Alleged femme fatale in monk scandal to face additional charge

12 Sept 07:00 Key points summarised by AI

Wilawan Emsawat, known as "Golf," faces an additional fraud charge, bringing her total to four, in connection with a major Thai monastic sex and money laundering scandal.
The new fraud charge stems from a complaint by a former official who claims Wilawan duped him into paying 400,000 baht for evidence of her relationship with a chief monk.
Investigations revealed 385 million baht circulated through Wilawan's bank accounts over three years, with most funds withdrawn and some spent on online gambling.
Nine senior monks implicated in the scandal have already left the monkhood, including one alleged to have fathered a child with Wilawan and facing demands for 30,000 baht monthly child support.
Police have categorized monks involved into three groups: those with sexual relationships, and others who provided her money from personal or temple accounts.

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.