Thai students’ performance in science, mathematics, reading and computational problem solving remains below the OECD average, according to PISA 2025 results released on Tuesday.
Students averaged 432 points in science, 407 in mathematics, 392 in reading, and 476 in computational problem solving.
Science scores rose by 23 points, while mathematics and reading each increased by 13.
A trend analysis from 2000 to 2025 indicates an overall decline in mathematics and reading; science performance remained statistically unchanged.
Comparing students in the top 90th and bottom 10th percentiles revealed a 200-point performance gap across science, mathematics and reading.
Females outperformed males in science, mathematics and reading, but males scored higher in computational problem solving.
Science-focused specialised schools achieved higher average scores across all subjects than the OECD average, performing on par with top-tier global economies.
Students in the top socio-economic quartile scored 55 points higher in science than socio-economically disadvantaged students in the bottom quartile.
Deputy Education Minister Akkharanan Kannakittinan said the results mirror Thailand’s long-term global competitiveness, adding that the Education Ministry must upgrade policies in line with the country’s accession process to become a full OECD member.
Thailand recorded 17% resilient students — those achieving high competencies despite socio-economic disadvantages — compared to the OECD average of 12%.
The results show 59% of Thai students attained science proficiency at Level 2 or above, defined as the baseline proficiency required to apply skills in real-world contexts.
In top economies such as Singapore, Estonia, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and China (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang), over 85% of students achieved Level 2 or higher.