Thailand

Thai youth’s dreams and hopes

Thailand is in the process of amending its constitution. Enacted in 2017, the current constitution is criticized for being influenced by the previous military coup. Both the government and opposition side agreed to the importance of charter amendments and have been pushing for change, although progress has been slow and uncertain.

However, the constitution is not a concern only for lawmakers in the parliament. As the supreme law of Thailand, the constitution prescribes rights, duties, and framework covering all walks of life in Thai society.

As the move to amend the charters is progressing in the parliament, FNF Thailand, in partnership with Wevis, The 101 PUB, Eureka Global, and CROSSs, organized a seminar titled “Youth Dialogue on Dream Constitution” on 8th February 2025 at Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ). The objective of the event was to provide a platform for youth to discuss and exchange ideas about their dreams and aspirations for the constitution, and to be part in designing the future of their country.

Lego Serious Play

The event began with a workshop using Lego toys as a tool for designing and envisioning a dream constitution. Lego pieces were selected to represent something that each participant wanted to see in their ideal society, then participants gathered to exchange their ideas in an open-minded environment.

Next, four “dream countries” were created from each participant’s Lego pieces, without leaving any pieces unaccounted. This is to say that every voice, every need, every value matters.

Despite their differences, common patterns and common traits emerged across the four groups. The issues that participants identified for their dream country included:

• Embracing diversity under the law
• Labor safety both security and safety in workplace
• Clean and urban environments that balance technology and industry development
• Improved agricultural policies, both from government support or technological advancements.
• Tourism, with an emphasis on diversity of local foods, cultures, and peoples.
• Decentralization from Bangkok
• Equality of opportunities, state welfare, and accessible infrastructure

“Youth like us are experiencing similar things”, Warinthorn Somfong, a political science student from Chiang Mai University says. “And this is the dream country that we want to see.”

Letters to those in power

In the afternoon, participants engaged in deeper discussions about their dream country. They analyzed the necessary processes and regulations to bring their vision to life, categorizing policies based on their feasibility and challenges. Each group then selected a key topic to discuss with participants from other groups.

The main topics chosen were: Decentralization, State welfare, and Green Cities. The organizers will compile the topics and discussions in this event and record them in our database, which can be accessed by the public where other groups can further explore and develop from these ideas.

At the end of the event, participants wrote anonymous postcards addressed to government authorities, sharing their dreams and demands for constitutional amendments. These postcards will be delivered to the constitutional drafting committee once it is established.

“I want to see an improvement in Thai society: inclusive education, four requisites, equality, equal opportunities, and freedom of identity.”

“I want the kind big people to listen to us the minority who want to improve our society. Maybe our little voice today will become big things that can move this country forward.”

This seminar “Youth Dialogue on Dream Constitution” is part of a larger project to collect voices and dreams of different groups of people for their constitution. It is hoped that we will have as many representation in the society as possible, so that when the constitution amendment process starts, people’s voice will be reflected in the process.

From a perspective of a participant, read: Opportunities for an Isaan Youth Like Me

* Takdanai Ketkaew is Programme Assistant and Communication Officer at FNF Thailand.