Deputy House speaker in hot water for entertaining parliament’s maids

24 Sept 17:47 Key points summarised by AI

Deputy House speaker Padipat Suntiphada faces investigation for allegedly misusing parliamentary entertainment funds to host a 90,000 baht barbecue for 300 parliament maids.
Padipat defends the expenditure, asserting it was approved, within regulations, and aimed at boosting staff morale, comparing it to treating other parliamentary guests.
Critics, led by serial petitioner Srisuwan Janya, are demanding probes into Padipat's conduct, citing both the barbecue event and a separate incident involving alleged craft beer advertising on social media.

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.