Thai student loan crisis threatens to shatter futures – and social mobility

10 Sept 16:46 Key points summarised by AI

The Thai Student Loan Fund (SLF) faces a severe financial crisis, with 64.4% of borrowers defaulting on repayments, accumulating 97 billion baht in overdue debt and causing annual losses of 11.24 billion baht.
New legislation reducing interest and penalties, coupled with a drastic cut in government funding for 2026, is projected to inflate SLF's expenses by 80% over its income this fiscal year, severely impacting its revolving fund model.
The crisis directly impacts students, leading to new income-based restrictions on loans for specific high-demand fields and raising concerns about the SLF's ability to maintain educational opportunities and social mobility.
Critics demand an urgent overhaul of SLF management, citing failures to update debtor information, promote crucial debt restructuring options, and address the escalating bad debt, which undermines its mission and taxpayer trust.

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.