About 70 private schools in Thailand have closed down during the past nine months, due to the impacts of COVID-19,and about 100 more are expected to follow suit, including 10 which have already notified the Office of the Private Education Promotion Commission about their decision to close.

 

The latest, after more than 80 years in operation, is the well known Amnuaysilpa Thonburi School in Bangkok, citing cash flow problem.

Education Minister Kanokwan Wilawan said that that she is fully aware of the problem and will consult Pornsak Rattana, secretary-general of the Office of Private Education Promotion Commission, about how to address the problem.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Supaset Khanakul, president of the Association of Private Education Promotion and Coordination Committee, pointed out that, since the opening of the new semester, many private schools have been unable to collect school fees from parents, totalling about one billion baht, leading to cash flow problems.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/more-private-schools-in-thailand-to-close-due-to-pandemic-related-cashflow-problems/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-10-22

 

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It goes without saying that the biggest losers will be the kids themselves, not the fat cats "running" the schools!

I guess its better to close down with the profits earned so far instead bleeding cash.

By the look of things my daughter is learning all she needs to know about living in Thailand under this sham of an administration.

Edited October 22, 20214 yr by sherwood

keep the masses uneducated!

Private school create a two tier society that is unfair. Closing them down puts increased pressure on the government schools.

Many parents are not able to pay there children's school fees and now the school administrators have few choices .

The Thai banks have a similar situation with there loans being paid , yet the banks are not closing like the schools .

Opening Thailand to tourists  on the 1st of November is not going to resolve the situation as the numbers arriving will not be there .

How much do they charge at those "private" school.

Is it a Thai school under the "private" school umbrella or a real "International School".

 

I know how much we pay in fees for the private school. Not cheap.

Many kids in our area of Bangkok went to a private English language school nearby with foreign teachers. The school would not reduce fees at all and have changed to home schooling since start of year. Many parents have now withdrawn their kids for other cheaper online alternatives going forward next term.

I teach at a very prestigious private school and we have been having online classes since May. I'm not worried about the school closing down for good. The school has been in business too long to forfeit. The fallout would be unthinkable.

9 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

since the opening of the new semester, many private schools have been unable to collect school fees from parents, totalling about one billion baht, leading to cash flow problems.

People will never pay for something they are not getting. It was always going to happen, I've been predicting this for months. I do not think this is monetary loss causing this, but refusal to pay for something their kids are not getting.

 

I'm lucky, my wife can teach our 5 year old at home as she is a kindergarten teacher by trade, but I pity the parents and kids of this generation and their lack of government support.

 

 

9 hours ago, itsari said:

Opening Thailand to tourists  on the 1st of November is not going to resolve the situation as the numbers arriving will not be there .

Before the pandemic, Bangkok held the title of the most visited city in the world and it was not just "tourists". Many came to and passed through to do trade and business benefitting the whole country. Creating jobs and employment but not just in the "entertainment areas" that so many here are fond of. Really it's about footfall. More people visiting or relocating in Thailand means more money in the economy. This money sustains employment which ultimately keeps people in jobs and that includes pupils and teachers in private schools educating the young generations in the way of the world. Private vs Government schools not the issue but it educates both types of students upwards. No private education or oversubscrition to government schools will not benefit anyone.

 

Edited October 22, 20214 yr by soi3eddie

13 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

Private school create a two tier society that is unfair. Closing them down puts increased pressure on the government schools.

The UK must be very unfair then 

I am tutoring a girl Phyics IGCSE she had no clue of even what  exam board she was taking at her school! This school is charging 900,000 a year  tuition. 

14 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

Private school create a two tier society that is unfair. Closing them down puts increased pressure on the government schools.

Every country has two or more tier teaching facilities, from government education, to Universities, Colleges etc etc.

And then of course the true private institutions.

Thailand is no different to any other country.

14 hours ago, sherwood said:

By the look of things my daughter is learning all she needs to know about living in Thailand under this sham of an administration.

You mean staying on top of the bull?

My friend has a PHD in Chemical engineering and did all elem, ms, and hs in the Thai public system. I doubt the moron kids at my international school could pull that off

14 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

Many kids in our area of Bangkok went to a private English language school nearby with foreign teachers. The school would not reduce fees at all and have changed to home schooling since start of year. Many parents have now withdrawn their kids for other cheaper online alternatives going forward next term.

I don’t think online learning is a good alternative for younger children.

The social interaction with other children is as important as the formal learning.

Our five year old daughter attends a non government school and they have been doing some group online learning but doesn’t seem to work to well.

14 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

Many kids in our area of Bangkok went to a private English language school nearby with foreign teachers. The school would not reduce fees at all and have changed to home schooling since start of year. Many parents have now withdrawn their kids for other cheaper online alternatives going forward next term.

Can you reply to this topic or message me the info of these online schools you are talking about. THanks

Most Private Schools will not worry so much about closing down.

Most, if not all will be sitting on prime Investment Land, which means the owners still have a massive asset at their disposal.

Its the Children that will suffer, as they always do in such a situation, but if more Children are forced into the Government Program, maybe , just maybe, there will be a complete reboot of the system to bring the Education in line with other Nations.

My daughter is at a private school in Nang Rong. They did not refund the fees i had paid when they closed due to the deadly pandemic.  I complained about not getting my money back but in retrospect they can keep the money as long as they open back up next month. I cant imagine having to send her to a govt school.

1 hour ago, arick said:

I am tutoring a girl Phyics IGCSE

Lucky that the tutoring was not in English at that price! 

1 hour ago, arick said:

I am tutoring a girl Phyics IGCSE she had no clue of even what  exam board she was taking at her school! This school is charging 900,000 a year  tuition. 

I hope you teach Physics better than you spell it or is Phyics a new subject.

11 hours ago, MarcelV said:

I teach at a very prestigious private school and we have been having online classes since May. I'm not worried about the school closing down for good. The school has been in business too long to forfeit. The fallout would be unthinkable.

You are probably at Bangkok Patana or somewhere similar which would have had an online program for all and collected fees throughout. No way such a school would fold.

Thankfully this will rid the kingdom of some of the teacher leeches here for being digital nomads.  Bye

16 hours ago, sherwood said:

By the look of things my daughter is learning all she needs to know about living in Thailand under this sham of an administration.

Get her trained and by the time she grows up she might have an income stream doing this.

When I see the price they charge....anyone could send his kid abroad, pay all expenses, renting, holiday and much more for the same amount...

Schools ripping off your wallet unable to manage their finance. 

Online learning is a joke. My son goes to a private school in Chiang Mai and even he is saying he is not learning much. When discounts were requested the reply was " we still have to pay the maintenance staff. Education is secondary to money here,

16 hours ago, RafPinto said:

How much do they charge at those "private" school.

Is it a Thai school under the "private" school umbrella or a real "International School".

 

I know how much we pay in fees for the private school. Not cheap.

"Private" and "International" schools are 2 completely different Systems... "Private" is usually 100% Thai..  Middle Class and Upper Middle Class... "International" are where expense account Expats send their kids, and is much more expensive than the Private Schools!! 

Hi-So Thai kids go to school abroad!! 

CS

 

Edited October 23, 20214 yr by CosmicSurfer

Surprised. Most schools that I know are absolute CASH converters.
Overcharged school fees and unqualified teachers.