Regulations are being amended to allow a more flexible, casual dress code for the scout uniforms worn by male and female students, Deputy Education Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said on Tuesday.
There was no plan to abolish the wearing of scout uniforms by students, he said.
Mr Surasak said the ministry was in the process of amending regulations to provide more scout uniform options, allowing both formal and casual styles.
Schools would be able to decide whether students should wear the traditional scout uniform, or a more casual uniform. The weather temperature and parents' readiness to comply would be taken into account, he said.
A scout scarf and hat could be worn with a school uniform or sportswear, or even local ethnic clothing, depending on the local context, he said. The ministry would allow schools the freedom to make their own decisions, he said. There were schools that wanted to keep the current scout uniforms.
He said the Council of State was close to completing its review of the amendment to the ministerial regulations. Once approved, the proposal would be submitted to the cabinet for approval.
The ministry had informed schools about the upcoming changes, as the new school term neared. This was done to prevent public criticism if the announcement came too late, he said.
According to the Council of State, there was no legal hurdle to allowing schools to decide on boy scout and girl scout uniform choices, so schools could start to make decisions now on what best suited their students, he said.