Some 4,500 schools will make non-traditional arrangements for their students when the new term starts on July 1, according to Warawich Kampoo na Ayutthaya, an adviser to the education minister.
Due to social-distancing rules, these schools will adopt any of five flexible arrangements under which one group of students will go to school and the others will study at home. The five arrangements have been designed to help schools adjust to the public health crisis, Mr Warawich said.
However, he said students at another 31,000 schools nationwide will return to physical classes on campus as their schools are able to observe social distancing in classrooms.
This follows an earlier decision by the Office of the Basic Education Commission that limited the number of primary students in each class to no more than 20, and high school students in a class to no more than 25.
According to Mr Warawich, points of concern have been raised ahead of schools' reopening including limited space in school cafeterias and during exams.
A staggered lunch schedule will be adopted and students will be allowed 30 minutes for each interval, he said.
As for exams, the Education Ministry is expected to decide by next week if formal exams will be held, he said, adding that Prathom 6 students are highly likely to have to take their tests.
He said the Public Health Ministry's Department of Health and the Education Ministry have also issued guidelines for schools to follow when they reopen.
Generally, classes must implement hygiene and cleanliness measures and practise social distancing, he added.