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Thailand's gaping disparity in welfare spending on state officials and the people

13 Sept 14:10 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's fiscal 2024 budget reveals a significant disparity in welfare spending, allocating substantially more per capita to state officials and their families compared to ordinary citizens.
State officials receive an estimated 96,070 baht annually in welfare, which is 12 times higher than the 7,819 baht allocated to the average ordinary citizen, despite the latter covering a much larger population.
This welfare gap underscores Thailand's severe income and wealth inequality, which has been highlighted by the World Bank and Credit Suisse as among the highest globally.
Economists and international bodies like the IMF advocate for tax reforms, increased child welfare, and targeted fiscal spending to address the widening wealth gap and rising pension costs in Thailand's aging society.

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.