Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) — Early one morning at a Bangkok high school, thousands of students in uniform stood silently for a routine flagpole gathering. Among them was eighth grader Baramee Chaovawanich, known by his nickname “Khao Klong.”
As part of a monthly inspection, teachers walked through the rows, checking students’ uniforms and grooming. When a teacher noticed Khao Klong’s hair was slightly too long, he was ordered to step forward. In front of all 3,600 students, the teacher shaved part of his head and left the haircut unfinished.
“There was shame. I was made into a joke,” Khao Klong recalled. Now 20 and in university, he still remembers the laughter from classmates as he returned to class. “It made me really insecure,” he said.
This kind of public punishment was once common in Thai schools. For decades, students were subject to strict grooming rules far beyond what is seen in most other countries. Boys were required to have close-cropped military-style haircuts, and girls had to wear short bob cuts above the ears.
Though regulations were eased in 2013—allowing boys to grow hair to the base of their necks and girls to tie up longer hair—the rules remained rigid. Even a few extra centimeters could mean punishment.
But that is now changing. In March, Thailand’s highest administrative court ruled that the long-standing Ministry of Education directive from 1975 was unconstitutional. The court found the policy placed “excessive restrictions on personal freedom” and did not match modern social conditions. It also warned that the rules negatively affected children’s mental health and were especially harmful to those with diverse gender identities.
The decision followed years of student-led protests, especially a wave in 2020 that pressured the education ministry to give schools more autonomy over appearance policies.
Many students welcomed the court’s ruling. “Things have changed, especially how they check hairstyles,” said 16-year-old Nijchaya Kraisriwattana. Her Bangkok school once held weekly inspections, and she had lost academic points for hair that was too long. Even baby hairs had to be pinned down. Now, she says, the environment feels more relaxed.
Still, not everyone is convinced the change will be meaningful. Some fear that without stronger government oversight, schools will continue enforcing harsh rules.
“I was happy at first, but then I realized there are still loopholes,” said Khao Klong. He and other student activists say they have yet to see real progress in many schools.
CNN has reached out to Thailand’s Ministry of Education for comment.
