Role of Social Media in Radicalizing Protests in Thailand

Abstract

Throughout 2020 youth protests did not stop in Thailand. They began as a reaction to the dissolution by the Constitutional Court of the New Future party, which is aimed at a youth audience. After the introduction of antiepidemiological restrictions street demonstrations stopped, but the activity of their participants shifted to social networks. In a digital space that is less subject to government censorship, the protest agenda has expanded and escalated significantly. As soon as the ban on demonstrations was lifted, the performances continued, but with more drastic demands, which were originally formulated on social networks. This article examines the impact of social media on the radicalization of youth protest in Thailand.