Long Live Patriarchy! The Thai Monarchy's Position on Gender Equality and Justice

The Thai monarchy's dialectical relationship with democracy was placed under the spotlight during the youth-led protests in Thailand in 2020/21. Among many agendas, the protesters challenged the misuse of the king's power and attacked his patriarchal attitude. While King Vajiralongkorn is known for his patriarchal practice, the position of the Thai monarchy vis-& agrave;-vis gender equality and justice has been largely underexplored. This article examines the nature of royal patriarchy, the palace's position amid changes in social attitudes regarding gender equality and justice, and the implications of the lack of a royal shift on the youth movement. It focuses on the current Vajiralongkorn reign and argues that the roots of royal patriarchy lie in the prevailing elite culture and the concept of power as an exclusive asset of male sovereigns. The monarchy's failure to shift its attitude toward supporting gender rights has resulted in further discontent among some feminist activists. They responded to the lack of a royal shift by consolidating the feminist movement to disrupt the monarchy's political status, an important agenda within a broad objective of promoting gender equality and justice.