How Much Are Parents Really Paying This School Opening? Hidden Costs the Government Ignores and the Myth of Free Education

As "May" approaches, wallets of parents and guardians nationwide start to shake again because children are about to begin the new school year.

While "free education" sounds like a good promise in every era, for Thai parents in reality, it is just an idealistic policy and a small "debt festival" before school starts, as government subsidy figures sharply contrast with actual expenses.

This raises the question: Are we only free in name?

Exposing the "unseen" financial gap the government ignores.

According to 2026 subsidy data, the government allocates a per-student budget that, when broken down, is such a small amount it barely covers anything in today's expensive cost of living.

List of expenses

• School uniforms (primary) are subsidized at 400 baht, but in reality, parents bear costs for 2-3 sets of uniforms, sportswear, scout uniforms, and 2-3 pairs of shoes, leading to additional payments of 1,500 to over 3,000 baht.
• School supplies are subsidized at 440 baht (220 baht per semester), but parents actually pay for notebooks, stationery, art supplies, and crafts, resulting in extra costs between 500 and over 1,000 baht.
• Student activities are allocated 547 baht by the government, but parents cover costs for academic camps, scout programs, and field trips, which often require additional fees during the year.

The "invisible" expenses the government pretends to forget.

Although the Ministry of Education has banned charging for 22 items (such as tuition, internet, library fees), in practice, "hidden costs" proliferate in some schools like mushrooms after rain.

• Air conditioning and utility fees have become normal charges schools add, claiming these are not covered by the basic subsidy.
• To provide language learning through foreign teachers, parents must pay tens of thousands more as "education maintenance fees."
• Daily expenses like food and transportation are burdens the government does not cover.
• Extra tutoring courses, costing 2,000 to 15,000 baht each in a competitive system, become "must-pay battles" parents face if they don't want their children to fall behind.
• New sports day uniforms must be purchased every year.
• Annual student insurance fees.
• Fees for remedial classes to strengthen knowledge.
• Some schools issue receipts for payments to personnel working on-site.
• Computer lessons fees apply when schools provide equipment beyond government standards.

"Free education is not truly free" — Legal loopholes that must be closed.

Recently, Parit Watcharasindhu, MP from the Prachachon Party, and Asst. Prof. Atthapon Anantaworasakul, Chair of the Education Subcommittee of the Consumer Council, highlighted that the problem is not just budgetary but lax law enforcement and gaps in the Education Act that allow schools to charge miscellaneous fees.

"Currently, parents are still charged various education maintenance fees even though the government says 22 basic items are covered. In practice, many parents still pay fees for uniforms, books, learning materials, activities, and even travel and internet costs," they explained.

A thought-provoking conclusion: Inequality begins with the "subsidy".

From the above data, it is clear that families without 5,000 to 20,000 baht in reserve before school starts often resort to informal debt to secure their children's future.

This raises the question: Is it time for the government to stop providing mere "fractional" subsidies and face the reality of how enormous annual education costs per child are, and to eliminate "hidden costs" so that "free education" becomes real, not just a campaign slogan?

Notably, the Bhumjaithai Party’s election promise acknowledged that although Thailand has a 15-year free education policy, it is not truly free. Educational inequality persists, with over one million children pushed out of the system. The party proposed the "Equal Education Plus" policy to make free education real, ensuring free learning, jobs, and access anytime, anywhere, without costs—whether this will be realized remains to be seen.

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