Joint technical group to be formed for development talks with Cambodia

12 Sept 19:01 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand and Cambodia plan to establish a Joint Technical Committee (JTC) within two weeks to initiate talks on developing an overlapping claim area in the Gulf of Thailand, operating under MoU 44.
Lt-Gen Nanthadet Meksawat warns of Cambodia potentially claiming Kut Island, citing the historical Preah Vihear Temple case where Thailand lost territory due to 'tacit acceptance' of French colonial maps and lack of protest.
Concerns are raised that MoU 44, signed under the Thaksin administration, accepted a 50:50 sharing of undersea natural resources in the disputed area, which Nanthadet considers Thai territory, potentially enabling further Cambodian claims.
The warning emphasizes Cambodia's past strategy of leveraging seemingly minor incidents and 'tacit acceptance' to support territorial claims, suggesting they might pursue the Kut Island issue through the International Court of Justice.

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.