Financial guru released from Thai prison, faces deportation to India

16 Sept 08:41 Key points summarised by AI

Indian-born financial guru Rakesh Saxena was released from a Thai prison due to an Amnesty Decree, after being convicted of embezzlement and securities fraud.
Upon release, Saxena, 72 and in frail health, was immediately transferred to the Immigration Bureau for deportation to India.
His conviction related to his role as treasury advisor at the now-defunct Bangkok Bank of Commerce (BBC) in the 1990s, where his high-risk deals caused extensive losses and contributed to the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
Saxena had fled to Canada after the BBC collapse, leading to a 13-year extradition battle before he was brought to Thailand in 2008 to stand trial.

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.