A look at 10 political parties promoting education policies, unveiling proposals to develop Thai people, reduce educational disparities, and strengthen future skills ahead of the 69th general election.
Prepare to explore answers about Thai education with six political parties ahead of the election during the 2026 Education Policy Debate: "Why Study? Diagnosing Thai Education and Reclaiming the Future." Follow it on Thairath Newsroom Special on 16 Jan 2026 GMT+7 | 13:30 - 16:00.
Amid the context of Thai society still facing educational inequality, rapid technological changes, and future labor market challenges, education policies are no longer limited to classroom instruction. They must address quality of life, economic opportunities, and adaptability across all age groups.
Therefore, education policies have become a key focus for all political parties, each proposing distinct reform concepts and methods, spanning system structure, curricula, teacher roles, technology, welfare, and education budgets.
Thairath Online's special news team has compiled education policies from 10 political parties to reflect their ideas, stances, and directions for developing Thai education, as follows.
Led by Mrs. Narumon Phinyosinwat, Kla Tham Party centers on using technology as a key tool to reduce educational inequality, recognizing "teachers" as the main drivers of the education system. They believe developing teachers is essential to developing learners. Their key education policies include:
National Quality Digital Learning Platform (Digital Platform for All)
Develop an online learning platform gathering knowledge from experts and model teachers to allow children in small or remote schools access to standardized instruction equal to leading urban schools.
Resolving Teacher Debt and Enhancing Education Personnel Welfare
The party views teachers' debt burden as directly affecting teaching quality, proposing systematic debt moratoriums or restructuring alongside revising evaluation and promotion criteria, emphasizing "student learning outcomes" over paperwork.
Vocational Innovation Fund
Allocate budgets directly to vocational institutions to support the development of inventions and innovations with real commercial potential, aiming to transform schools into incubators for entrepreneurs and skilled workers of the new generation.
Smart Early Childhood Development Centers
Upgrade community early childhood centers with modern tools and learning materials aligned with developmental stages, also providing appropriate nutrition and hygiene to lay foundational brain development from an early age.
Lifelong Learning for All Ages (Universal Learning)
Support budgets for working-age people seeking to develop or reskill, allowing accumulation of learning credits (Credit Bank) to transfer or apply for additional qualifications in the future.
Led by Mr. Natthapong Rueangpanyawut, Prachachon Party prioritizes addressing structural problems in Thailand's education system, viewing the root issues as outdated management systems hindering learning rather than individual teachers or students. Their education policies aim to remove constraints and burdens on teachers and learners to enable quality education. Key policies include:
Restoring Teachers’ Core Role in the Classroom
Reduce and eliminate non-teaching duties such as quality assurance paperwork, administrative tasks, inventory, or guard duties by central management systems or hiring specialists, allowing teachers to focus fully on student development.
Safe Schools (Zero Tolerance)
Revise laws and regulations to end all forms of school violence, including inappropriate punishment and bullying, and increase school psychologists to systematically support student mental health and safety.
Curriculum Decentralization
Reduce mandatory central content and empower schools to design curricula suited to local contexts, needs, and careers, making learning meaningful and practically applicable.
Learning Promotion Vouchers Outside the Classroom
Directly allocate budgets to children and youth to choose extracurricular skills or activities of interest, such as programming, music, sports, or other special skills, supporting individual potential development.
Learners’ Bodily Rights and Freedoms
Reform regulations on hairstyles and uniforms to be more flexible, based on respect for human dignity and basic rights, and promote schools as democratic spaces that value and listen to students' voices.
Led by Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Bhumjaithai Party emphasizes reducing geographic and economic barriers to education access, viewing "digital technology" combined with "student loan debt resolution" as key mechanisms for equitable educational opportunities. Their main education policies include:
Virtual School
Promote an online learning platform collecting lessons from quality teachers and tutors nationwide, allowing children in remote areas to access education at the same standard as urban schools, under the concept of "learning anytime, anywhere."
Interest-Free and Relaxed Terms for Student Loans (Student Loan Fund - SLF)
Revise the SLF law by eliminating interest, removing guarantor requirements, and waiving fines to reduce financial burdens on students, helping borrowers start work life fairly.
Five-Year SLF Debt Moratorium
For borrowers unable to find jobs or earning below a set threshold, providing time to stabilize economically before repayment.
Free High-Speed Internet for Education
Allocate high-speed internet access rights to students and teachers nationwide at no cost to support teaching and digital knowledge access.
Lifelong Learning
Support budgets for short courses to develop skills or change careers (Reskill/Upskill) for working adults affected by technological and economic structural changes.
Led by Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, Democrat Party builds on the strength of the past "15 Years Free Education" policy, aiming to expand educational welfare comprehensively and deeply, covering both learning and youth well-being. Key policies include:
Free Education Through Bachelor’s Degree in Shortage Fields
Support per-student funding and credit fees up to higher education, focusing on fields aligned with labor market needs to reduce student and family expenses and debt.
School Milk Program 365 Days a Year
Extend school milk provision to children continuously every day, including holidays and school breaks, promoting proper physical development and alleviating parents' nutrition costs.
Free Lunches Through Secondary Education
Increase lunch budget to cover secondary students, expanding beyond primary level to ensure adolescents receive adequate nutrition for growth.
Free Internet at 1 Million Points Nationwide
Expand high-speed internet networks free of charge in schools, libraries, and community learning centers, enabling youth equal access to global knowledge and information.
