Astroturfing: Is Thai public opinion being manipulated by a handful of protestors?

The latest battle between tradition and individualism being waged in Thai schools has introduced a new word to the Thai political lexicon: “astroturfing”.

The battle erupted recently over so-called card stunts performed by crowds at the biennial football tournament held by four of Bangkok’s oldest all-boys schools.

Card stunts – where crowds raise cards to form a single symbol or message – have been a celebrated feature of the prestigious Jaturamitr Samakkee tournament for decades.

However, this year protestors launched a campaign to ban the tradition, arguing that it causes suffering among school students who have to spend long hours under the hot sun performing the card stunts.

Banners and placards were posted at locations across Bangkok with the message “Stop forced card stunts”, which also became a hashtag on social media.

However, critics say the campaign was…