Thai actress and mother held on remand in alleged Ponzi scheme scandal

13 Sept 06:50 Key points summarised by AI

Thai actress Savika "Pinky" Chaiyadej and her mother were among 19 individuals indicted on criminal charges for their alleged involvement in the Forex-3D Ponzi scheme.
The court rejected their bail applications due to flight risk, leading to their immediate remand in prison.
The Forex-3D scheme, a foreign exchange futures investment scam, defrauded approximately 14,000 people of an estimated 1.9 billion baht by promising returns up to 80%.
Authorities seized assets worth 230 million baht, including cars and land, from the alleged ringleader and company, to be returned to the scam's victims.

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.