had a negative impact on students and was contrary to the provisions of the Child Protection Act 2003.

Mr. Siripong Angsakulkiat, spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, affirmed that the ministry prioritizes empowering students, and creating conditions for schools to build comprehensive, student-centered learning environments.

The move ends a controversial issue that has been a source of contention among teachers, students and parents in Thailand for half a century.

A teacher cuts a student's hair in the middle of the school yard at a school in Kanchanaburi, Thailand - Photo: DAILY MAIL

Previously, hairstyle regulations were set based on an order issued by the ruling military government in 1975, which included: Boys were not allowed to grow beards or mustaches and had to cut their hair short; girls were not allowed to have hair that was longer than their ears or wear makeup.

Campaigns against this regulation by Thai students have been going on for a long time. In 2020, the Thai Ministry of Education allowed students to have longer hair, but there were still some restrictions: Boys' hair could not cover the nape of their necks, and girls with long hair had to tie it up.

By 2023, Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong has said that students, parents and schools should negotiate to find a consensus on hairstyles, leaving room for schools to set their own rules. However, some “conservative” schools continue to follow the 1975 regulations.

In some schools, teachers have been accused of carrying out punishment by smearing and cutting students' hair during the morning flag-raising ceremony, causing fierce controversy in Thailand.

"Until they are punished for their actions, many teachers will continue to violate children's bodily rights," the Bad Student group shared on the X account.

According to the Bangkok Post, citing a comment on the Facebook account of the Office of the Administrative Court of Thailand: "Thailand's education system focuses too much on uniforms, instead of equipping students with skills to use in the future, and helping them meet the needs of the global economy ."

Speaking about the new ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court of Thailand, student Panthin Adulthananusak "is happy that what I have witnessed and fought for all this time has finally been recognized and brought about clear progress".

“I hope this court ruling will set a new standard for awareness of basic human rights in schools,” Mr. Panthin expected.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hoc-sinh-thai-lan-duoc-de-toc-dai-sau-50-nam-bi-cam-20250310160148387.htm