Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced a tentative increase in Thailand's daily minimum wage to 400 baht, effective January 1.
This wage hike is a short-term government priority, aligned with a projected 5% economic growth next year, supported by measures like electricity and fuel price cuts.
The government is also actively boosting tourism, with visa exemptions for Chinese and Kazakh tourists, and plans to visit India to enhance ties and tourism, potentially easing restrictions for Indian wedding couples.
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.