Former MP Pareena Kraikupt sentenced to 4 years for forest encroachment

15 Sept 09:38 Key points summarised by AI

Former Palang Pracharath MP Pareena Kraikupt was sentenced to four years and one month in prison by the Ratchaburi provincial Court for forest encroachment.
The conviction stems from charges initiated by activist Veera Somkwamkid, accusing her of illegally occupying 272.96 hectares of national forest reserves and land reform areas, partly for a poultry farm.
She had previously been stripped of her parliamentary status and banned from politics for life in April 2022 by the Supreme Court for gross ethical misconduct related to the same land occupation.
Pareena was also ordered to pay 7.6 million baht to the Election Commission for the cost of holding a by-election after her removal as an MP.

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.