The investigation concluded that the injuries the child suffered resulted from rough play among children.
Following the child’s injury, the parents filed a police complaint, prompting an official investigation, led by Phuket Vice Governor Ronnarong Thipsiri. Provincial authorities and Patong Municipality then established a committee to ensure a “fair and thorough” examination of the case.
Vice Governor Ronnarong announced the result of the investigation at Phuket City Hall on Monday (Mar 3).
Present for the announcement were Patong Police Chief Pol Col Chalermchai Hirasawat, Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee, Patong Deputy Mayors Lalita Maneesri and Sanakorn Keesin, along with teachers, the parents involved and officials from relevant agencies
Pol Col Chalermchai said that the injuries were not inflicted by the teacher but resulted from rough play among children.
The investigation determined that a group of children hit the student multiple times with a feather duster, causing the wounds.
“Experiments conducted by child psychologists confirmed that children of that age could exert enough force to cause bruising. No evidence implicated the homeroom teacher in the incident,” Pol Col Chalermchai said.
Pol Col Chalermchai assured that all enquiries were conducted following proper legal and psychological procedures, ensuring the credibility of the testimonies.
After reviewing the findings, the child’s parents accepted the investigation’s findings and withdrew their complaint without pursuing legal action.
Mr Ronnarong stressed the importance of clearing the teacher’s name, noting that the public accusations had unfairly harmed her reputation.
He also stated that authorities would continue investigating whether negligence played a role in allowing the incident to occur.
“The committee will further discuss whether she negligently allowed the children to play unsupervised, leading to the incident, or if this constitutes neglect of duty, and determine what kind of punishment she may face,” he said.
“The child involved in the incident has since returned to a normal and cheerful state,” Mr Ronnarong said.
Phisuda Wirakij, the teacher at Patong Municipality Kindergarten at the centre of the accusations, said that she would use the case as a lesson to enhance safety measures moving forward.
“I felt regret for leaving the children unattended during lunch break and apologise for the incident,” she said.
Similarly, Ms Lalita apologised for what occurred at the school, which is operated by Patong Municipality.
“Stricter supervision measures will be implemented to prevent such occurrences,” she stated.
She further explained that prioritising safety, additional CCTV cameras would be installed in the school to monitor incidents and ensure swift action when necessary.
“If something goes wrong, we can address it properly and hold those responsible accountable. I don’t want parents to feel that school is not a safe place,” she added.
MP Mr Chalermpong also urged authorities to enhance school safety by installing more CCTV cameras for better oversight and reminding teachers of their responsibilities and regulations.
“Teachers should be given proper warnings and guidance to prevent such incidents,” he said.
He emphasised that education is one of his key policies and assured that he would work to prevent similar incidents from happening in schools.
Vice Governor Ronnarong concluded by affirming that all actions taken in the investigation were conducted transparently and fairly.
“Phuket Province will implement stronger preventive measures in collaboration with all sectors to ensure student safety and promote schools as secure learning environments,” he said.