While campaigning for his party’s candidate today, Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva asked a group of young students, at a school in Nonthaburi province, whether they knew who he was.
One student quickly responded, “Yes, you are the former prime minister of Thailand.” Abhisit teased back, “Are you sure? I could be the new Prime Minister too.”
Abhisit appeared delighted when the student laughed and replied, “That’s possible.”
His visit to the area, accompanied by his party’s candidate, was aimed at identifying issues within the education system.
During discussions with the school’s principal, Abhisit and his team learned that the school lunch subsidy system does not reflect actual student numbers.
Schools with fewer than 40 students receive 36 baht per student per day but, when enrollment exceeds 40, the subsidy drops to just 22 baht, which is insufficient according to the principal.
The principal urged the Democrat Party to push for policy improvements.
Abhisit also highlighted broader issues affecting education, including social inequality, student loans, declining attention spans among students and local drug problems, including e-cigarettes.
He referenced a visit to Nakhon Si Thammarat the previous day, where concerns about cannabis use among youth were raised.
