A performance with Thai constitution reading and dance.

By The Book [ meaning according to the principles, according to the rules ], an expression referring to being faithful to rules or principles in carrying out something. It could refer to playing a game, a competition, or choosing how to live.

Yet, as Thai politics in 2023 twists and turns daily, often appearing to lack a clear foundation, two female dancers begin to question the 2017 Constitution, the highest law governing every aspect of a citizen’s life. They wonder: on what principles or values was this document written?

Is it true that the Constitution was meant to protect individual rights and freedoms, especially as we demand rights, equality, and freedom, believing that we are “playing by the rules”? Or, in reality, is it those in power who are truly “playing by the rules” written for them? What is the Constitution really saying?

So, the two dancers decide to don swimsuits, print out the latest edition of the Constitution, and go through its two hundred-plus pages to examine what is actually written in the supreme law of the land.