Cabinet approves Bt115bn for 481 short-term economic stimulus projects
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Cabinet approves Bt115bn for 481 short-term economic stimulus projects
11 Sept 09:40Key points summarised by AI
The cabinet approved 481 short-term economic stimulus projects, allocating Bt115 billion to boost economic growth by 0.4% and create 7.4 million temporary jobs across Thailand.
These initiatives aim to enhance Thailand's competitiveness amidst global uncertainties, covering vital sectors like water resource and communication infrastructure, tourism promotion, and export impact mitigation.
Key investments include Bt85 billion for infrastructure, benefiting over 900,000 households with improved water access and creating 70,000 monthly jobs, alongside Bt10 billion for tourism to attract an additional 2.7 million visitors.
Further funding allocates Bt11 billion to mitigate export impacts and increase productivity, and Bt9 billion to strengthen community-based economies, directly supporting farmers and local development.
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.