A 15-year-old girl, who was released on May 18 after being detained for 51 days on a charge of royal defamation, has not faced expulsion from school, Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong said on Wednesday.
Ms Trinuch said the school director informed her that no instruction had been issued to expel Thanalop “Yok” Phalanchai. The minister's response came after Yok posted a message on Facebook, claiming she had been expelled and was now "an outsider".
According to Yok, she had been questioned by two deputy school directors and teachers. She insisted on calling her parents and recording the conversation, but the teachers refused. She claimed they blocked all the exits to the room, so she had to crawl under a table to escape.
The teenager also claimed that a deputy school director told her the school would return her tuition fees.
In a previous Facebook post, Yok wrote that she had dyed her hair, embraced a "modern" haircut and worn casual clothes to school for weeks, in what she tried to portray as a fight for her freedom and rights.
She also urged the Education Ministry to improve the school curriculum to meet international standards.
Yok's Facebook posts caught the attention of netizens, some of whom criticised her and encouraged her to respect school rules.
Ms Trinuch said the school had assured her that Yok is welcome to attend classes as usual.
Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong (Photo: Government House)
She also commented on the student's decision to ignore the rules on mandatory school uniform.
"Yok wears casual outfits to school and claims that is her right and her freedom, but we need to respect the system and regulations of each school, as well as the way society is organised on a bigger level," said the minister. "This is the basic norm everyone including students should be aware of.”
Yok was arrested on March 28, the same day a 24-year-old man was caught spray-painting a "No 112" message on the wall of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok.
Police had a warrant to arrest Yok, accusing her of insulting the monarchy during a rally in October 2022 in front of City Hall. She was 14 at the time.
On May 18, she was released from the Ban Pranee Juvenile Vocational Training Center for Girls in Nakhon Pathom, where she had been held since March 29.