Thai Studies Seminar Series, Semester 2/2025
Thai Studies Seminar Series, Semester 2/2025 PBIC Thai Studies, Pridi Banomyong International College, organized a seminar entitled “Rule of Form: An Example of the Normalization of Exceptions in Thailand’s Justice System” on Monday, 12 January 2026, from 1:00–3:00 PM. แชร์ The seminar featured Professor Emeritus Dr. Thongchai Winichakul, Visiting Professor at Pridi Banomyong International College and one of Thailand’s most influential historians, as the speaker. The event was organized under the Thai Studies Program, led by Ajarn Warachaya Liaotianchai (Ajarn Som). In his talk, Dr. Thongchai examined how legal “exceptions” have become normalized practices within Thailand’s justice system. Using the case of ankle shackles imposed on male prisoners when appearing in court, he demonstrated how a practice explicitly prohibited by law has nonetheless become routine—so routine that standardized forms are filled out without deliberation or judicial discretion. These shackles have effectively become a form of “modern restraints,” illustrating how legal exceptions are institutionalized and rendered invisible in everyday judicial...
