Thai pig farmers call for genuine crackdown on smuggled pork

14 Sept 15:00 Key points summarised by AI

Thai pig farmers are urgently demanding the Ministry of Agriculture aggressively crack down on smuggled pork, warning it will devastate the domestic pig-rearing industry.
Smuggled pork is sold significantly cheaper (130-135 baht/kg) than locally produced pork (190-200 baht/kg), creating severe unfair competition for local farmers.
Farmers allege that up to 90% of BBQ outlets use smuggled pork, enabling cheaper buffet prices and threatening the livelihoods of those raising one million pigs for local demand.
Despite officials seizing over 325,000 kg of smuggled pork worth 65 million baht this year, farmer associations claim more than 1,000 containers have entered the country, highlighting the scale of the problem.

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.