Editorial – The Cost of School Opening
Thai families spent a record 66.4 billion baht on back-to-school supplies for 2025, but rising costs have forced 27% of parents to borrow money, prompting calls for government subsidies and tax relief to prevent education from becoming unaf
Back-to-school spending for 2025 has reached a historic high of 66.376 billion baht, but this is not a sign of economic recovery—it reflects the burden crushing Thai families. A survey by the Thai Chamber of Commerce's Economic and Business Forecasting Center makes clear that this spending growth doesn't stem from stronger purchasing power, but from unavoidable necessity.
A striking fact is that nearly half of parents blame increased expenses on rising commodity and fuel prices, which directly affect living costs across all fronts—from school transportation to basic school supplies. Although the Ministry of Education doesn't mandate buying new uniforms, many parents feel compelled to do so anyway, so their children don't miss out or feel inferior to their peers.
A troubling statistic: 27.1% of parents lack sufficient funds for back-to-school expenses and resort to various borrowing methods—from formal loans to selling assets, borrowing from relatives, and taking informal loans. Yet despite these growing burdens, parents refuse to cut back on education spending, believing it's the path for their children to transcend economic limitations, even if it means sacrificing other quality-of-life aspects like travel, consumption, or even food.
However, families depleting savings or cutting basic expenses to maintain their children's education is not a sign of a sustainable system—it indicates education costs have exceeded what households can bear alone. Parents are calling for government intervention through tax relief, direct subsidies, transportation assistance, and price controls on education-related goods. These are essential for ensuring Thai children have equal access to education. Back-to-school costs represent more than just economics; they're an indicator of household vulnerability and persistent inequality in Thailand's education system.
If the government leaves this burden solely on parents' shoulders, it allows education opportunity to become a private burden rather than a shared social responsibility. The time has come to seriously link education policy with economic policy to ease this burden and ensure that education—the foundation of national development—doesn't become an unbearable burden for Thai families long-term.
