Report Thailand Waves Goodbye to Costly Scout Uniforms, Eases Parent Woes

[webfact]

File photo for reference only. Sorawitgolf, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Parents nationwide cheer as Thailand's Ministry of Education eases the financial strain by ditching mandatory scout uniforms. The change, announced by Deputy Education Minister Surasak Phancharoenworrakul, means schools under ministry control will no longer require full uniforms for scout activities, reducing costs significantly for families.

 

The decision, driven by economic concerns and Thailand's varied climate, allows schools to select simpler attire. Children can now sport regular school uniforms or PE kits, with scout scarves as the only requirement. This change not only saves money but also considers the practicalities of wearing heavy uniforms in Thailand's tropical weather conditions.

 

Previously, students needed three sets of scout gear: ceremonial, training, and casual. The latest guidelines grant schools the discretion to decide what suits their students best without the hefty price tag, providing parents with crucial financial relief as the new school term looms.

 

 

 

The National Scout Organisation of Thailand (NSO) will issue an official proclamation soon, cementing this new flexibility in regulations. Until then, the Ministry of Education is keen to spread the word to prevent unnecessary spending on scout attire, a burden relieved from family budgets.

 

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with parents welcoming this unexpected easing of school-related expenses. The Nation reported a general approval across the country, shining a light on how this ruling aligns with the economic circumstances presently faced by many.

 

With these changes rolling out promptly, parents across Thailand can celebrate lighter financial loads as their children prep for the school year ahead. This move not only marks a shift in tradition but also highlights a sensitivity to the pressing needs of everyday Thai citizens.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-04-24

 

 

 

[Pouatchee]

hmmm supposed to be "boy scouts" but girls attend too... I guess thailand made up their own scouts. Wonder if they are going to keep the red forked stick? I never understood its us but all the kids must have one...

[Emdog]

When I was a boy..... scouts were totally optional, something you had to seek out, not mandatory by any means. This was in USA. I did cub scouts, but didn't go for boy scouts... whole structure seemed a tad too Nazi for my taste

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The decision, driven by economic concerns and Thailand's varied climate, allows schools to select simpler attire. Children can now sport regular school uniforms or PE kits, with scout scarves as the only requirement.

Thank the lord, watching a neighbouring overweight 50+ male teacher dressed as a scout going to school in the mornings will no longer scare the mire out of me.

[NorthernRyland]

I thought the uniform was part of the fun and made it feel more official and real. I'm sad to see them go. I always liked seeing the kids out wearing them and doing their activities.

 

How expensive could a child's uniform be anyways? 

[factual monk]

I been a boy scout on my early teens...in my country  we had a simple scouts uniform... nothing fancy but very affordable and befitting 

[klauskunkel]

Whoever requires the wearing of a uniform should pay for it, IMO.

[KhunBENQ]

30 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Thank the lord, watching a neighbouring overweight 50+ male teacher dressed as a scout going to school in the mornings will no longer scare the mire out of me.

I think I will miss the fun.

For a Pattaya bar crawl this would be THE eye-catcher.

[Guderian]

In my day, nobody cared much about the uniform, the only thing that mattered was getting as many achievement patches as possible. Therein lay the kudos.

[black tabby12345]

A good move.

It reduces the financial burden to the low-income parents.

While boy scout itself is the positive educational activity(e.g. they have a day of street cleaning and tree planting).

 

 

 

[Hardcastle P]

34 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Thank the lord, watching a neighbouring overweight 50+ male teacher dressed as a scout going to school in the mornings will no longer scare the mire out of me.

They all have uniforms for school  but not 3 I grant you .isn't a uniform to make all kids equal ,not allowing those with money to look better in designer cloths. 

I don't understand why kids need 3 when I was in the Cubs and Scouts in the uk we only had one uniform it did for all occasion even High Church parade once a month. 

This certainly is not the teaching of the world wide scout association. Plus it's a catholic order not a Buddhist one so I guess Thailand can make it's own rules as it cannot be recognised buy the world scout organisation as defined  by Baden Powell .

[FruitPudding]

43 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

I thought the uniform was part of the fun and made it feel more official and real. I'm sad to see them go. I always liked seeing the kids out wearing them and doing their activities.

 

How expensive could a child's uniform be anyways? 

