Demonstrations led by Thai students have been going on since mid-July and students are demanding for more freedom in school classrooms and less strict rules on student uniforms and behaviour.

The protests are now beginning to increasingly challenge the government in Thailand, demanding reform to the powerful monarchy.

Thai students accuse their government of turning them into puppets and limiting their ability to express themselves.

The Three-Finger Salute
Students listen to the national anthem of Thailand every morning and are expected to stand still in respect of Thailand and its flag. However, in late August, some students instead chose to send a rather different message, raising their hands in a three-finger salute, a gesture that was used in the “Hunger Games” to represent pro-democracy, revolution, and admiration to loved ones.

A Protest Calling for Reform to Both Education and Government
Once a taboo subject, reforms to the monarchy are becoming the center of student demonstrations in Thailand. The main target of the protests appears to be Prime Minister of Thailand Prayuth Chan-ocha, who stated that these protests are causing division and instability that could make Thailand collapse. Protestors are calling for the Prayuth Chan-ocha to dissolve parliament and reform the constitution, which has increased the military’s power. On the other hand, Education Minister of Thailand Nataphol Teepsuwan stated that he respected students’ rights and that the youth can be understood and respected.

Several activists, however, have been charged and arrested for their anti-government protests. Protestors have been mostly charged for sedition by making the three-finger salute, wearing white ribbons or holding pieces of blank paper.

Some in Thailand argue that students’ right to express political opinions are protected in the constitution, but rather that students are facing difficulty with exercising this right due to the conservative and moralist society in Thailand.

How Students are Expanding the Protests
Students in Thailand are using social media to their advantage by spreading the protests across the country. As a result, many students began protests after following student demonstrations on social media platforms like Twitter. This allowed students to form larger groups by interacting with other student demonstrators on social media, which made it easier for the protests to rally widespread support from those with similar opinions.

Online protestors say they are promoting the demonstrations through the use of hashtags and a variety of social media platforms from Tinder to TikTok.

A Long Tradition of Using Symbolism
Protests in Thailand have a long tradition of using symbolism. Continuing and embracing this tradition, protestors are extensively employing symbolism as a method to create more engagement in the protests.

At demonstrations, students make cultural references, from Harry Potter to Hamtaro, a Japanese cartoon hamster. The protestors sing an adapted version of Hamtaro's theme song, singing “The most delicious food is taxpayers’ money,” mocking the government as hungry hamsters feeding off of taxpayer money.

Thai students’ strategic use of satire and cultural references that are easily shareable in social media help the protest group Free People Movement increase awareness for its cause. As a result, the protests seem to be growing rather than diminishing, even as more activists are being arrested.

Students' Perspectives
As students, it is important to understand what students in different situations and different demographics want from their education system. Also, regardless of the outcome, these protests are another example of students actively taking a stand on important issues and bringing attention to causes that are valuable to them.