Five Vietnamese arrested with about 103kg of Agarwood at border checkpoint

13 Sept 09:47 Key points summarised by AI

Thai park rangers arrested five Vietnamese nationals attempting to smuggle 103.5kg of Agarwood chips into Laos, believed to be stolen from Thailand's Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary.
This incident follows a recent seizure of 173kg of Agarwood from the same sanctuary, indicating a pattern of Vietnamese poachers targeting protected Agarwood trees for high demand on the black market.

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.