Much-awaited Supreme court ruling on Thaksin's VVIP hospital stay tomorrow

13 Sept 09:21 Key points summarised by AI

The Supreme Court is set to rule on former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's controversial six-month stay in a VIP hospital suite, which allowed him to avoid serving his prison sentence.
Thaksin returned from exile in August 2023, received a royal commutation reducing his eight-year corruption sentence to one year, but was immediately transferred to a VIP hospital floor, never spending a day in prison.
The court's investigation focused on whether Thaksin received preferential treatment and if state officials abused their authority, especially after doctors involved were suspended for providing false medical information.
Potential outcomes range from finding no irregularities to determining officials exploited loopholes with Thaksin's involvement, which could result in his sentence being re-enforced and action against implicated officials.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Yesterday 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.