Thai state revenues total ฿1.95 trillion in the first 9 months of this fiscal year

14 Sept 04:06 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Finance Ministry collected ฿1.95 trillion in total revenues during the first nine months of the 2023 fiscal year, exceeding its target by ฿136 billion.
The Revenue Department was a primary contributor, collecting ฿1.59 trillion, driven by corporate, personal income, and value-added taxes, along with mobile phone concessions and investment profits.
The Customs Department saw a 20.5% increase in revenues, while the Excise Department experienced an 11.1% decline; other state agencies significantly boosted collections by 59.7%.
Despite strong revenue, government disbursements reached ฿2.56 trillion, leading to a ฿435 billion revenue shortfall covered by loans.

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.