Thailand revive efforts in 18-year-old killing of Japanese tourist in Sukhothai

13 Sept 14:07 Key points summarised by AI

Thai investigators are reviving the 18-year-old unsolved murder case of Japanese tourist Tomoko Kawashita, who was found fatally stabbed in Sukhothai in 2007.
Authorities are urgently appealing to a French man, believed to be a crucial witness near the crime scene, offering a 2-million-baht reward for his testimony before the case's statute of limitations expires in two years.
Despite multiple investigations and DNA evidence suggesting a non-Thai perpetrator, the case has remained unsolved, prompting renewed focus on this key European witness.

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.