Private sector against Pheu Thai’s 600-baht minimum wage proposal
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Private sector against Pheu Thai’s 600-baht minimum wage proposal
14 Sept 08:59Key points summarised by AI
The Thai private sector expresses serious concerns over the Pheu Thai Party’s plan to increase the daily minimum wage to 600 baht by 2027, anticipating a 70% rise in production costs.
Industry representatives emphasize that minimum wage decisions should be based on comprehensive factors like inflation, cost of living, and price indices, not a fixed target.
Past wage hikes have led to business closures and relocations, and even gradual increases to 600 baht could significantly impact many businesses, urging careful consideration of Thailand's competitiveness.
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.