Thai protests fade from streets but come alive on Clubhouse, Twitter apps

Discussing the value of the once-revered monarchy is no longer taboo in the ‘national DNA’ thanks to the youth-led the pro-democracy movement, observers say

But even as Thais feel more emboldened to speak out, they face the challenge of overcoming the entrenched divisions within society to achieve political reforms

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Protesters occupy Bangkok’s Lat Prao intersection to demand governmental reforms on November 27, 2020. Photo: ZUMA Wire/dpa

Published: 8:30am, 6 Apr 2021Updated: 8:30am, 6 Apr 2021

With global attention fixed on the escalating crisis in Myanmar, the anti-government movement in neighbouring Thailand has quietened as charges pile up against activists and street rallies lose steam following heavy-handed police actions.

While mass demonstrations have faded after months of calls for political, social and royal reforms, the pro-democracy discourse has continued online in memes, tweets and chat rooms on the Clubhouse audio app.

Even as none of the protesters’ demands have been met so far, observers say the Ratsadon (“the people”) movement has helped to rewire the national conversation around how the kingdom is ruled – and for whom.

“There remain strong undercurrents in Thailand against a continuation of a facade democracy dominated by monarchy and military, especially given the plummeting economy,” said Paul Chambers, an academic at the College of Asean Community Studies in Naresuan University.

Much of the discourse online focuses on the use of royal defamation, revisionist Thai history and the role of the monarchy in Thai society.

A list of prominent names in the anti-government scene fills rooms on Clubhouse daily, from Pavin Chachavalpongpun – a former Thai diplomat with 241,000 followers on the app, who is living in self-exile in Japan – to graffiti artist Headache Stencil, who creates satirical works featuring the junta.

Some of the conversations are also flowing into public spaces previously deemed too dangerous to raise political questions, such as Twitter.