Thai Women Warn Politicians #DontTellMeHowToDress, World-Wide Movement Begins

After a government official urged women to dress modestly at this year’s Songkran festival to prevent sexual harassment, a Thai-American model has decided to speak up and take a stand for womenkind.
When Cindy Sirinya Bishop read that the director general of Thailand’s Department of Local Administration, Sutthipong Chulcharoen, was advising women to ‘dress appropriately’ to ensure their safety during this year’s Songkran, she knew she had to do something. As a survivor of sexual assault during the same celebrations when she was 17, Bishop was shocked by the victim-blaming subtext of Chulcharoen’s statement. She posted a video on Instagram expressing her distaste for his words and the sentiment behind them.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgniNCslPk1/?taken-by=cindysirinya
After receiving numerous comments on the post from women expressing similar frustrations and sharing their own sexual harassment stories, Bishop realised her potential to make a real difference. Adding the hashtags #DontTellMeHowToDress and #TellMenToRespect to her original caption, she inadvertently created a movement that is allowing women around the world to join her in taking a stand and making an impact.
Bishop explains to Culture Trip that she is not normally the type to ‘rant’ on social media, but that she was so angered by the article, she couldn’t remain silent: ‘I was hoping the article would issue stern warnings to men or suggest other precautionary ways for women to protect themselves,’ she says. ‘But no. It was literally an article saying “don’t dress sexy”. I was angry, and this prompted me to record the clip. I use social media for my work as a model and as a message for empowerment. I don’t usually go off.’
But ‘go off’ she did. While she didn’t expect the post to go viral, her message gained traction immediately and soon reached international news stations.
The Songkran festival is the Thai celebration of New Year and takes place every year on April 13-15. The event is marked by playful water fights, and is a date Thai people look forward to all year round. However, Songkran is plagued with incidents of sexual assault, with a 2016 survey finding that over half of female Songkran attendees experience harassment during the event.

Thailand outlawed sexual harassment in the workplace under the Labour Protection Act of 1998, but Bishop does not believe the law does enough: ‘There is a gap in terms of enforcement,’ she says. ‘The lack of enforcement on all levels, from the police to the court system, leads to a direct failure in protecting women. I intend to do something about it.’
Bishop has requested a meeting with UN Women, the UN organisation dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment, asking for their support in making a difference to women’s safety in her country. ‘Thailand is big on saving face,’ she explains. ‘If I can make a big enough wave, it will be good incentive for the country to do something about this issue.’
What started as a public display of anger has become a movement akin to #MeToo, and Bishop has become the voice of thousands. ‘I was the first voice,’ she tells us. ‘But I am thinking beyond myself now. The rage has been simmering for a lot of women here and now that’s it’s boiling to the surface we can finally make our voices heard. I want to turn Bangkok into a safe city for women and bring about some real change and a definite shift in attitude in Thailand.’
Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip
meet our Local Insider
Hanna

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?
2 years.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.
WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?
I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!


Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.


KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.