Italian students apologise to Thai woman over viral BTS row, pay fines

10 Sept 20:06 Key points summarised by AI

A viral dispute on a BTS Skytrain between a Thai woman, Sugus, and a group of Italian students was settled after the students issued a formal apology at a Bangkok police station.
Sugus accepted the students' sincere apology, agreeing to drop her police complaint and remove all related videos and photos from social media.
The Italian students were fined for insulting another person, with one student receiving an additional charge and higher fine for making an obscene gesture, before the case was officially concluded.
Supervisors accompanying the students expressed deep regret and committed to using the incident as a lesson to ensure future respect for Thai culture and social etiquette.

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.