Social development
Reforms needed to fix Thai schools
Despite all the lofty goals and tremendous effort made to improve the state of Thai education recently, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s military government has failed to bring about essential reforms. When the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) seized power in May 2014, its ...
Uncertain future stares at stateless Chiang Rai hilltribes
Among the hilltribes of northern Chiang Rai province, children typically grow up without Thai citizenship, resulting in unnecessary complications that dog them into adulthood.It is not uncommon for stateless teenagers, for example, to enter dual-education programmes, only to find they are not allowed to learn ...
Chularat Saengpassa
Public urged to keep close eye on IPD moves now patent claims rejected
The junta officially suspended the seven problematic cannabis medicine patent applications as of Friday. In its Facebook page, BioThai Foundation revealed that judging from the latest status of medical cannabis patent applications in the Intellectual Property Department’s (IPD) system, it appeared that the seven controversial ones ...
Pratch Rujivanarom
Grasping the reality of Thailand's wage inequality
A recent report circulating in the press and social media has raised quite a few eyebrows — not just those of Thais, but also those of foreigners who are well acquainted with Thailand. “New” findings published in the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report 2018 claims ...
Vijavat Isarabhakdi
Experts warn of loophole in NCPO’s order on cannabis
Experts have warned that despite the junta using special powers to unlock issues related to patent applications, Thailand still faces the risk of transnational pharmaceutical giants monopolising the cannabis medical market. However, Sontirat Sontijirawong, who stepped down as commerce minister yesterday, has been insisting that he ...
The Nation Reporter
Advice lacking for sexually active teens
Of the 84,578 girls under age 20 who gave birth last year, 2,559 were between 10 and 14, according to Mahidol University’s Centre for Health Policy and Management.The provinces with the highest number of new mums age 15-19 were Prachuap Khiri Khan, Tak, Chon Buri, ...
Poungchompoo Prasert
Merge small schools to boost education quality: WB
The World Bank is continuing its call for Thailand to merge its small schools in order to improve education.“Our research has found clear evidence that teacher shortage is a key factor behind the educational-quality problems,” Dilaka Lathapipat, a human-development economist at the World Bank, told ...
The Nation Reporter
Cabinet approves price control at hospitals
Prices of drugs, medical supplies and medical services will soon be overseen by a joint panel after the cabinet approved adding them to the price control list on Tuesday.Unlike other goods, the addition of these products to the list does not mean their prices would ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Thailand moves to ease plight of asylum-seekers’ & refugees’ children
Seven Thailand government agencies have today (Jan 21) inked an agreement that will allow the children of refugees and asylum seekers to be freed from Immigration Detention Centres (IDC).The Memorandum of Understanding on the Determination of Measures and Approaches Alternative to Detention of Children in ...
John Le Fevre
Domestic violence reports soar in 2019
Just over two weeks after the new year began, reports of domestic violence doubled from the rate of the same period last year. However, rights advocates say agencies in charge of handling the problem are slow to react and tend to view it as merely ...
Penchan Charoensuthipan