Category: The Bangkok Post

Student Care Co Ltd, the pioneer of Thailand’s leading all-in-one school management and student welfare system, is transforming the nation’s education landscape with its smart and sustainable school platform.

Supported by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), the company recently represented Thailand’s ed-tech innovation sector at Expand North Star 2025, one of the world’s largest tech and startup exhibitions, which is held alongside GITEX Global 2025 in Dubai.

Developed entirely by Thai engineers, the Student Care platform is recognised as Thailand’s No.1 all-in-one ed-tech and green school platform.

Featuring more than 70 integrated modules, it addresses real challenges faced by teachers, students and parents, ranging from administrative management and communication to AI-powered analytics that support evidence-based decisions.

“Our goal is to help Thai schools transition into smart and sustainable schools using digital tools that streamline operations and promote equitable learning,” said Somporn Pukittivarangoon, chief executive of Student Care.

Founded 12 years ago, the 100% Thai-owned company connects educators, administrators, students, and families via a single intelligent platform.

“Our platform is designed not only for students but also for teachers,” Mr Somporn noted.

“By using the Student Care platform daily, teachers can manage tasks efficiently while developing digital skills and confidence in technology.”

One of Student Care’s flagship solutions is its intelligent AI camera system, developed in-house to enhance safety and efficiency.

Capable of recognising up to 30 faces simultaneously, it allows instant check-in and check-out while sending real-time notifications to teachers and parents via the company’s Student Messenger app.

“This innovation improves safety, communication, and reduces teachers’ workload, reflecting our mission to combine technology with empathy, AI that cares with heart,” said Mr Somporn.

The platform was first piloted at Samsenwittayalai School, whose feedback helped refine the system’s features such as the student screening system.

Today, more than 400 schools across Thailand, of which 80% are public and 20% private, use the Student Care platform, with over 600,000 students logging in daily.

The system enables more effective care and closer monitoring of each student’s wellbeing and learning progress, Mr Somporn said.

Student Care operates on a subscription-based model, with annual fees determined by student numbers.

In 2024, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand invested in the company to support its growth.

The company reported strong growth of 25-30% in 2025, driven by wider adoption of its all-in-one school management and student welfare platform.

Student Care is targeting another 25-30% revenue increase, expansion to over 500 schools, and more than 750,000 users next year. Its goal is to reach 1 million students on the platform by 2027, advancing Thailand’s move toward smart and sustainable education.

Through its corporate social responsibility programme — Step Forward Together — the company provides free access to its platform for small rural schools with fewer than 200 students.

Once the project reaches full implementation, it will impact more than 2 million students nationwide.

The DITP’s support has been pivotal to Student Care’s global expansion. Participation in the Expand North Star 2025 event allowed Student Care to showcase Thai-developed technology to the world and seek new international partnerships.

The initiative aligns with the DITP’s Thai Tech to Global Market campaign, which promotes “Tech Thailand” as a hub for innovation and empowers local startups to expand internationally.

Student Care’s innovations align with Thailand’s Digital Education 5.0 policy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, creating a measurable impact by enhancing education quality through AI-driven analytics, reducing inequality through support for rural schools, and promoting sustainability by cutting paper use by over 90%.

“By bringing our green school platform to the international stage, we aim to show how Thai innovation can advance sustainable education and improve lives,” Mr Somporn said.

The company is now developing AI Guardian School, a new module designed to assess students’ behaviour and emotional wellbeing.

The system will detect early signs of stress, attention deficit, or gaming and gambling addictions, enabling timely intervention and proactive care.

POSITIVE MINDSET

Currently employing over 100 staff, including 21 developers, 8 technical specialists, 22 customer service officers, and 32 salespeople, Student Care fosters a culture of trust and innovation.

“When recruiting, we look for people with a positive mindset,” Mr Somporn said. “Skills can be developed, but attitude and integrity are the foundation of long-term success.”

With a cloud-based system, partnerships in the Philippines, and plans for an initial public offering in early 2027, Student Care aims to lead Thailand’s ed-tech revolution toward a smarter and more sustainable future.

