Paetongtarn downplays leaked call with Hun Sen over border tensions

13 Sept 11:01 Key points summarised by AI

Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra downplayed a leaked phone conversation with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen concerning escalating border tensions.
In the recording, Paetongtarn offered to reverse border closures and criticized a Thai army commander as being aligned with the opposition, urging Hun Sen to disregard such voices.
She clarified remarks about potential electricity or internet cuts, emphasizing a desire for peace and a mutual reopening of the border.
Hun Sen confirmed the 17-minute call's authenticity, stating it was recorded for transparency and shared internally, expressing readiness to release the full audio.
Hun Sen also voiced frustration, claiming Cambodia fulfilled Thai military requests, including troop repositioning, but Thailand failed to honor commitments to reopen the border.

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.