Thailand keeps debt cap unchanged as borrowing set to rise

14 Sept 08:48 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Cabinet approved maintaining the public debt cap at 70% of GDP while allowing public sector borrowing to rise from 64.7% to between 68.03% and 70% to support economic growth and financial stability.
The adjustment includes securing 200 billion baht in loans to address the global oil crisis and long-term borrowing for the Oil Fuel Fund, potentially increasing public borrowing from 1.2 trillion to 1.4 trillion baht.
The private sector projects full-year economic growth of 1.2%-1.6%, noting that Q1 GDP growth was 2.8% but limited to specific sectors like digital technology, with others lagging.
Industry leaders highlighted challenges such as Middle East uncertainty impacting raw materials and significant labor shortages, urging the government to overhaul energy structures and expedite migrant worker permit renewals.

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.