Cabinet approves tourist fee of 150-300 baht for all foreign tourists

13 Sept 15:41 Key points summarised by AI

The Thai cabinet has approved a new landing tax for foreign tourists, set to be collected from June 1st.
The fee will be 150 baht for arrivals by land/sea and 300 baht for air arrivals, funding domestic tourism development and tourist insurance coverage.

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.