Rap against dictatorship In Thailand | Close Up
Thai rapper Elevenfinger fights for Thailand’s protest movement in an attempt to bring reform to the country.
“I rap about poverty and inequality so the outside world understands our hardships”, says 21-year-old Thai rapper Elevenfinger.
The young musician from Klong Toey, Thailand’s largest slum, has risen to fame through his hard-hitting rap music exposing the inner grit of slum life and the struggles of those on the margins of society.
In 2020, the rapper joined thousands of young people defying the authorities by gathering in the streets and calling for reforms to the monarchy. Young Thais like Elevenfinger have done this despite a draconian law, lese-majeste, that forbids insults to the monarchy. Those found guilty of breaking the law face 15 years in prison.
Elevenfinger’s struggles are met with swift repercussions as he accumulates arrests and a series of court cases that consume his time and prevent him from continuing his efforts to bring change to a society infamous for its income disparity.