GITEX Global 2025, the world’s largest technology and AI showcase, got underway on Oct 13 and ends tomorrow. The event, which is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, highlights breakthroughs in biotechnology, physical AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, and data centres.

The event features more than 6,800 tech enterprises and 2,000 startups from 180 countries.

Expand North Star 2025, which was held alongside GITEX Global 2025 at Dubai Harbour, came to a close yesterday. The event connected 2,000 startups with 1,200 investors.

The Thai Industries Sentiment Index (TISI) rose for the first time in seven months to 87.8 points in September, thanks to the speedy establishment of the new government and promising policies to deal with economic woes, says the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

The indicator tallied 86.4 points in August, the lowest level recorded since June 2022.

The Anutin Charnvirakul government spent less than a month to form a new cabinet after his predecessor Paetongtarn Shinawatra was dismissed as the prime minister by the Constitutional Court on Aug 29 for an ethics violation.

The new government has launched many policies to retore the economy, boosting confidence among businesses, said Apichit Prasoprat, vice-chairman of the FTI.

He applauded the Finance Ministry’s measure to help small and medium-sized enterprises gain better access to financial sources.

“This measure significantly enhanced liquidity for business operators,” said Mr Apichit.

The increase in the TISI in September was attributed to higher exports of agricultural and electronic products, especially to the Malaysian, Vietnamese and Taiwanese markets, he said.

Domestic sales of electric vehicles continued to increase this month, driven partly by the BIG Motor Sale 2025, a 10-day car event that ended on Aug 31.

Foreign direct investment also showed a positive trend, after the January to August period, it rose by 125% year-on-year to 225.5 billion baht, said Mr Apichit.

In September, besides the negative impact of baht appreciation on exports, agricultural output was adversely affected by heavy monsoon rains and flooding in many provinces, disrupting raw material supplies for the agricultural and food processing industries, he said.

The September TISI was based on a survey of 1,356 entrepreneurs across 47 industry clubs under the FTI. Domestic economic conditions topped the list of their concerns, gaining the votes of 66.8%, followed by government policies (54.6%) and loan access (30.3%).

Global economic uncertainties were on the top of respondents’ growing concerns with the votes of 62.4%, followed by foreign exchange rate fluctuations (47.4%).

A 69-year-old blind German man sat waiting for his wife at their home in Chachoengsao, unaware that she had taken her own life inside until a neighbour arrived on Tuesday evening.

Police were called to the two-storey house in Khlong Udom Chonlachon at 6.30pm on Tuesday, where they found the body of a 53-year-old Thai woman who had hanged herself. Her husband, blind in both eyes due to a car accident, was sitting at a table outside.

A neighbour told police the couple had rented the house for over a year. The woman worked as a taxi driver in Bangkok for two to three days at a time, preparing meals for her husband before leaving. The neighbour would check in and cook for him if she was away for longer.

On the day of the incident, the husband called out, asking the neighbour to turn on the house lights. When the lights came on, the woman’s body was discovered.

The husband told police his wife had returned home that morning distressed after a traffic accident. The other party was demanding 40,000 baht in compensation, which the couple did not have.

Officials visited the home on Wednesday to assess the man’s situation and found his visa had expired. He has lived in Thailand for 16 years on a German pension.

The man said he wishes to remain in Thailand. Authorities will contact his relatives. Meanwhile, neighbours continue to provide him with meals and care.

The filling of the huge sinkhole on Bangkok’s Samsen Road will require much more sand that earlier thought because it’s getting bigger, according to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority.

The MRTA said on Wednesday the original sinkhole was 30 metres wide, 30m long and 20m deep, but had since expanded and was still getting bigger.

The initial estimate that about 8,000 cubic metres of sand would be needed to fill it was now not enough.

The sand fill would strengthen the foundation of the damaged Samsen police station building, which would be demolished. It would also speed up the reopening of that section of Samsen Road to traffic in time for the new school semester.

When the fill was complete and the road reopens, the demolition of Samsen police station building could speed up. But it would require partial road closures at times.

