Proceedings of The 4th International Academic Conference on Education
Year: 2021
DOI:
Thailand’s 2020s Youth-Led Anti-Government Movement from The Lens of High School Students
Dr. Sawaros Thanapornsangsuth
ABSTRACT:
The current Thai youth (aged 12-18) have grown up in a series of political change and polarization. In 2020, resentment towards the junta government exploded in student-led protests revived not only at the university but also high-school and middle-school levels. This paper investigates political and economic factors that provoke the movement. In particular, we highlight the Thai youth’s aspirations for their political participation through the lens of 691 Thai high school students together with the analysis on relevant literature. This paper qualitatively analyzes 691 letters written by Thai high school students from diverse backgrounds to reflect upon their hopes and fears for Thailand’s political future and explain why their civic engagement is personally, socially, and politically important.
keywords: high school; political conflict; social movements; youth participation; Thailand.