Why many Thai students still can’t let their hair down

Court has struck down hairstyle rules, but old habits die hard in rural areas

- Kittiphum Sringammuang, Verena Holzl and Lauren DeCicca

A student styling the hair of a classmate at Wat That Thong High School in Bangkok's upscale Ekkamai neighbourhood. Most public schools set their own policies about students' hairdos, but students say these rules remain oppressive, especially in rural areas.

(LAUREN DECICCA/NYTIMES)

The teenager was at a new school for the new school year. But as it turned out, he was not ready: His bangs were too long.

Having failed a much-feared rite of the Thai public school system - the hair inspection — he was subjected to another: His teacher grabbed a pair of scissors and clumsily chopped his hair.

“My classmates were all staring at me, I felt so embarrassed,” the 15-year-old from southern Thailand said.

The incident in May, he added, remains “a scar in my heart”. He asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal from his teachers.

For decades, public schools in Thailand have policed not only students’ manners but also their looks. In addition to uniforms, students are required to either wear crew cuts or trim their hair at their ears. Dyed hair is not allowed. Running afoul of these rules can mean an unwanted haircut in class, a humiliating experience many Thais vividly remember into adulthood.