By Wednesday the depth of the hole had been reduced to about 4.5 metres. Engineers were closely monitoring adjacent buildings for safety.

The sinkhole formed on Samsen Road in Dusit district, Bangkok, in the morning of Sept 24 above an underground railway station under construction for the Purple Line extension route of the MRTA. The state enterprise blamed the subsidence on the water-saturated, soft soil in the surrounding area.

Three police officers and six civilians were injured, with four badly hurt, when a roadside bomb was detonated in Yi-Ngo district of this southern province on Thursday.

The incident occurred at about 9am on Ram Komut Road where police from the Yi-Ngo station were conducting a patrol by armoured vehicle.

The bomb exploded in front of a tea shop where some local residents were gathering. Three officers and six civilians were injured by the blast.

Four of the civilians were reportedly in serious condition as they were receiving treatment at Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Hospital.

It was believed that insurgents detonated the device remotely when the police patrol arrived at the location.

Forensic and explosive ordnance disposal officials inspected the scene, and the investigation is continuing to track down the culprits.

The mission of the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry is to build the “lifeblood” of the government, referring to government cloud and data systems, says minister Chaichanok Chidchob.

The ministry is also developing decentralisation systems to enhance long-term government security, ensuring service continuity if a centralised system is disrupted, as well as decentralised data security, said Mr Chaichanok at the recent Digital Government Summit 2025 event.

“Digital technology is not just a tool, but also the future infrastructure of the country, enabling the economy, society and government to move forward steadily,” he said.

Mr Chaichanok said the digital economy represents an opportunity for all sectors. The ministry is promoting the Digital Startup AI Sandbox to enable developers to work within a secure ecosystem, including a digital infrastructure for digital trade, and expanding 5G infrastructure to reach every village.

He said the ministry is studying the use of blockchain technology to make government data transparent and verifiable, a foundation for protecting government data on the government data infrastructure.

“We continue to advance the security and flexibility of the government cloud, supporting new technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, and implementing proactive personal data protection systems under the personal data protection law,” said Mr Chaichanok.

He said the ministry recognises successful systems in other countries cannot be implemented in Thailand because every country has limitations and governments have limited time.

As a result, the DES Ministry must gather information and conduct thorough research to lay the foundation.

“Over the next four months, I would like to assure you that the government and I recognise the importance of government systems, not just systems, but also new confidence and national security,” Mr Chaichanok said.

Earlier he said he instructed the Anti Online Scam Operation Center, better known as the AOC 1441 hotline, to develop an electronic dashboard, which he dubbed a “scam intelligence board” to analyse online scams.

The move aligns with his urgent call to upgrade measures to suppress call centres and online scams, aiming to reduce losses among individuals and the economy.

Mr Chaichanok said his three other urgent missions comprise addressing natural and environmental disasters, preventing security threats and solving economic problems.

The Revenue Department has reiterated that all individuals who earn income – regardless of the source, including from online sales or influencer activities – are required to file and pay income tax.

Panuvat Luangvilai, deputy director-general of the department, said it is not targeting any specific group, but is monitoring the situation to ensure everyone pays their taxes correctly and fairly.

The issue is in the spotlight again following the media buzz over record-breaking livestream selling sessions by singer Ratchanok ‘Janey’ Suwannaket that brought in hundreds of millions of baht.

‘Singers or actors who livestream to sell products and earn tens of millions of baht an hour in sales are required to file and pay tax,’ Mr Panuvat said.

‘If individuals own and sell their own products, they must tally their income from sales to deduct expenses that are costs and personal allowances. The remaining amount is profit or net income, which will be used to calculate the amount of income tax.

‘Alternatively, if the income comes from being hired to live-stream, whether paid daily, hourly or via commissions, that portion of income must also be declared and taxed as personal income.’

Personal income tax is calculated on a progressive scale ranging from 5% to 35%. If total product sales exceed 1.8 million baht, the individual is also required to register for value-added tax.

For livestream sales conducted under a company or legal entity, the entity must file corporate income tax, with the tax calculated based on income after the deduction of expenses, in accordance with the prescribed conditions, said Mr Panuvat.

