The government is pleased that Thailand's PISA ranking has improved by five places, with Thai students' scores rising in all three areas: science, mathematics, and reading, moving up from 58th to 53rd place. Efforts are underway to cultivate "critical thinking, media literacy, and AI skills" starting at the primary education level.
On 9 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Second Lieutenant Phatdarasmi Thongsaluaykorn, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the results of the 2025 PISA international student competency assessment signal positive news for Thai education. The average scores of Thai students increased in all three areas compared to PISA 2022: science rose to 432 points, up 23 points; mathematics reached 407 points, up 13 points; and reading increased to 392 points, up 13 points. This improvement moved Thailand's ranking from 58th place in 2022 to 53rd place in 2025.
Second Lieutenant Phatdarasmi said the encouraging aspect is not just the higher ranking but the score increases across all three subjects, reflecting learners' development in key skills such as reasoning, analytical thinking, information comprehension, and applying knowledge in real-life situations.
Furthermore, Thailand is among eight countries and economic regions with statistically significant average score improvements in all three areas since PISA 2022, indicating clear progress in this assessment cycle.
The 2025 assessment also found that the proportion of Thai students reaching at least the basic proficiency level increased from 2022, with science up by 12%, mathematics by 9%, and reading by 6%. This shows that improvements are not only overall but also reflect more students attaining foundational skills to apply knowledge in real life.
“These results are the outcome of collaboration among all sectors—teachers, school administrators, students, parents, and related agencies—who have continuously worked to develop Thai education. The government thanks all contributors to this progress and will use these results to further benefit learners concretely,” said Second Lieutenant Phatdarasmi.
The Deputy Spokesperson emphasized that PISA should not be seen merely as a ranking but as vital data to guide educational development. Since the assessment measures students' ability to apply knowledge in real contexts, the government plans to analyze PISA data at national, regional, school, and learner group levels to tailor learning development effectively for each group.
At the same time, PISA 2025 also assessed digital learning, with Thailand scoring 476 points in computational problem-solving. This highlights the importance of developing thinking and problem-solving skills in the digital world alongside foundational skills in reading, mathematics, and science.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of Education plans to enhance the AI Learning Framework for both learners and educators, aiming for completion within this year. It will establish foundational skills in media and AI literacy starting from primary school, enabling children to discern information, assess its reliability, and use AI appropriately, critically, and responsibly. These skills will be integrated across various subjects, not limited to technology courses.
PISA 2029 will expand assessment to include Media and AI Literacy, emphasizing the ability to distinguish true from false information and to use AI critically and responsibly. Therefore, preparing these skills is essential to begin laying the foundation today.
“Improved PISA scores are an important encouragement, but the next step is to ensure continuous progress that reaches all Thai children. Our goal is not just to move up in rankings but to develop children who think critically, solve problems, are media literate, and use AI effectively, preparing them for a rapidly changing world,” said the Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office.
For PISA 2025, Thailand's sample included 8,547 students from 273 schools, covering various education systems.