Almost 1,000 schools along the Thai-Cambodian border have been ordered closed as a precaution following renewed armed clashes, Education Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat said on Tuesday.

The closures increased from just over 600 on Monday to 990 by Tuesday afternoon, according to the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec).

The ministry is now awaiting clearance from local security agencies before allowing schools to resume operations. No structural damage to school buildings has been reported.

To support communities forced to evacuate, Obec has designated several schools in safe zones as temporary shelters.

Vocational education teams, previously deployed in the deep South, have been redirected to the border provinces to set up community kitchens and assist affected families.

Ms Narumon said contingency learning plans are ready, including take-home worksheets, limited on-site instruction when considered safe, and online learning when necessary.

Each school already operates its own digital platform, while Obec is preparing learning kits for children staying in shelters.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul instructed the ministry last month to prepare for emergencies, and those measures are now being activated, she added.

According to Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul, rising tensions have also prompted the postponement of TGAT/TPAT2–5 university entrance exams in seven border provinces: Trat, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaeo, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket, and Ubon Ratchathani.

The tests, scheduled for Dec 13–15, will be rescheduled for safety reasons, with a new timetable to be announced. In areas unaffected by border tensions or flooding in the deep South, exams will proceed as planned, he said.

Meanwhile, People’s Party list-MP Pukkamon Nunarnan criticised the Council of University Presidents of Thailand’s recent decision to delay exams in three southern provinces, which were hardest hit by the floods, by only four days.

She argued that the limited postponement fails to provide adequate time for physical and psychological recovery for flood-hit students.

She also urged the government to adopt a broader rehabilitation approach, including a more substantial postponement, expanding the affected areas to cover Satun, Phatthalung, Pattani, and Trang, the rapid communication of decisions, and free replacement school supplies to ensure fairness for affected children.