Thailand reclaimed the SEA Games overall title for the first time in a decade, setting a new record with 233 gold medals at the 33rd edition.
The Kingdom's victory was decisive, establishing a vast lead over second-place Indonesia and third-place Vietnam.
Despite their record-breaking success, Thailand faced significant setbacks, notably failing to win a single gold medal in both football and futsal competitions.
Further challenges included the men's sepak takraw team losing their decades-long dominance and a scandal involving an e-sports team's withdrawal due to cheating.
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.