Wirach Ratanasate: Former government enforcer pays penalty for futsal scandal

21 Sept 02:48 Key points summarised by AI

Veteran politician Wirach Ratanasate was convicted of corruption and sentenced to four years and six months in prison for siphoning state funds.
The conviction stems from a 4.4-billion-baht project to build substandard futsal pitches in 56 Northeast schools, with irregularities in contractor selection.
Wirach, his wife, and sister-in-law were implicated in colluding to push local education authorities into procuring the unfit pitches.
Formerly a government chief whip and deputy leader of Palang Pracharath, Wirach was released on 400,000-baht bail and has 30 days to appeal the Supreme Court's verdict.

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.