File photo courtesy of The Nation for reference only.

 

Female students at a school in Rayong have expressed outrage after being subjected to compulsory haircuts by teachers despite a court ruling that abolished stringent hairstyle rules.

 

The controversial incident occurred on orientation day, when about 15 girls were given unexpected and unwanted haircuts, insisting their hairstyles contradicted outdated regulations deemed unconstitutional earlier this year.

 

The Supreme Administrative Court had annulled the Ministry of Education's 1975 hairstyle regulation on March 5, citing constitutional conflicts and societal evolution.

 

Although schools can still establish individual hairstyle rules, such measures must respect students' rights, avoiding punitive actions. This development comes as a disappointment to students who hoped the ruling marked the end of enforced hairstyle conformity in Thai schools.

 

On May 9, during orientation in Klaeng district, Rayong, teachers forced the haircuts, claiming the girls' longer hairstyles violated previous school guidelines.

 

Some boys also faced scrutiny over their hairstyles, being instructed to remedy them independently. The activist group Bad Student shared students' frustration online, highlighting the arbitrary and embarrassing nature of these actions while lamenting censorship of student complaints on the school's Facebook page.

 

There are concerns this incident breaches the Child Protection Act, as the revoked haircut policy remains contentious. The struggle now extends beyond policy to practical enforcement, where conservative school traditions still encroach on students' rights.

 

The controversy has sparked a wave of support from netizens, rallying around the affected students and calling for a cultural shift towards greater educational freedom.

 

Despite the removal of the regulation, the forced haircuts have rekindled debate on individual rights within schools. 

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-05-14

 

 

 

 

Parents get organized and hire a lawyer and bring it to court and ask to fire the teachers who are involved and the director.. Together you can stop this kind of stupidity

Sue her, and the education authority for assault. It is about time a lot of these teachers were dragged from the stone age. 

The school my kids go to demand my sons hair makes him look like a soldier. He is only 4 years old. Even this year they made us cut his hair again. Luckily the same school allows my daughters to keep their hair length. 

The ruling about haircuts was changed, True. but they left the final decision to individual school about how they wanted to keep their policy on this. Leaving the door open for such actions. I think it is the schools right to have their own dress code. What i disagree with is that they used teachers to physically force these kids into a haircut, 

They should have sent the kids home and told not to return until they met the schools standards. This would have given the kids and parents a choice to use a beauty salon to make them look nice, Or find another school that had different standards. 

Attacking the kids in this way and forcing them to sit down and be humiliated is a form of abuse. The parents should demand action against the school. 

I think if it was my kid, I would be going to the school and demanding to witness the director doing this to the school teachers who I am sure have pretty long hair in front of all the students and peers. 

I thought that rule had been dropped years ago, obviously not, more fool the kids for sitting there and letting them do it, in a civilized world could that be considered assault? My grand daughter is only 5 years old you touch her hair she would burn the place down, 

3 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I thought that rule had been dropped years ago, obviously not, more fool the kids for sitting there and letting them do it, in a civilized world could that be considered assault? My grand daughter is only 5 years old you touch her hair she would burn the place down, 

You have obviously forgotten what the teacher/student relationship  was like as a newbie to primary school years.! 

10 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I thought that rule had been dropped years ago, obviously not, more fool the kids for sitting there and letting them do it, in a civilized world could that be considered assault? My grand daughter is only 5 years old you touch her hair she would burn the place down, 

Children here fear corporal punishment, seeing it at home or in their friends homes, so fighting this isn't in their thinking. Teachers are the parents here during the school day, most parents allowing the teachers to do what they need to with no complaints. Taught to be sheep, they'll remain sheep until they leave the house and the pent up anger shows itself in crimes.

 

Of course the opposite of the spectrum isn't good either, parents allowing their children to do whatever they want without consequences, which happens in the west quite often. Both types of parenting are wrong.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Female students at a school in Rayong have expressed outrage after being subjected to compulsory haircuts by teachers despite a court ruling that abolished stringent hairstyle rules.

Sack the teachers, end of problem

Seek for compensation , like 10 k per kid .

