Reopened Thai schools face biggest test as COVID fear stalks classrooms

13 Sept 13:08 Key points summarised by AI

Many Thai schools that reopened for onsite learning are forced to close temporarily due to COVID-19 infections among students, with the Omicron variant posing an additional threat.
Despite government approval, a significant number of schools nationwide continue with online learning, prioritizing safety over in-person classes due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns and rising local infection rates.
While school infections are frequent, authorities downplay their role in major outbreaks and highlight the high vaccination rates among students (over 90% with a first dose for 12-18 year olds) as a key mitigating factor.
Both students and teachers overwhelmingly prefer returning to classrooms for enhanced learning and engagement, but the Education Ministry emphasizes that reopening decisions must align with local COVID-19 situations.
Experts advise addressing the decline in educational quality and student dropouts caused by the pandemic, recommending hybrid learning models and robust digital platforms for future educational resilience.

Suchada: Meet the reluctant star of Thailand’s cryptic crypto drama

Yesterday 15:38 Key points summarised by AI

Thai MP Suchada Zhang Thaensap faces intense scrutiny over her husband’s substantial 1.84 billion baht wealth, with opposition lawmakers alleging connections to international scam networks.
A significant portion of her husband, Taiyang Zhang's, declared assets includes a 1.44 billion baht loan to the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, which still owes him 1.34 billion baht.
Opposition MP Rangsiman Rome accused Suchada's husband of links to online scam networks and gambling sites, prompting Suchada to vehemently deny the claims, demand evidence, and file a defamation complaint.
Taiyang Zhang's background includes co-founding Ren Protocol, later sold to Alameda Research (linked to the FTX collapse), and some of his former associates have been convicted in crypto company failures.
Suchada, a former actress and first-time MP, maintains her husband's innocence, while her party leaders have distanced themselves from the allegations, deeming it a private matter.