The Ministries of Agriculture and Education have joined forces to resolve teacher debt by establishing a joint task force tasked with finding solutions within 30 days. They have outlined three measures to address debt totaling 1.2 trillion baht.
On 2 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Prasert Chandraruangthong, Minister of Education, together with Ms. Piyaratch Tiyapairat, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, along with executives from both ministries, held a meeting to discuss and exchange views on resolving teacher debt. Present were Mr. Suthep Kaengsantiya, Permanent Secretary of Education, representatives from the Ministry of Education, Mr. Niran Moolthida, Director-General of the Department of Cooperative Promotion, Mr. Pakdee Jankas, Deputy Director-General of the same department, and other executives. The meeting took place in Conference Room 226 at the Department of Cooperative Promotion, Thewet, Bangkok.
This discussion was a joint effort between the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, through the Department of Cooperative Promotion, and the Ministry of Education, focusing on approaches to resolving debt problems among teachers and educational personnel. The Education Minister emphasized that addressing teacher debt is a top policy priority due to its impact on the overall quality of life for teaching staff. He called for both ministries and all relevant sectors to collaborate in setting practical measures to tackle this issue. Currently, there are 116 teacher savings cooperatives with 862,539 members and operating capital of 1,237,766 million baht.
Since 2023, the Department of Cooperative Promotion has requested teacher savings cooperatives to assist members with debt by reducing loan interest rates to no more than 4.75% per annum and extending loan repayment periods up to age 75. They also require members to retain at least 30% of their monthly income after debt payments to ensure sufficient living expenses.
From the joint discussion between the Ministries of Education and Agriculture and Cooperatives, three key points were identified to address this issue:
1. Explore establishing a central cooperative to act as an intermediary organization to resolve these problems, including reviewing and updating related regulations, rules, and laws to align with the operations of modern cooperatives.
2. Implement measures for loan repayment deductions that ensure members retain sufficient income—at least 30% of their monthly income after deductions—and employ the Credit Lock system as a financial control tool to prevent accumulating additional debt.
3. Seek low-interest funding sources, requiring consultations with the Ministry of Finance and other agencies to develop strategies to resolve current and future debt issues affecting teaching personnel.
Additionally, a joint task force between the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Education has been established. Ms. Piyaratch Tiyapairat, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, appointed Mr. Jadet Chantra, Assistant Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, as chair of the task force representing the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. She emphasized the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with the Ministry of Education and to expedite finding both short- and long-term solutions to the debt problems faced by members of teacher savings cooperatives. The task force will comprehensively consider all possible approaches to ensure effective and appropriate outcomes.
The Department of Cooperative Promotion proposes solutions including support measures for low-interest funding through government mechanisms, integrating efforts with public agencies to provide low-interest credit sources to alleviate financial burdens and improve liquidity for cooperative members. The Credit Lock tool will be used to strengthen financial discipline and prevent repeated borrowing. Loan approvals will be based on responsible lending principles and risk management. The joint task force from both ministries will meet regularly to finalize concrete solutions within 30 days.