Ministry pitches ฿1.75bn 'Thai Tiew Thai Plus' scheme to boost tourism

12 Sept 15:48 Key points summarised by AI

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports proposes a ฿1.75 billion 'Thai Tiew Thai Plus' scheme to stimulate domestic tourism, offering a 50% accommodation subsidy (up to ฿3,000) and a ฿500 digital coupon per person.
The initiative also includes a domestic airfare subsidy, providing ฿400-฿600 discounts per flight to encourage travel to various provinces and is expected to generate over ฿32 billion in economic circulation.
The private sector, however, urges the government to reconsider the timing, suggesting the budget would be more effective during the low season or by restricting privileges to weekday travel to ease high-season overcrowding.
Separately, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is monitoring surging jet fuel prices due to the Middle East conflict and is exploring cost-reduction measures like lower airport fees to maintain fair airfares and support airlines.

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.