PATTAYA, Thailand – Thailand’s Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) has issued an urgent directive to all education service areas nationwide, ordering schools to implement seven measures aimed at reducing financial burdens on parents during the ongoing energy crisis.
OBEC Secretary-General Pichet Phophakdee said schools under the agency’s supervision have been instructed to follow the “Measures to Reduce Parent Expenses During the Energy Crisis for Academic Year 2026,” while adapting implementation to local conditions and maintaining education quality.
The measures are intended to ease pressure on families affected by rising living costs without disrupting students’ learning opportunities or development.
The seven measures include reducing or waiving education maintenance fees, relaxing uniform requirements, cutting unnecessary learning materials and supplementary books, reducing paid school activities, limiting costly student projects, and expanding the use of digital technology in teaching and school administration. Schools are also allowed to introduce additional support measures suited to their circumstances. Suggested approaches include allowing students to continue using old uniforms after changing grade levels or schools, increasing the use of physical education uniforms, relaxing rules on scout uniforms, and permitting any type of school bag without requiring official logos.
The guidelines also encourage schools to design low-cost learning activities, assign more group work, integrate subjects across learning areas, and expand the use of online systems for submitting assignments and monitoring student progress. Officials said the policy aims to ensure all students continue receiving equal access to education while helping parents manage rising expenses linked to the energy crisis.
