Thai education stands at a crossroads

Former PTT chief says Thailand must rethink schooling and invest in talent to confront demographic decline, writes Jitsiree Thongnoi

Pailin Chuchottaworn is a prominent Thai executive whose career portfolio includes serving as chief executive of energy conglomerate PTT Public Company Limited and deputy transport minister.

Today, however, Mr Pailin says his most pressing challenge lies in helping tackle Thailand's education system, which he believes stands at a crossroads.

Among the key concerns is a demographic shift that could shape the country's long-term economic future. The quantity and quality of human capital, he argues, must take centre stage in efforts to improve education and secure Thailand's competitiveness.

Mr Pailin is also a member of a working committee drafting the "human capital development" section of the National Economic and Social Development Council's 14th National Plan, which is due to take effect in 2028. He is also advocating a new Education Bill to replace the existing 1997 legislation.

For Mr Pailin, economic growth and birth rates are closely linked. Births in Thailand peaked between 1973 and 1976 at more than one million annually. Today, however, the number has fallen to around 400,000 a year, posing a long-term risk to economic growth and labour supply.

"Gross domestic product (GDP) depends partly on the number of people participating in the economy," he told the Bangkok Post.

"Thailand now faces difficulty maintaining high growth rates because both population growth and GDP growth are slowing simultaneously. A shrinking working-age population also places greater pressure on an ageing society, as fewer workers are left to support a growing elderly population."

At the same time, Mr Pailin said that while the 1997 Education Act emphasised reform and human resource development as national priorities, nearly three decades on, it requires updating to reflect a more decentralised approach to education.

"Thailand's education system below the higher-education level falls under the authority of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec)," Mr Pailin said.

"The structure lacks sufficient checks and balances. Children are not truly placed at the centre of the system. Instead, the structure appears to be designed primarily around teachers and administrative hierarchy."

He said that while the Education Ministry receives one of the largest government budgets, schools remain highly centralised under principals, who report directly to Obec without independent committees or effective local oversight.

"Although large amounts of money are invested in education, outcomes have not significantly improved. A substantial share of the budget is ultimately spent on teachers' salaries rather than directly enhancing education quality or student outcomes."

TOP MINDS

For the past decade, Mr Pailin has devoted much of his time and attention to Kamnoetvidya Science Academy (KVIS), a boarding school in Rayong that aims to nurture Thailand's top scientific talent, where he serves as chairman of the board.

He describes it as a long-term undertaking. Since the school welcomed its first intake in 2015, the earliest cohort of students have only recently entered the workforce or begun completing doctoral degrees.

Yet the vision, he said, remains clear, and investment in developing human capital is never excessive. KVIS admits only 72 students each year and provides upper-secondary education focused on mathematics, science and technology.

In contrast to criticism that teachers in many state schools often lack specialist expertise, almost all KVIS teachers hold doctoral degrees. To attract leading specialists, "We pay our teachers really well," Mr Pailin said.

Unlike conventional classroom learning, science education requires laboratories, equipment, experimental materials and highly trained teachers.

Yet many Thai schools continue to operate with limited or outdated facilities, making it difficult for students to experience science as a process of discovery rather than rote memorisation, he said.

Mr Pailin said he has observed that when Thai students receive the right support and opportunities, they can thrive regardless of economic background. He has also come to see that the role of an educator extends far beyond simply imparting knowledge.

"We try to conduct the entrance examinations to KVIS in different parts of Thailand to find that 'white elephant in the forest'," Mr Pailin said, referring to students with exceptional academic potential.

"Many students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and can develop a sense of guilt when thinking about their parents or siblings. All we have to do is support them and not abandon them. In many cases, we continue looking after them long after they graduate from KVIS."