For example, if an individual sells products online and earns 20 million baht a day, that income must be declared for tax purposes. However, it must be determined whether the income comes from actual product sales or from being hired for promotional work.

The taxpayer is entitled to deduct either actual expenses or a lump-sum deduction of 60%, depending on the type of income received, to calculate net income.

In addition, verification is required to determine whether those figures represent actual sales or real income. This is because some investigations have found that the reported sales were instead marketing or promotional activities intended to inflate sales figures and create credibility, said Mr Panuvat.

In addition, the department partnered with large online sales platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, Grab and Line Man to report information on fee-based income earned from participating merchants, allowing it to trace and verify the actual income of online sellers.

As well, the department has launched the RD10X Project to train its local tax officers, shifting from their traditional role of handling paper tax filings to monitoring and ensuring proper tax compliance among filers, including influencers, as most taxpayers have shifted to online filing, reducing the volume of paper submissions.

The department is also developing artificial intelligence systems to track patterns of online trade and livestream sales, monitor sales volumes and assess the accuracy of tax payments.

A brilliant Teerasak Poeiphimai hat-trick sparked Thailand to a commanding 6-1 victory over Taiwan in an AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier at the Taipei Municipal Stadium on Tuesday night.

The win kept Thailand’s qualification hopes alive in Group D, with the Southeast Asian side moving up to nine points.

Thailand’s head coach, Masatada Ishii, praised his team for collecting six points from their two matches against Taiwan.

“I am pleased with the overall performance of the team in both matches, as we won both games,” said the Japanese coach.

“Of course, in the home match, Thai football fans came to watch and filled the stadium. For this game, we played away, but there were still many fans who came to support us. This motivated the team a lot.

“This was our second meeting with the same team, so we had analysed their game very well.

“If you ask me, we were not perfect; otherwise, we would not have allowed them to score that goal so early after the break.”

Thailand, who had secured a 2-0 win over Taiwan in Bangkok, dominated from the outset and opened their account as early as the fourth minute. Teerasak chipped the ball over Taiwan goalkeeper Huang Chiu-lin’s head from Seksan Ratree’s cross.

The hosts tried to respond but were unable to convert their chances, as Thailand calmly absorbed the pressure before doubling their tally in the 25th minute through Seksan, who slotted home from close range.

Taiwan came close in the 40th minute when Chen Po-liang dragged his shot just wide of the post. Masatada Ishii’s side extended their lead in first-half stoppage time, with Supachok Sarachat converting Weerathep Pomphan’s layoff from inside the area to make it 3-0.

Taiwan came out charging after the break and reduced the deficit in the 47th minute, with Kuo Po-wei firing a left-footed shot past Thailand keeper Patiwat Khammai. However, Thailand quickly reasserted their dominance, with Teerasak scoring his second in the 62nd minute from a corner before completing his hat-trick with a powerful drive from inside the box in the 75th minute.

The Southeast Asian side’s sustained pressure resulted in Huang Tzu-ming turning the ball into his own net after Santipharp Channgom’s cross deflected off the Taiwanese defender in the third minute of stoppage time, sealing the impressive victory.

Teerasak, celebrating his first international hat-trick, admitted the goals eased the pressure on him.

“I’m very happy to score three for the national team. It’s a special moment for me, and I want to thank the fans both in the stadium and back home,” he said.

Thailand will next play Sri Lanka in their fifth match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on Nov 18.

In the other Group D match, Turkmenistan remained in control of their destiny after sealing a 2-1 win over Sri Lanka.

The victory meant Turkmenistan returned to the top of the group, level on nine points with Thailand but holding a favourable head-to-head record against the Southeast Asian side.

The government plans to roll out a package of measures, in addition to the Khon La Khrueng Plus scheme, to stimulate domestic tourism and economic activity, which are expected to boost this year’s GDP by 0.4%.

Speaking after the new economic policy committee met for the first time on Wednesday, Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the panel has approved a raft of measures to revitalise the tourism sector, which has contracted by 8% over the past eight months.

