ขบวนการเคลื่อนไหวออนไลน์กับการเปลี่ยนแปลงนโยบายสาธารณะในประเทศไทย

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the online activism movements and their impact on public policy changes in Thailand by Thai youth, while highlighting the development of these movements from 2020 to the present, including the intensified adaptation of tactics and legal mechanisms. It examines the conceptual framework of social movements that promote public policy through secondary sources such as books, academic journals, and online platforms. The authors focus on analyzing the “Free Youth” and “Ratsadon (People’s Movement)” groups. Both groups share a digital-era approach to activism, but they differ in the level of their demands, the scope of their networks, and their roles over time. which effectively combine online spaces with on-ground activities. These movements utilize social media—particularly Twitter and Facebook—as primary tools for disseminating demands and mobilizing supporters. Their advocacy has evolved from specific issues, such as civil rights and individual freedoms, toward broader structural reforms of the state, including the call for monarchy reform and the abolition of Section 112 of the Criminal Code, reflecting the emergence of a new wave of social movements.

          During the COVID-19 era, social movements within educational institutions demonstrated cross-university networks of students who organized flash mobs and campaigns advocating for educational rights and freedom of expression. Notable examples include the “Karn Rai Ratsadorn Network” and the “Student Union of Thailand (SUT),” both of which leveraged social media as a key instrument for publishing joint statements and creating digital public spheres for policy debate. The establishment of the “Mob Gun Mai” website serves as a prominent example of a digital platform designed to systematically collect and disseminate educational movement activities across the country.

          In addition, civic movements addressing specific social issues have also gained traction. For instance, the “Bad Student” group used social media to advocate for educational reform, while the “Mayday” group employed Facebook as a central hub to campaign for the redesign of Bangkok’s bus stop signage for public benefit. These cases illustrate how Thai youth have successfully utilized technology and online participation to generate social awareness and push for policy change. Although structural transformation remains at an early stage, these movements represent the growing strength of “horizontal activism,” which lies at the core of Thailand’s emerging digital democracy.