 

A few hundred baht

[hotchilli]

20 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

I think I will miss the fun.

For a Pattaya bar crawl this would be THE eye-catcher.

They only banned school scout uniforms... Cosplay still rocks

[Iron Tongue]

3 hours ago, Emdog said:

When I was a boy..... scouts were totally optional, something you had to seek out, not mandatory by any means. This was in USA. I did cub scouts, but didn't go for boy scouts... whole structure seemed a tad too Nazi for my taste

You were what ~11 years old and you were judging an organization that you had not taken part in to be "a tad too Nazi".  Sure.

[FritsSikkink]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

File photo for reference only. Sorawitgolf, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Parents nationwide cheer as Thailand's Ministry of Education eases the financial strain by ditching mandatory scout uniforms. The change, announced by Deputy Education Minister Surasak Phancharoenworrakul, means schools under ministry control will no longer require full uniforms for scout activities, reducing costs significantly for families.

 

The decision, driven by economic concerns and Thailand's varied climate, allows schools to select simpler attire. Children can now sport regular school uniforms or PE kits, with scout scarves as the only requirement. This change not only saves money but also considers the practicalities of wearing heavy uniforms in Thailand's tropical weather conditions.

 

Previously, students needed three sets of scout gear: ceremonial, training, and casual. The latest guidelines grant schools the discretion to decide what suits their students best without the hefty price tag, providing parents with crucial financial relief as the new school term looms.

 

 

 

The National Scout Organisation of Thailand (NSO) will issue an official proclamation soon, cementing this new flexibility in regulations. Until then, the Ministry of Education is keen to spread the word to prevent unnecessary spending on scout attire, a burden relieved from family budgets.

 

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with parents welcoming this unexpected easing of school-related expenses. The Nation reported a general approval across the country, shining a light on how this ruling aligns with the economic circumstances presently faced by many.

 

With these changes rolling out promptly, parents across Thailand can celebrate lighter financial loads as their children prep for the school year ahead. This move not only marks a shift in tradition but also highlights a sensitivity to the pressing needs of everyday Thai citizens.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-04-24

 

 

 

Nice timing , people bought school stuff already.

[riclag]

53 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

I thought the uniform was part of the fun and made it feel more official and real. I'm sad to see them go. I always liked seeing the kids out wearing them and doing their activities.

 

How expensive could a child's uniform be anyways? 

 

53 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

I thought the uniform was part of the fun and made it feel more official and real. I'm sad to see them go. I always liked seeing the kids out wearing them and doing their activities.

 

How expensive could a child's uniform be anyways? 

A day& a half’s pay for 1 . According to 

my resident Thai . 600 bht is a lot for rural residents considering  the kids have other uniforms they are required to wear and buy.

 

Its a Nice racket  for some of these people who distribute the uniforms.

 

 

[MAN2SIN2BKK]

1 minute ago, Iron Tongue said:

You were what ~11 years old and you were judging an organization that you had not taken part in to be "a tad too Nazi".  Sure.

You can see what the founder Lord Baden-Powell thought of Mein Kampf - a wonderful book

[Jonathan Swift]

3 hours ago, Emdog said:

When I was a boy..... scouts were totally optional, something you had to seek out, not mandatory by any means. This was in USA. I did cub scouts, but didn't go for boy scouts... whole structure seemed a tad too Nazi for my taste

My scout troop wasn't NAZI, the scoutmaster was a racist redneck ɑsshole, used to talk about n****r camps, which in fact were the temporary housing for the migrant workers who came up from the south to work in the tobacco fields. 

[fittobethaied]

No more scout uniforms, an easing of other dress restrictions like school uniforms, an easing of restrictions on haircuts, putting an end to corporal punishment, promotion of LGBTQ++++ rights, and the next generation of kids will make this place a worse cesspool than it already is. If you think "kids gone wild" in the USA is crazy, just wait. You ain't seen nothing yet!

[mfd101]

1 hour ago, NorthernRyland said:

How expensive could a child's uniform be anyways? 

For the 20% or 30% of the population who have basically no income at all or so small you wouldn't notice, paying for scouting uniforms is an impossible or painful and completely stupid imposition by corrupt bureaucrats and politicians who have no idea what poverty is like.

