Is Negative Income Tax viable for Thailand?

12 Sept 01:57 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Finance Ministry is set to implement a Negative Income Tax (NIT) by 2027, aiming to supplement the incomes of low-earning citizens, a proposal now backed by key political figures.
NIT, based on Milton Friedman's model, involves direct government payments to those below a set income threshold, offering a targeted approach to poverty alleviation distinct from universal welfare.
A primary hurdle for NIT is accurately verifying individual incomes, but the government believes Thailand's growing cashless society and existing digital data can overcome this challenge.
Implementation could significantly expand Thailand's tax base by incentivizing more citizens to file annual returns, leveraging the government's extensive data on 60.8 million individuals.

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.