The Power of Kuan Teen
From early 2020 to late 2021, Thailand experienced near-daily protests triggered by the disbanding of the Future Forward Party, which was seen by Thai progressives and young people as a force for democratic reform. Thousands of people took to the streets to protest the military government brought to power in a 2014 coup. But activists soon turned their critique to the monarchy and the laws that shield the royal family from criticism.
As the protesters’ agenda expanded, so did their iconography and lexicon. They dressed up as Minions from the movie to mimic the yellow shirts worn by royalists and pro-military activists and paraded around in Tyrannosaurus rex costumes to represent—literally, “causing an itch to one’s foot.” Kuan teen is associated with annoying or bothersome behavior, often in a way the offending party finds funny. The phrase is considered vulgar, but kuan teen requires wit and sophistication.