[KhunBENQ]

12 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

who have no idea what poverty is like

Some neighbors have a monthly power bill of less than 100 Baht.

(in former times they got that low consumption for free BTW)

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, NorthernRyland said:

I thought the uniform was part of the fun and made it feel more official and real. I'm sad to see them go. I always liked seeing the kids out wearing them and doing their activities.

 

How expensive could a child's uniform be anyways? 

For one day per week, it's not worth it, or possible for some families.

My 4 yr old grandson starts new school next month, already need to have something embroidered on the shirts. Bye bye Scouts.

At nursery school, they had to have black and white shoes for different days.....how stupid.

I am all for school uniforms, but it can get a bit silly here.

[KannikaP]

3 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Some neighbors have a monthly power bill of less than 100 Baht.

(in former times they got that low consumption for free BTW)

So what is the ratio of their lekky bills to their income? We live on (off?) Bht 40,000 per month, with power bill of Bht 2000, ie 1/20th.

Bht 100 is 1/20th of 2000. They are better off than us!

[Lopburikid]

6 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

hmmm supposed to be "boy scouts" but girls attend too... I guess thailand made up their own scouts. Wonder if they are going to keep the red forked stick? I never understood its us but all the kids must have one...

 

6 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

hmmm supposed to be "boy scouts" but girls attend too... I guess thailand made up their own scouts. Wonder if they are going to keep the red forked stick? I never understood its us but all the kids must have one...

Boy Scouts and Girl Guides same as any other country, UK used to have Brownies.

[khunPer]

6 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

hmmm supposed to be "boy scouts" but girls attend too... I guess thailand made up their own scouts. Wonder if they are going to keep the red forked stick? I never understood its us but all the kids must have one...

 

Girls are not scouts, they are called "guides", so "boy scouts" is correct...

[SOTIRIOS]

...With The Billions That Have Been Allocated For This, That And The Other Thing*...

...And As Others Have Pointed Out...*Never Materialize*...

...This Is A Disgrace & A Blow To Thai Modern Culture Which Is Already Facing Myriad Crises... 

...Never Mind The Loss Of The Benefit Of Learning 'Other Skills', 'Teamwork', 'Responsibility'...

...And Claiming: "Parents nationwide cheer as Thailand's Ministry of Education eases the financial strain by ditching mandatory scout uniforms"...(?)

...A Sad Testimonial...

...450 Baht On Lazada... *'Financial Strain'* (?)

...This Government Should Be Ashamed Of Itself Don't You Think ... (?)

...What A Copout....

 

[Zack61]

2 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

How expensive could a child's uniform be anyways? 

X 3

Ridiculously expensive if you are on minimum wage with a couple of kids. School should not be a financial burden on parents

[recom273]

Getting rid of the uniform is a start - hopefully it's a step towards stopping the activity - (per capita) Thailand is the worlds biggest scouting nation, but It's not scouts as we know scouting - bob a job, collecting badges, etc. it's paramilitary, they spend a lot of time practicingmarch up and down. In the west there is a leisure / educational / community aspect, where in Thailand it's a method of propagating a culture of discipline, loyalty and obedience, "Scout leaders are often school teachers, and they carry a very authoritative role, sometimes more so than in regular classrooms".  In the UK, there is the scout motto or something, "we promise to do our best, for the people, .." in Thailand I remember listening and it's spun around to focus on one person.

 

I lost count over the number of missed English classes due to kids parading up and down with a forked stick. 

[Surasak]

2 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

I thought the uniform was part of the fun and made it feel more official and real. I'm sad to see them go. I always liked seeing the kids out wearing them and doing their activities.

 

How expensive could a child's uniform be anyways? 

"How expensive could a child's uniform be anyways?"

Think of a family of 4/5! 3 kids uniforms on B400/day income, can be expensive.

[IvorBiggun2]

7 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

I guess thailand made up their own scouts. Wonder if they are going to keep the red forked stick? I never understood its us but all the kids must have one...

 

A Scout staff (or Scout stave) is a shoulder-high wooden pole or quarterstaff, traditionally carried by Boy Scouts as part of their accoutrements. Its main purpose was as a walking stick or Trekking pole, but it had a number of other uses in emergency situations and can be used for Scout pioneering.