BANGKOK – The 75th Chula-Thammasat football tradition, which took place on Sunday sparked a fierce political debate in Thailand. The controversy was not about the football match itself but about the procession of the royal coat of arms, the “Phra Kiew”, on the side of the Chula.
The Phra Kiew is an ornament worn as a decoration on the head or hair of a king’s child. It is the royal insignia of King Chulalongkorn.
Traditionally, the Phra Kiew was carried on a palanquin by male students. This year, however, it was transported on the back of a golf cart, a marked departure from the past. This change met with widespread criticism in conservative circles, including from M.C. Julajerm Yukol, who expressed his dismay as “depressing” and questioned whether this was disrespectful to the royal emblem.
Dr. Wiphu Kamnueddee, an Associate Professor at Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, went further, stating on Facebook that he would not accept graduates from Chulalongkorn University’s medical school who participated in this year’s procession.
Phramongkutklao College of Medicine’s PR Office issued an apology late on Tuesday after this Associate Professor from its college posted on Facebook Monday, saying that the college had ordered him to delete that post, because it was not the college’s policy.
Critics argued that the use of a golf cart to transport the Phra Kiew was inappropriate and showed a lack of taste. They emphasized that the Phra Kiew represents the legacy of King Rama V and King Rama VI, the founders of Chulalongkorn University.
The organizers of the CU-TU Unity Football Match 2024 defended their decision, stating on 1 April that the Phra Kiew was a symbol of pride for Chulalongkorn students. They also pointed out that the procession included symbols of the various academic disciplines taught at the university.
The controversy surrounding the Phra Kiew procession has its roots in the cancellation of the event in 2021, when Thailand was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and youth-led protests demanding political reform.
The Chulalongkorn University Student Council, representing a new generation, voted unanimously in favor of abolishing the practice of selecting a student as the Phra Kiew bearer to end the reproduction of outdated traditions that reflect inequality within the institution.
According to the Chulalongkorn University Archives, the earliest evidence of the Phra Kiew procession in the Chula-Thammasat Football Tradition dates back to 1964. At that time, only female students were selected to carry the emblem.
The selection process was often criticized for promoting a specific beauty standard. Additionally, the practice of male students carrying the palanquin was seen by some as a symbol of feudalistic culture.
The decision to abolish the Phra Kiew procession in October 2021 faced significant opposition from conservative alumni. The recent use of a golf cart further ignited their anger, highlighting the deep political divisions in Thai society.
