Thailand lifts 50-year-old ban on long hair and makeup for students

By Minh Nga March 10, 2025 | 10:34 pm PT

Members of a youth pride student group hold placards during a rally over gender rights, uniforms and haircut rules in Bangkok, Thailand, July 29, 2020. Photo by Reuters

A regulation from Thailand's Ministry of Education, which strictly limited students' hairstyles, has been lifted after half a century.

A Thai court ruling last weekend annulled the 1975 regulation, which required male students to have short hair and prohibited mustaches, while female students were not allowed to have hair longer than their ears or wear makeup.

The court acknowledged that the original directive, issued after a coup, aimed to encourage respect for parents, teachers, and schools, and promote good behavior. However, it ruled that the requirement for secondary school students to have very short hair or crew cuts was no longer suitable for contemporary society and failed to consider the physical and identity development of adolescents aged 13 to 16, as reported by The Nation.

The court's decision is seen as a victory for 23 students who initially petitioned the Administrative Court in 2020 to revoke the 1975 regulation.

Since 2024, the Ministry of Education has allowed more flexibility in student hairstyles and dress codes. With this court ruling, decisions regarding hairstyles will now be left to individual schools. Some schools will delegate the decision to parents, while others will leave it to the school administration or a joint meeting of teachers and parents, according to the Bangkok Post.

In Thailand, short hair has long been seen as a symbol of neatness and discipline in public schools. Many schools have prohibited students from having bangs or dyeing their hair, with violators facing disciplinary action. In some cases, teachers even cut students' hair during the morning flag-raising ceremony as a form of punishment.

For years, students protested this regulation, claiming it infringed on their personal rights. In 2020, under pressure, the Ministry of Education relaxed the rule, allowing students to grow their hair longer. However, male students were still prohibited from letting their hair cover their necks, and female students were required to tie their hair neatly, according to the BBC.

In 2023, the Minister of Education announced that schools would have full authority to decide on hairstyle policies. However, many schools continue to follow the 1975 regulation.