Former agriculture minister denies any involvement in illegal pork trade

14 Sept 06:33 Key points summarised by AI

Former Agriculture Minister Chalermchai Sri-on vehemently denied any connection to the illegal frozen pork trade, despite his personal secretary being detained and questioned for alleged involvement.
The illicit trade involved over 10,000 cargo containers of frozen pork, valued at approximately 7 billion baht, illegally imported into Thailand from 2020 to 2023, reportedly with the connivance of various department officials.
Chalermchai admitted his implicated aide is a relative but asserted that external 'elements' are attempting to use this family connection to falsely implicate him.
He clarified that he had largely delegated oversight of the Livestock Development Department to his deputy, only briefly involving himself during the African swine fever crackdown.

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.