Free Computers (One per Student)
Support provision of modern learning devices like laptops or tablets to all students, bridging technology gaps and promoting digital platform learning.
Free Education Through Doctorate, Student Loan Debt Relief, and Quality Local Schools
Five education system overhaul policies: 1. Digital transformation to create a national big data education platform including all education sectors, with school management no longer teachers’ duty and improved online knowledge for new teachers.
2. Re-Engineering decentralizes management, eliminates non-teaching duties, removes obstacles to learning, promotes expert-led learning, ensures qualified teachers for all grades, and budgets proposed locally.
3. Re-Design students need 4C skills and understanding-based learning, English as a second language, AI taught from grade 1, end rote memorization and exams, develop specialized vocational fields, and expand university departments.
4. Upskill and reskill all education-related government officials; vocational teachers to work during school breaks.
5. Quality local schools reduce inequality with qualified, modern teachers at all grade levels.
Led by Mr. Julaphan Amornwiwat, Pheu Thai Party positions education as a key driver of the country's economy, aiming to shift education from traditional frameworks toward learning that concretely translates into careers and income. Their key policies include:
Learn to Earn: Education for Income Generation
Enhance education linkage to labor market needs, enabling graduates to enter work and earn immediately, reducing unnecessary theory and boosting vocational skills development, both new and upgraded (Reskill/Upskill).
National Credit Bank
Promote accumulation of credits from diverse learning modes—formal education, real work, or informal training—to be transferable to qualifications at all ages, not limited to formal systems.
One District One Scholarship Project (ODOS)
Revive scholarship support for academically talented but financially needy youth in every district, enabling higher education domestically and abroad, focusing on fields aligned with national development needs.
Local Bilingual Schools
Promote English and Chinese language skills via online learning platforms, alongside support for foreign teachers in teaching, especially in remote areas.
Free Education Plus Welfare
Beyond legally mandated free education, enhance welfare support such as quality school lunches and consider school transport systems in underprivileged areas to reduce parental expenses and inequality.
Led by Mr. Peerapan Salirathvipak, this party focuses on developing human resources academically, morally, and socially responsible to support long-term national development. Key education policies include:
High-Skill Vocational Education
Elevate vocational institutions to advanced skills training through partnerships with industry and multinationals, especially in target industries and the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), enabling immediate workforce entry with stable incomes.
Education for Security and Morality
Include content promoting patriotism, religion, monarchy, and civic duties in contemporary forms to instill Thai consciousness, discipline, and morality alongside academic knowledge.
Education Equality Support Fund
Increase subsidies for children and youth from poor or vulnerable families to prevent dropout due to economic constraints.
Kamonat Scholarships
Provide scholarships to local academically gifted but poor youth to pursue higher education and encourage their return to contribute to community development.
Use of Safety Technology in Schools
Promote safety technologies such as CCTV and student tracking systems to create a safe environment and build parental confidence.
Led by Ms. Treenuch Thienthong, this party emphasizes elevating the education system by developing education personnel and strengthening local schools, believing secure teachers and quality nearby schools are vital for sustainable reduction of educational inequality. Key policies include:
Systematic Resolution of Teacher Debt
Establish funds or mechanisms to support debt moratoriums and restructuring for teachers and education staff to reduce financial pressure and allow full dedication to teaching.
Community Quality Schools (Magnet Schools)
Develop subdistrict central schools with qualified staff and modern learning equipment to provide rural children quality education comparable to urban schools without long travel.
Coding Thailand Project
Expand programming and logical thinking instruction across all grade levels to prepare Thai youth with digital skills aligned with future labor market demands.
Learn Well, Be Happy
Promote a learning atmosphere conducive to student happiness, reduce pressure from traditional learning, and emphasize active learning combined with digital media to make learning engaging and easier to understand.
Public Welfare Education Benefits
Support scholarships and basic learning supplies for low-income families through the state welfare card system to reduce educational disparities starting from early levels.
Led by Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, this party proposes a "system overhaul" in education aimed at faster workforce entry and lowering family costs. Key policies include:
Free Education Through Bachelor's Degree
Extend free education from the current 12 years to cover bachelor's degree studies, with the state fully covering tuition, ensuring all youth can access higher education without financial worries.
Reduce Total Study Time by 3–4 Years
Restructure primary, secondary, and university education to be more concise and efficient without removing essential content, shortening graduation time and enabling youth to enter the workforce sooner.
Break the Cycle of Student Loan Debt
Since the state covers tuition through bachelor's degree and shortens study time, youth will no longer need to borrow from the student loan fund (SLF), granting financial freedom at career start.
Education Vouchers
Give students budgetary power to freely choose institutions or fields of study, promoting competition and quality learning tailored to learners' interests.
Curriculum Focused on Practical Skills
Shift curricula to emphasize essential skills for the modern world over degree fixation, using online platforms and expert teachers to enhance education quality equitably across regions.
Led by Police General Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, this party continues previous education policies aiming to provide equitable access and reduce family economic burdens. Key policies include:
Support Truly Free Compulsory Education
Push for compulsory education without hidden costs, ensuring all children can attend school without burdening parents.
Cancel Student Loan Debt to Ease Family Burdens
Address education debt by canceling student loan fund debts to relieve families financially and prevent youth from starting life in debt.
Ensure Youth Access Education Without Debt Pressure
Create an education system fostering opportunity and equity, allowing children and youth to freely choose learning paths without economic constraints.