Families of Thai students in ‘very poor’ group live on THB34 a day

Their average daily income of only 34 baht per day was well below the poverty standard set by the World Bank of 80 baht per day, the EEF said.

This means children in this group are at higher risk of being unable to complete mandatory education (Mathayom 3, equivalent to grade 9) because their families could not afford to support them, it said.

The report quoted statistics from the ISEE (Information System for Equitable Education) platform as saying that families in the very poor group are clustered in remote areas of Thailand, with Mae Hong Son province having 54.99% of its students classified as very poor – the highest in the country.

Other provinces with high numbers of very poor families are either in the North or the Northeast region, including Nakhon Phanom (45.21%), Amnat Charoen (44.9%), Kalasin (43.25%), and Yasothon (41.94%).

Meanwhile, the number of very poor students in the three southern border provinces has gradually reduced in the past two years, the EEF said.

The report listed four main factors that force very poor students to quit their schools:

1. Chronic household debt that has forced Thai families living near or below the poverty line to prioritise necessities, such as food, shelter, and medical care before children’s education.

2. Limited access to student loans and scholarships as well as low number of scholarships available. The EEF found that in 2023 only 5.14% of students in the very poor group applied for loans under the Student Loans Fund. They cited fear of being unable to repay and not wanting to increase the family’s debt burden as reasons for not seeking study loans.

3. High cost of education-related expenses besides tuition fee, including school meals, uniform, dormitory and transport costs, which have been adjusted up following the inflation.

4. The application and test fees that students have to pay to further their education, which the EEF has found could cost from 100 to 1,000 baht per subject per time. Those who pass the entrance exam are often asked to pay the tuition fee up front to reserve their spot. This fee could range from 10,000 to 20,000 baht, the EEF said.

The EEF suggested that the government and related agencies increase their efforts in providing opportunities to poor students, including measures to help raise family income and provide more affordable student loans.

The fund also suggested that families in the very poor group look for alternatives, such as informal education, as a way for their children to obtain necessary skills and training without having to be overwhelmed by debt.