The package, to be submitted to the cabinet for approval next week, comprises three key initiatives: a 20,000-baht tax rebate scheme for individuals; a programme to expedite seminar budget spending by government agencies, state enterprises, and local administrative bodies; and a tax deduction scheme for hotel renovations.

Under the tax rebate scheme, individuals will be eligible for deductions on travel expenses — once for trips to major provinces and 1.5 times for travel to secondary provinces. The scheme will run from Oct 29 to Dec 15.

The second measure aims to accelerate the spending of seminar budgets by the public sector without requiring new funds.

Agencies will be required to disburse 60% of the total six-billion-baht budget by the end of January, instead of waiting for the third and fourth quarters, to help drive faster economic expansion.

Mr Ekniti said the ministry will also study a proposal by the Thai Chamber of Commerce to allow companies to deduct travel expenses for employee leisure trips.

The third measure provides double tax deductions for hotel renovations in secondary provinces until March next year.

Eligible expenses include air-conditioning, solar panel, and wastewater treatment systems.

Other proposals under consideration include tax reductions for entertainment venues to encourage operators to register their businesses properly and gain tax benefits.

Mr Ekniti said the meeting also set disbursement targets for the current fiscal year at 75% for investment budgets and 93% for fixed budgets, with these targets to serve as key performance indicators for state agencies.

Unspent funds from the 2025 fiscal year total 300 billion baht, with only 65% of the investment budget disbursed, he added.

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the measures are expected to increase economic growth by 0.4% of GDP.

Regarding the co-payment scheme, which opened for merchant registration on Wednesday, Mr Ekniti said it is expected to inject 88 billion baht into the economy, with 900,000 vendors and about 20 million people expected to participate.

The Khon La Khrueng Plus programme offers beneficiaries between 2,000 and 2,400 baht per person, with daily spending capped at 200 baht for up to two months.

Addressing tax concerns, Mr Ekniti said data collected under the co-payment programme remains confidential but emphasised that paying income tax is a legal obligation for all earners.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he had instructed the panel to focus on achieving quick wins.

The Athletics Association of Thailand has taken on the responsibility of contributing 17 gold medals to the Thai tally when the Kingdom hosts the 2025 Southeast Asian Games from Dec 9-20.

A total of six national sports governing bodies, including track and field, were invited to the first “Meet the Press” event on Tuesday at Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium. They told the media they hoped to deliver between 24 and 36 gold medals at the biennial tournament.

National Olympic Committee of Thailand president Pimol Srivikorn presided over the event and noted that the 2025 Games will feature 50 official sports, three demonstration events, and one “economically impactful sport”.

Over 2,000 Thai athletes are expected to compete, while Cambodia will send around 300 athletes — fewer than initially planned due to safety concerns, he said.

“I am confident that Thailand will win the overall title at this year’s SEA Games and make us proud,” Pimol added.

Sports Writers and Photographers Association of Thailand president Phaitoon Chutimakornkul, who co-chaired the meeting, expressed hope that the nine scheduled press briefings would help Thai sports fans assess the nation’s readiness and expectations ahead of the Games.

Pol Maj Gen Naphanwut Liamsanguan, vice president of the Athletics Association of Thailand, reaffirmed the goal of 17 gold medals in track and field, surpassing the 16 won previously.

He added that the association has enlisted an American sprint coach to help athletes improve their times.

The Thai Modern Pentathlon Association expects to claim two of the six gold medals up for grabs.

The Thailand Triathlon Association also hopes to win at least two of the 11 gold medals, though the host nation faces stiff competition from Cambodia, which has recruited top athletes from France and China.

The Thailand Equestrian Federation confirmed it is aiming for five golds and believes six are within reach, while the Thailand Polo Association is confident of sweeping both gold medals.

The Thai Cycling Association revealed that the sport will offer 17 gold medals across four disciplines, with Thailand expected to win six titles.

The second “Meet the Press” session is scheduled for Thursday, with badminton, tennis, squash, table tennis, gymnastics, shooting, and weightlifting set to present their plans and medal targets.