A male student in Thailand, who was forced to leave his teacher license exam because he wore a female uniform, has received a generous outpouring of support after his story went viral.
The story has prompted opposition politicians to question whether the Thai government was serious about making Thai society inclusive.
The original post, published last Saturday (21 June), has more than 6,400 shares at the time of writing.
In the post, Charleamchai Dechbamrung said proctors prevented him from completing his exam as his attire did not match his assigned sex at birth.
The student, more commonly known by his nickname Tonkhao, claimed the rules only required students to wear formal attire or their university uniform for the exam. It apparently wasn’t specified that students’ attire must match their assigned sex at birth.
Source: Charleamchai Dechbamrung on Facebook
Tonkhao added that proctors only stepped in 30 minutes after the exam began. “It was a waste of time and opportunity,” the student lamented.
According to the Bangkok Post, Tonkhao is from the faculty of fine and applied arts at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT).
In a follow-up post published a day later, the student said he is grateful for all the support he received online. His professors are currently helping to assess the options available.
In an interview with ThaiPBS, Tonkhao said he still has plans to get his teacher’s license — he will retake the exam in November.
In addition to Tonkhao, ThaiPBS also reports that a trans woman was prevented from taking the exam.
A proctor allegedly prevented the trans woman from entering the exam room, asking the student to buy a pair of pants.
However, because the exam was just about to start, the exam taker did not have enough time to make the purchase.
Exam officials have since apologised for the incident. To further remedy the situation, they said they would revisit the rules to better reflect the values and norms of Thai society. Once accomplished, they will invite the affected examinees to retake the exam.
Source: คุรุสภา on Facebook. For illustration purposes only.
Meanwhile, some politicians questioned if such incidents are a violation of citizens’ rights and a hindrance to the country’s growth.
There were also questions about whether the Thai government is serious about rights and diversity, or simply interested in portraying an inclusive image.
Also read: Same-sex marriage law takes effect in Thailand, hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples register their union
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Featured image adapted from Charleamchai Dechbamrung on Facebook and คุรุสภา on Facebook.