AI In-Brief

Thailand News in Brief

Thai PBS World

Thailand and the world, every day

AI can make mistakes. Please double-check.

Herbs in hospitals: Thailand’s shift to traditional remedies stirs controversy

11 Sept 10:14 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Public Health Ministry now mandates state hospitals to replace five common modern drugs with traditional herbal alternatives, aiming to reduce reliance on imported pharmaceuticals.
The government incentivizes this shift with financial bonuses for hospitals and projects a significant increase in herbal medicine prescriptions, expecting to boost local production.
Critics, including an opposition MP, raise safety concerns about certain herbal remedies, question modern doctors prescribing traditional treatments, and warn that the top-down policy may erode public confidence.
The Public Health Minister defends the policy as an alternative to reduce reliance on chemical drugs, clarifying that doctors can still prescribe other modern options and that the herbal budget is minimal.
Allegations of a potential conflict of interest have emerged regarding a former high-ranking official who transitioned from a key government department to a major herbal medicine manufacturer.

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.