The Cutting-Edge Youth Movement in Thailand in Comparative Perspectives

Co-sponsored by the Asia Center

While the 1960s-1970s were the prime time of the youth movements, they gradually faded away and disappeared. Only at the beginning of the 21st Century did we start to witness the revival of the youth uprisings and activism. From 2000 onward until today, countless numbers of protests and social mobilizations of young people have taken place in more than 40 countries across the world – both in developed and developing countries. Through the case of Thailand, this talk explains why the youth movement revived after a long period of disappearance and what the new dynamics and impact they contribute to the changing world. The talk starts with a recapitulation of the youth movement at the global level. Then, it moves to focus on the case of the 2020-2021 youth movement in Thailand. It analyses its origins, dynamics, and impacts on the Thai politics. Then, it links the Thai case to explain how the global 2000s-2010s youth movements made changes to the global political landscape.