Politician Demands Government Disclose Student Loan Fund Shortfall
A Pheu Thai MP is demanding the government publicly disclose the student loan fund's shortfall, estimated between 3-4 billion baht, after universities began expelling students unable to pay tuition.
At 9:30 am on September 24, 2025, at parliament, Ratchanok Sri-nork, a Pheu Thai party MP and chair of the parliamentary education budget committee, spoke about the critical shortage of funds in Thailand's student loan program. She noted that the fund has never publicly disclosed how much money is missing or how many students are waiting for support.
Ratchanok explained that the fund may hesitate to release figures to avoid politically pressuring the government, but she urged transparent disclosure of the actual shortfall and the number of affected students. She emphasized that education is the last hope for poor children to improve their lives, and that universities are currently expelling students who cannot pay tuition.
According to statements from the Prime Minister's Office, the shortfall is between 3 to 4 billion baht, affecting an unknown number of students. Ratchanok stressed that if the government could approve 200 billion baht for solar panel projects, it should be able to allocate an additional 10 billion baht to the student loan fund for next year's budget. She called on the government to prioritize education as a pathway for underprivileged youth, stating that poor families in Thailand have few opportunities, and education should not be sacrificed for other projects.
