Thai education ministry ensures enough milk and food for students during crisis

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Prime Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Prime Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha.

BANGKOK – A meeting of cabinet ministers followed up on the school milk and lunch projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the first semester of the 2020 academic year being postponed to July 1, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Interior have taken measures to ensure that lunch and milk are served to students as planned.



Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, said he would like to thank all officials and sectors for addressing the COVID-19 situation and helping those in need. He expressed his concern for people’s well-being and personnel who are on the front line, and said the government is considering measures to assist them.

Regarding online classes that have posed issues for some people, the Prime Minister explained that they are only there to serve students temporarily. Schools will resume normal classes until the situation improves. The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and the Ministry of Public Health, will continue to evaluate the situation until there is a vaccine for COVID-19.


The cabinet meeting acknowledged the school milk and lunch projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the school milk project, milk is provided to school students for 260 days per academic year. After the Ministry of Education instructed all schools to reopen on July 1, the milk allocation was adjusted as follows:

– If the semester begins on July 1, 2020, students will be given ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk, provided by the project from May 18 to June 30, 2020.

– If the semester begins after July 1, 2020, or if students still attend online classes or take turns attending school, UHT milk will be provided until the situation returns to normal.

Concerning the school lunch project, students from kindergarten to sixth grade will receive lunch meals for 200 days per academic year, with a lunch fee of 20 baht per person per day. If students still attend online classes or take turns attending school, the lunch fee will be given to their guardians to help them prepare lunch at home until the situation returns to normal, starting July 1, 2020. It will be in effect until the situation returns to normal.(NNT)