09 Sep Hollywood reverberates in the Kingdom of Thailand

Thailand is a country that has done phenomenally well during this pandemic. In fact, it is considered to be one of the safest travel destinations per a study by a Germany based travel company. However, there appears to be quite a bit of political unrest amongst the younger generation of Thais. And that is where the Hollywood connection comes in.

The three-finger salute, taken from the trilogy “The Hunger Games”, has come to be a symbol of the ongoing protests in Thailand.

About 6 years back, in 2014, pro-establishment types came out to declare their love for the late King, Bhumibol Adulyadej. They had fervently opposed the elected government. The protests back then were labeled “yellow shirt” demonstrations.

Today, these people come out and are protesting the very establishment for which they supported.
The purpose of the protestors back in 2014 was to support a coup that would end corruption and spread prosperity throughout the land.

Instead, the constitution they wrote firmly established the power of the armed forces.

What is really surprising is that students are the ones coming out in droves publicly denouncing the King. The reality is that typically young Thai students do not pay much attention to politics, and a challenge to the monarchy is completely unprecedented. The monarch has traditionally been revered in Thailand, and this fact makes the current protests even more noteworthy.

These protestors want to see the King act as head of state and let the Future Forward Party advocate democracy. The party won 81 seats in last year’s election.