Advance voting commenced nationwide at 8 am, reporting high turnouts, particularly among young and middle-aged voters.
Significant queues were observed at polling stations in Bangkok and Pattani, with special transport arranged for military personnel in the southern province.
Security was strengthened around polling stations and along troop routes, as election officials prepared to manage approximately 2.4 million registered advance voters.
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.