Saran Chuichai is no stranger to controversy, but the Thammasat University student's latest act of social agitation has been met with a strong backlash from her peers and placed her position on campus in jeopardy.
The transgender student, who also goes by the name Aum Neko, has drawn the ire of staff and student representatives for attempting to remove a national flag flying atop the Dome, a historic building inside the university's Rangsit campus, and replace it with a black banner.
She was stopped by security guards before being able to fly the black flag.
Ms Saran said her actions were to protest against the university director, who she accuses of siding with anti-government protesters and of restricting freedom of speech at the university.
Her cause has failed to draw sympathy from her fellow students, however _ a petition organised by three transgender alumni calling for Ms Saran's expulsion has gathered some 3,050 signatures. Those organisers say Ms Saran is giving transgender people a bad name.
The petition was handed to university director Somkid Lertpaitoon last Wednesday.
Ms Saran insists she is being victimised by those who don't share her political views. She's also been threatened by senior university staff. Labelling her ''evil'' and a ''snake'', vice-rector Somchai Chakhatrakan posted on his Facebook page earlier this month saying he wanted to stand down from his position so that he could ''trample'' Ms Saran, according to the Khaosod website.
But it's not the first time Ms Saran, in her second year of study at the Faculty of Liberal Arts, has stirred controversy on campus. A picture was earlier posted online of her posing in a bikini inside the campus cafeteria, and another showed her coyly perching on a statue of the father of democracy Pridi Banomyong, a revered historical figure at Thammasat.
She also launched an anti-uniform campaign earlier this year, hanging posters around campus of her simulating sex while wearing classroom attire.
However, those earlier acts of rebellion have mostly gone unpunished by the university.
''We have not yet punished her for anything,'' Thammasat director Somkid Lertpaitoon said. ''She's had many disciplinary issues over time and we have not reprimanded her.''
The director said Ms Saran received a warning from assistant rector Prinya Thaewanarumitkul over the Pridi statue incident, though no formal punishment was handed down.
But Mr Somkid said the university felt compelled to take action when Ms Saran was accused of dressing inappropriately in class and of disrespecting her teachers. He said a special committee was set up, which included members of the Student Council and Student Union, to investigate Ms Saran's behaviour and decide on an appropriate course of action. The committee eventually concluded that Ms Saran should be suspended from studying for one year.
Mr Somkid explained that the punishment proposed by the committee had yet to be finalised, as Ms Saran's parents were appealing for the suspension to be reduced to one semester.
As these negotiations were taking place, however, the latest flag incident took place.
''This case happened just after the parents went to talk with Mr Parinya. The committee has not yet met to discuss this latest incident, but I expect the same committee from before will be assembled to decide on a fair course of action,'' Mr Somkid said. He insisted the punishment has nothing to do with a personal vendetta, despite Ms Saran criticising him many times.
''Thammasat is open to many different points of view. Everyone in the university has the freedom to express their thoughts, but they must do so in the right and proper way,'' the director said. ''The reason we will punish Saran is not because she criticises or abuses me. Free speech is encouraged at the university, but we also have a duty to teach our students about ethics and correct forms of expression.''
Ms Saran is not convinced.
''I just do not agree with the director and some groups who support the anti-government protest, as it is not democratic,'' she said. ''They support an appointed, rather than elected, cabinet and 'people's council'. Anyone who thinks differently, like me, is attacked.''
Ms Saran said she has the right to express her beliefs under a democratic system, insisting her actions had no negative consequences on other people.
But the group of alumni organising the petition, led by Ong-orn Pu-Akat, disagree, saying Ms Saran's actions affect everyone on campus. ''What she has done can destroy the reputation and values of our institution,'' Ms Ong-orn said. ''She [Ms Saran] always advocates freedom and democracy, but living with other people in a society, she must respect other people's opinions.''