Senator Proposes Law to Force Standing for Royal Anthem

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It is impossible to control everything... it is not freedom anymore but it is getting more and more to dictatorship country.. No freedom of speech, even controlling what to wear and do and now again another item. There are much other urgent matters that need to be solved...

Guys are entirely delusional dinosaurs. They will only get more resistance and more out of touch Gen Z population as a result. Most of this generation already has given up on life before it even started, that's why they not even bother at work to do more than absolute necessary.

Not to even start about the fact that all this type of dinosaur behavior damages economy, tourism, education etc etc. While promising changes of root causes such as corruption since the coup of 2014-2015.

I always wondered how people could get that platinum level of being a absolute hypocrite, speaking as if you are a true nationalist and love your country and people, while doing nothing but damage to it.

Last but not least they seem to entirely forget that this level of respect, for the previous king, was never forced. People wanted to do it and not behaving accordingly would be dealt with by just the very locals themselves too, realtime. Forcing it makes it dictatorship.

When do they play the Royal Anthem? I'm completely ignorant to this.

7 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

When do they play the Royal Anthem? I'm completely ignorant to this.

I've been on the BTS platform when something played and everyone stopped. I wonder if this was the Royal Anthem?

55 minutes ago, Effective altruism said:

I've been on the BTS platform when something played and everyone stopped. I wonder if this was the Royal Anthem?

🧠 Simple way to remember

• 🇹🇭 National Anthem → twice daily (8am / 6pm)

• 👑 Royal Anthem → special occasions / cinema

Thailand has an interesting and unique culture, and it's commendable that at least some among them want to preserve it.

So some progressives don't like it... all the better. Fortunately, they are not in power. The Thai ones can watch from the sidelines where they belong, and the foreign ones can watch from even further afield where they (barely) belong.

I just follow what the locals do,

I can remember so many years ago,standing for the National Anthem in the UK was normal, very, very few did not. Slowly the practice died out, to the point it just didn't get played. I don't remember the late Queen Elizabeth II making any comment or complaint. However, she did command a great deal of respect, even from the teens in there own way.

To be understood as a legitimate question; has the Senator been posted to Pyongyang before as Ambassador to the Kingdom?

39 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I just follow what the locals do,

Fortunately, most locals remain seating in the cinemas these days, so I'm happy to follow them.

3 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Alongkot noted incidents in cinemas where some individuals, particularly youths, did not stand during the royal anthem, leading to confrontations and assaults. Those committing the assaults were ultimately subject to legal consequences.

Strangely, until not that many years ago, everyone stood in the cinema. These days, not so much. I wonder why? [It's a rhetorical question]. That said, who goes to the cinema these days anyway. I don't put Senators down as big Marvel franchise fans.

1 hour ago, Effective altruism said:

I've been on the BTS platform when something played and everyone stopped. I wonder if this was the Royal Anthem?

That was the National Anthem.

3 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The proposal addresses a legal gap in Thailand, where the national anthem is regulated by law and requires citizens to stand, but the royal anthem is not.

So non citizens are exempt…?

I'm often at Makro at 8.00 , few stand still.

21 minutes ago, FlorC said:

I'm often at Makro at 8.00 , few stand still.

I usually go for a walk around that time in Rawai, it's blasting out across the beach front at 8 am I see plenty of people and farang stand still

We were in the IMAX theatre last weekend. The film and royal anthem came on. In an entire theatre full of people, one person stood up. That must have been Alongkot.

3 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I usually go for a walk around that time in Rawai, it's blasting out across the beach front at 8 am I see plenty of people and farang stand still

It is not loudly played at my Makro , maybe most of them are deaf. 😉

"... if senators are to promote respect...", this is not the way to go about it!

In any case Alongkot Vorakee hardly deserves that respect given that in May last year he was one of the senators investigated by the EC for vote-rigging!

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

When do they play the Royal Anthem? I'm completely ignorant to this.

They play it at the movies - Where no one stands up any more. When I first came here, you would have been beaten if you refused to stand for the anthem at the movies. Being that most movies are total trash these days it has been a few years since I was last visiting Cineplex. My last visit, there was possibly 150 people viewing the movie, maybe 2 stood up! How the world changes. We used to stand for "The Queen" at the movies in the UK, it went the same way.

