National park e-ticket suspension draws criticism

21 Sept 14:31 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's National Park Department abruptly suspended its e-ticketing system for six major national parks, effective immediately.
The decision faces strong criticism for its poor timing, coinciding with the start of Thailand's peak tourism season, disrupting travel plans for both local and international visitors.
While the department cited a new bidding process and mobile signal challenges, critics argue this reflects inadequate planning and dispute the validity of the signal issues.
Concerns are raised regarding the lack of advance warning, the difficulty for tourists to plan trips without e-tickets, and potential for corruption due to the absence of a transparent monitoring system.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Yesterday 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.