BANGKOK, 29 April 2015- The University of Thai Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Economic and Business Forecasting (CEBF) has stated that parents are increasingly relying on financial assistance from pawnshops.
CEBF Director Thanawat Polwichai said the center projected that 50 billion baht will be spent on education-related expenses during the primary school term this year.
Parents looking to fund their children’s education have resorted to formal and informal financial institutes, borrowing from relatives, and pawnshops.
Ministry of Commerce officials previously met with school uniform manufacturers to discuss freezing prices this year.
According to CEBF figures, an average university course is 10,000 baht per unit each term, with additional upkeep between 1,400 and 1,500 baht. Textbooks cost about 1,300 baht, stationery about 1,000 baht and shoes about 1,700 baht.