How will this be enforced if it becomes law? Will cops be ducking into movie theaters at just the right time, or come for the whole show? Sporting events? Mall cops?

Like many of the laws here, they don't seem to think through just what the law would require to have 'teeth', further eroding any respect of the law that may exist.

9 minutes ago, Vlada Floric said:

Indeed, the World is changing, people are changing, and from my old eyes, not for the better. A lot of values have been dumped for the instant gratification of this generation.

The world never changes for the better in the eyes of the elderly.

Their comments to that effect are no more than a statement that they have lived too long.

As such I would agree with most of them.

5 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Senator Alongkot Vorakee has proposed amending Thai law to require citizens to stand during the royal anthem, with criminal penalties for non-compliance. The suggestion was made during a Senate session on 24 March, where Alongkot presented findings from a special committee studying ways to protect and uphold the monarchy.

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The proposal addresses a legal gap in Thailand, where the national anthem is regulated by law and requires citizens to stand, but the royal anthem is not. Alongkot noted incidents in cinemas where some individuals, particularly youths, did not stand during the royal anthem, leading to confrontations and assaults. Those committing the assaults were ultimately subject to legal consequences.

Alongkot emphasised the historical significance of the royal anthem, which has been in use since the reign of King Rama V and has largely remained unchanged in lyrics and melody. He pointed out that following the 1932 revolution, Thailand adopted the national anthem and enacted laws governing its use, including a requirement to stand in respect.

He highlighted Thailand’s uniqueness in having two national songs, the national anthem and the royal anthem, with only the former explicitly regulated. “Therefore, based on its origins and significance, if senators are to promote respect, there should be legislation similar to that governing the national anthem—requiring people to stand for the royal anthem, with both criminal and financial penalties for non-compliance,” Alongkot said.

Experts and observers note that such a law could formalise respect for the monarchy but may also provoke debate over enforcement and civil liberties. The move follows public incidents that have sparked both concern and legal action, underscoring tensions between tradition and individual behaviour in public spaces.

Khaosod reported that the next step involves further review and discussion within the Senate, where the proposal may be formally drafted into legislation. Lawmakers will consider both the historical importance of the royal anthem and practical implications for enforcement, before deciding on amendments to existing regulations.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Khaosod 26 Mar 2026

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5 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Senator Alongkot Vorakee has proposed amending Thai law to require citizens to stand during the royal anthem, with criminal penalties for non-compliance. The suggestion was made during a Senate session on 24 March, where Alongkot presented findings from a special committee studying ways to protect and uphold the monarchy.

Get today's headlines by email

The proposal addresses a legal gap in Thailand, where the national anthem is regulated by law and requires citizens to stand, but the royal anthem is not. Alongkot noted incidents in cinemas where some individuals, particularly youths, did not stand during the royal anthem, leading to confrontations and assaults. Those committing the assaults were ultimately subject to legal consequences.

Alongkot emphasised the historical significance of the royal anthem, which has been in use since the reign of King Rama V and has largely remained unchanged in lyrics and melody. He pointed out that following the 1932 revolution, Thailand adopted the national anthem and enacted laws governing its use, including a requirement to stand in respect.

He highlighted Thailand’s uniqueness in having two national songs, the national anthem and the royal anthem, with only the former explicitly regulated. “Therefore, based on its origins and significance, if senators are to promote respect, there should be legislation similar to that governing the national anthem—requiring people to stand for the royal anthem, with both criminal and financial penalties for non-compliance,” Alongkot said.

Experts and observers note that such a law could formalise respect for the monarchy but may also provoke debate over enforcement and civil liberties. The move follows public incidents that have sparked both concern and legal action, underscoring tensions between tradition and individual behaviour in public spaces.

Khaosod reported that the next step involves further review and discussion within the Senate, where the proposal may be formally drafted into legislation. Lawmakers will consider both the historical importance of the royal anthem and practical implications for enforcement, before deciding on amendments to existing regulations.

Join the discussion?

Already a member?