Lucky it's not my child, I'd be at the school shaving the teachers head, another example of thai government employee with a God syndrome and think the law doesn't apply to them, the ministry of education stopped compulsory short haircuts at government schools if the school was still going to operate a hair policy irrespective of the ruling then letters should have been sent home detailing their grooming standards, if a student then fell below these standards they should have been sent home at the end of the day and parents instructed that they can not return until standards are met. A teacher cutting a students hair is assault plain and simple, they should face charges and dismissal and loss of all pension. Parents send their kids to receive and education not to be humiliated by teacher that should be working in a dog grooming parlour not in a school

34 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Sack the teachers, end of problem

Sacking the teachers won't end the problem. Sacking ALL the school directors with NO compensation or pension, fining them for criminal assault and jailing them will be more effective, then doing the same to all the teachers involved with NO compensation or pension, fining them for criminal assault and jailing them will be far more effective IMHO.

Give the teacher the same hair cut

Teacher of what ?
The girl should also take some scissors and cut off his 😲 nails

BRAVO TEACHER.. TEACH SOME  DISCIPLINE AND RESPECT 

teachers, forcibly, cutting students hair is child abuse.

As with so much legislation in Thailand the revised law is vague, allowing school management some flexibility on the hairstyle issue. Nevertheless the behaviour of the teachers at the school in Rayong is unforgivable and a disgrace. 

9 hours ago, thesetat said:

The school my kids go to demand my sons hair makes him look like a soldier. He is only 4 years old. Even this year they made us cut his hair again. Luckily the same school allows my daughters to keep their hair length. 

The ruling about haircuts was changed, True. but they left the final decision to individual school about how they wanted to keep their policy on this. Leaving the door open for such actions. I think it is the schools right to have their own dress code. What i disagree with is that they used teachers to physically force these kids into a haircut, 

They should have sent the kids home and told not to return until they met the schools standards. This would have given the kids and parents a choice to use a beauty salon to make them look nice, Or find another school that had different standards. 

Attacking the kids in this way and forcing them to sit down and be humiliated is a form of abuse. The parents should demand action against the school. 

I think if it was my kid, I would be going to the school and demanding to witness the director doing this to the school teachers who I am sure have pretty long hair in front of all the students and peers. 

 

Is the teacher a beautician? I doubt it. Malpractice. 

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Despite the removal of the regulation, the forced haircuts have rekindled debate on individual rights within schools. 

 

All children should have access to a basic phone in case of emergencies or abuse. 

 

Do you think this c&#$&$TTT of a teacher would do this to a foreign boy or girl?

 

When my boy went to school, I visited with the teachers and let them know how I might react to their abusing my child. I made it clear at the start. 

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Female students at a school in Rayong have expressed outrage after being subjected to compulsory haircuts by teachers despite a court ruling that abolished stringent hairstyle rules.

Against a court ruling makes t against the law does it not?

Privately prosecute the teacher

 

1 hour ago, smew said:

BRAVO TEACHER.. TEACH SOME  DISCIPLINE AND RESPECT 

A criminal assault is NOT the way to teach discipline and is certainly NOT the way to earn respect. Respect is hard earned and not automatically given.

2 hours ago, smew said:

BRAVO TEACHER.. TEACH SOME  DISCIPLINE AND RESPECT 

Seems you need some

If it is the schools policy that students have hair cuts, the students should cut their hair or go to a different school. 

 

I'm all for any school rule that instils discipline in the kids. It prepares them for taking responsibility in adulthood in their career and family life. Without rules you end up with schools patrolled by police because the kids have become uncontrollable just like in the US. The UK isn't much better. I approved of the short hair rule here, also the wearing of scout uniforms once a week.

2 hours ago, jesimps said:

I'm all for any school rule that instils discipline in the kids. It prepares them for taking responsibility in adulthood in their career and family life. Without rules you end up with schools patrolled by police because the kids have become uncontrollable just like in the US. The UK isn't much better. I approved of the short hair rule here, also the wearing of scout uniforms once a week.

Fortunately Thailand is moving on.  My son's school has just informed us that scout uniforms are no longer compulsory, just a scarf/toggle.  No required haircuts either.  It's progress.

What a moron. Out with him. Never again as a teacher, maybe janitor.

I think the student should grab that teacher and give her a haircut TIT

23 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

I think the student should grab that teacher and give her a haircut TIT

But only on one side.

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Fortunately Thailand is moving on.  My son's school has just informed us that scout uniforms are no longer compulsory, just a scarf/toggle.  No required haircuts either.  It's progress.

No, it's not progress, it's progressive. 

16 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I thought that rule had been dropped years ago, obviously not, more fool the kids for sitting there and letting them do it, in a civilized world could that be considered assault? My grand daughter is only 5 years old you touch her hair she would burn the place down, 

No she wouldn't: if she did her, and her parents would be prosecuted.

You teach, you do not touch! This is someone's child and their responsibility, not the teacher's.