Back to School Spending Hits Record 66.37 Billion Baht, But 27% Face Shortfall

Prachachat•Economy•24d ago

Reader Briefing

Thai parents face record back-to-school expenses, with over a quarter struggling to afford costs, leading to borrowing and lifestyle adjustments.

•Academic year 2026 sees record back-to-school spending of 66.37 billion baht, a 6% increase.
•Over a quarter (27.1%) of parents report insufficient funds for school expenses, resorting to loans and asset pledging.
•Rising costs of goods and fuel are the primary drivers for increased spending, with textbooks and uniforms remaining essential purchases.

Overview

•Between April 26 - May 2, 2026, a survey was conducted on parental spending during the back-to-school period.
•The total spending for the back-to-school period in 2026 reached 66,372.50 million baht, a 6% increase.
•27.1% of parents reported insufficient funds to cover back-to-school expenses.
•The primary reasons for increased spending were rising prices of goods (32.4%) and increased purchases (21.9%).
•26.0% of parents facing financial shortfalls resorted to borrowing from formal financial systems.
•49.8% of parents indicated that the current economic situation significantly impacted their children's education expenses.
•Parents are reducing expenses in other areas such as tourism (36.4%) and personal spending (26.9%) to accommodate education costs.
•Parents seek increased tax deductions for education expenses (36.9%) and direct financial subsidies (34.5%) from the government.

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Key Quotes

Thanawan Polvichai

"Spending during the back-to-school period this year is estimated at around 66,000 million baht, a 6% expansion, the highest in 13 years since 2014 and the highest value since the survey began 17 years ago."

มูลค่าการใช้จ่ายช่วงเปิดเทอมปีนี้อยู่ที่ประมาณ 66,000 ล้านบาท ขยายตัว 6% สูงสุดในรอบ 13 ปี นับตั้งแต่ปี 2014 และเป็นมูลค่าสูงสุดตั้งแต่เริ่มทำการสำรวจในรอบ 17 ปี

Umakamol Suntornsurat

"The back-to-school burden continues to pressure liquidity, with 27.1% stating they do not have enough money for expenses."

ภาระเปิดเทอมยังสร้างแรงกดดันต่อสภาพคล่อง โดย 27.1% ระบุว่ามีเงินไม่เพียงพอกับค่าใช้จ่าย

Key Entities

Organization

University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce(มหาวิทยาลัยหอการค้าไทย)ℹ️

Conducted a survey on parental back-to-school spending and its impact.

Ministry of Education(กระทรวงศึกษาธิการ)ℹ️

Issuances regarding parental purchasing decisions for school uniforms were mentioned.

Person

Thanawan Polvichai(นายธนวรรธน์ พลวิชัย)

President and Chief Advisor of the Center for Economic and Business Forecasting at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Umakamol Suntornsurat(นางอุมากมล สุนทรสุรัติ)

Assistant Director of the Center for Economic and Business Forecasting at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Timeline

2014

The previous year referenced for the highest back-to-school spending growth.

2010

The year from which the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce began its back-to-school spending surveys.