Adapted by ASEAN Now Khaosod 26 Mar 2026

View full article

5 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Senator Alongkot Vorakee has proposed amending Thai law to require citizens to stand during the royal anthem, with criminal penalties for non-compliance. The suggestion was made during a Senate session on 24 March, where Alongkot presented findings from a special committee studying ways to protect and uphold the monarchy.

Get today's headlines by email

The proposal addresses a legal gap in Thailand, where the national anthem is regulated by law and requires citizens to stand, but the royal anthem is not. Alongkot noted incidents in cinemas where some individuals, particularly youths, did not stand during the royal anthem, leading to confrontations and assaults. Those committing the assaults were ultimately subject to legal consequences.

Alongkot emphasised the historical significance of the royal anthem, which has been in use since the reign of King Rama V and has largely remained unchanged in lyrics and melody. He pointed out that following the 1932 revolution, Thailand adopted the national anthem and enacted laws governing its use, including a requirement to stand in respect.

He highlighted Thailand’s uniqueness in having two national songs, the national anthem and the royal anthem, with only the former explicitly regulated. “Therefore, based on its origins and significance, if senators are to promote respect, there should be legislation similar to that governing the national anthem—requiring people to stand for the royal anthem, with both criminal and financial penalties for non-compliance,” Alongkot said.

Experts and observers note that such a law could formalise respect for the monarchy but may also provoke debate over enforcement and civil liberties. The move follows public incidents that have sparked both concern and legal action, underscoring tensions between tradition and individual behaviour in public spaces.

Khaosod reported that the next step involves further review and discussion within the Senate, where the proposal may be formally drafted into legislation. Lawmakers will consider both the historical importance of the royal anthem and practical implications for enforcement, before deciding on amendments to existing regulations.

Join the discussion?

Already a member?

Adapted by ASEAN Now Khaosod 26 Mar 2026

View full article

Does the cabinet think that tourists coming here on vacation will respect a change to these laws? Just wondering as many are now waiting to see changes in visas and the cost of flights to come to this paradise increasing almost daily as jet fuel price increases along with other petrol products. Many changes will be affecting tourism around the world for the rest of this year IMHO.

A couple of years ago I had some family here, so I took them to Walking street in Phuket Town, The Anthem was being played and everybody just stood still,

1 hour ago, Front Row said:

We were in the IMAX theatre last weekend. The film and royal anthem came on. In an entire theatre full of people, one person stood up. That must have been Alongkot.

Even Farangs remained seated?

Why make a law to force citizens to do what they already do? This is why I detest governments in general.

Citizens stand out of respect, but now you want them to stand out of fear? Then you lose the population's respect. Bad move.

2 hours ago, tai4de2 said:

Thailand has an interesting and unique culture, and it's commendable that at least some among them want to preserve it.

So some progressives don't like it... all the better. Fortunately, they are not in power. The Thai ones can watch from the sidelines where they belong, and the foreign ones can watch from even further afield where they (barely) belong.

There is nothing interesting or unique about forced deference, or "respect" under threat of prosecution.

True respect is earned, not forced. The senator seems to have forgotten this. From my understanding, the "royal" anthem was replaced in many ways in Thailand by the "national" anthem which celebrates Thailand and Thai people.

31 minutes ago, Enoon said:

There is nothing interesting or unique about forced deference, or "respect" under threat of prosecution.

The must be your first day in Thailand.

Time has changed. I ended up being the only person standin up for the royal hymn in cinema – me, as the stupid farang – the last two times I've been to cinema I've also kept been sitting, nobody stands up; yesterday was the last. Under Rama IX everybody raised, and should there be an ignorant farang still sitting, others would politely ask that person to stand up.

However, last time – back in July last year – I attended a Muay Thai arrangement, everybody still stod up.

About two anthems, a national and a royal: I'm from Denmark and we also have two songs, both of them with lyrics. There is no law about standing up, but I've never seen people remain seated. New Year's Eve at midnight – when the new year begins – Danish radio- and TV-stations will play the royal hymn, followed by the national hymn and then a psalm. It's common that everybody raise in respekt – even in private homes – and sings along.