US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Thailand’s PM in Bangkok

13 Sept 11:18 Key points summarised by AI

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai to strengthen bilateral relations and regional cooperation.
Discussions focused on expanding cooperation with ASEAN nations on public health and climate change, with Blinken reaffirming US commitment to ASEAN centrality and Thailand's role in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
The visit included the signing of a Thai-U.S. Communiqué on Strategic Alliance and Partnership and a Memorandum of Understanding to Promote Supply Chain Resilience.
Blinken's visit, following a recent tour by China's Foreign Minister, highlighted the ongoing efforts by global superpowers to exert influence in the ASEAN region.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Today 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.