Prachachat Chief Pushes AI as Assistant for Southern Islamic Schools

Pol. Lt. Gen. Thawi Sodchom, party-list MP and leader of the Prachachat Party, led a delegation to Narathiwat on November 1, 2026, for an academic seminar titled "AI and the Development of Private Islamic Schools in the Three Southern Border Provinces." Held at the Attarkiah Islamiah School in Mueang District, the event featured party executives including Waravee Makudi, former FIFA executive committee member and former Football Association of Thailand president; Kamolchat Liwamo, Narathiwat Constituency 5 MP and chair of the Legal Affairs Committee; Kuhaeng Yawahan, former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Justice; and Karim Koha, alongside community leaders and alumni. Thawi emphasized that AI must serve as a teacher's assistant, not a replacement, and highlighted the importance of integrating religious, scientific, technological, and ethical knowledge with religion as the compass.

Welcomed warmly by school licensee Paisan Toib, teachers, and local education personnel, who praised Thawi's enduring engagement with the deep south and his genuine expertise in artificial intelligence, Thawi opened his keynote by linking Islamic philosophy with technological development. He noted that the first word revealed in the Quran was "Iqra" (Read), the foundation of knowledge-seeking, and that the term "algorithm" derives from Al-Khwarizmi, a great Muslim mathematician of Islamic civilization.

"AI is a system that uses algorithms to analyze knowledge, predict, and generate outcomes. Private Islamic schools are a strong point that must fuse religious knowledge, science, technology, and ethics, with religion as the compass," Thawi said, citing past criticism of pioneers like Dato Uma and the Tham Witthaya Foundation for integrating secular curricula with religion, which has since proven correct.

However, Thawi warned of a crucial principle: "AI must be only a teacher's assistant, not a substitute teacher." AI can help design lessons, reduce administrative paperwork, and analyze learners, but schools must not let students lose critical thinking, analytical ability, or wisdom. "AI does not create wisdom; it only creates knowledge. Therefore, the vital role of teachers in private Islamic schools that AI cannot replace is nurturing ethics, responsibility, and human relationships."

The Prachachat leader shared insights from exchanges with foreign embassies and experts on how various countries apply AI in education: Singapore focuses on teacher competency and digital skills; China uses AI to personalize learning; South Korea develops full digital learning media; Finland aims to create citizens literate in AI alongside spiritual dimensions; and the US and UK apply AI to promote educational ecosystems. Regarding private religious schools in the US, Thawi noted they conducted preparatory workshops for up to 16 months before implementing AI, covering both technical and ethical dimensions.