School faces disciplinary action for todler death
The management of a Si Sa Ket school where a child fatally suffocated in a pick-up truck on Tuesday will also face ministerial disciplinary action, if the vehicle in question is found to have operated as a school vehicle, the Office of the Private Educati
The school is already facing criminal prosecution.
Among the criteria that will determine if the pick-up truck was serving as a school vehicle, is whether it was used to regularly pick up other students. This does not mean the vehicle needs to be registered as one belonging to the school, said secretary-general Bundit Sirphutthangkoon.
Under Education Ministry regulations registered school vehicles – whatever the type – must meet strict safety regulations and undergo constant maintenance. An ongoing inspection to identify the actual use of the pickup truck used by Uthumphorn Witthaya school is underway and expected to be complete soon.
Bundit said he was “very angry” at a death under similar circumstances, after the OPEC issued a statement to all private schools across the country to take extra caution in preventing such accidents recurring. A similar incident took place at a Samut Prakan school early last month, when a three-year-old girl eventually died after being left in a van parked outdoors.
In Si Sa Ket, three-year-old Suriyakorn “Potter” Thajan, died on Tuesday after being left in the passenger cab of a pickup truck used by Uthumphorn Witthaya school for seven hours. Driver Amphika Phetnam, who turned herself in to police and was released on bail, has not yet been charged with any offence.
Speaking to reporters at a police station, Amphika admitted to totally forgetting that the boy fell asleep in the vehicle while she was driving and gave a promise to compensate his family with civil damages.
