PM Prayut vows to get rid of informal debts

13 Sept 21:26 Key points summarised by AI

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha condemned informal debt as an "evil" and pledged to aggressively tackle the issue, highlighting 900,000 people owing 52 billion baht.
Since July, the government has facilitated compromise agreements, successfully restructuring debts for over 200,000 debtors.
Legal action has been taken against uncooperative creditors, leading to the reclamation of 7,000 rai of land and vehicles worth 3 billion baht.
For farmers, the government negotiated with banks to restructure 6 billion baht in debts for 36,000 individuals, significantly reducing total debts and suspending interest payments for long-term obligations.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Yesterday 14:22 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Education Ministry is implementing a four-pronged strategy to address its students' below-average performance in PISA 2025 and tackle significant educational inequality.
The plan prioritizes closing performance gaps by increasing funding for small and low-income schools, overhauling the curriculum to foster critical thinking, and adopting a data-driven management system to reduce teacher workload.
Key initiatives include enhancing school safety, combating cyberbullying, and expanding mental health support through peer-to-peer networks, recognizing the severe impact of distress on academic performance.
An education expert advises verifying if PISA improvements stem from structural changes, advocating for a revived STEM curriculum with practical 'learn by doing' methods, and urging bureaucratic reform to link teacher evaluations to student development.