Hat Yai school director honoured for protecting students; 18-year-old held
An 18-year-old was detained after an armed attack at a Hat Yai school. Reports cite prior psychiatric treatment; condolences posted for the director.
The background of the 18-year-old suspect in an armed attack at Phatong Prathan Khiriwat School in Phatong subdistrict, Hat Yai district, Songkhla, has prompted renewed concern, after the school director later died from her injuries.
The suspect, a local youth, all egedly entered the school using a firearm taken from a police officer and opened fire, injuring the director and a student before taking a teacher and students hostage. Police cordoned off the area and maintained pressure until the suspect surrendered on February 11, 2026. The suspect is reported to have had a psychiatric history and was discharged from hospital around December 2025.
Sasiphat Sinsamosorn, 54, the school director, died at around 3.00am on February 12, 2026, after her condition deteriorated. Officials said the incident resulted in one death and six injuries, including the suspect.
Those listed as affected were:
- Sasiphat Sin-samosorn, 54, the school director, who later died.
- Saranya, 15, with no physical injuries reported but described as frightened and in shock.
- Thidarat, 16, with no physical injuries reported but described as frightened and in shock.
- Wannaporn, 14, who reported minor injury to her left leg and received first aid and supportive treatment.
- Nattawalan, 16, injured by gunfire; doctors said she was not in danger as no vital organs were affected.
- Manatsanan, 19, injured after jumping from the second floor while fleeing; doctors found no fracture and her condition was reported as stable.
- Khemmanan, 18, the suspect, who sustained a minor injury and was reported as stable.
The school announced a two-day closure on February 12, 2026, while officials were expected to return to collect additional evidence.
Reports also said the suspect had previously received psychiatric treatment linked to substance use and was discharged from hospital in December 2025.
Following the director’s death, the Hat Yai-based Mittraphap Samakkhi Foundation posted a condolence message on Facebook, offering sympathy to her family. Tributes also spread online, with many praising her courage and dedication to protecting students.
Separately, Suphaporn Kamnoedphon, a former Songkhla MP for the Democrat Party and former deputy president of the Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organisation, expressed deep condolences, describing Sasiphat as brave and selfless, and calling on relevant agencies to strengthen safety measures in schools to prevent similar incidents.
Hat Yai principal praised for swapping herself as hostage to save a student
Thailand’s education community is mourning Sasiphat Sinsamosorn, the director of Phatong Prathan Khiriwat School in Hat Yai, Songkhla, who was widely praised for her selflessness after reports said she offered herself as a hostage to protect a student during the school attack.
Darawan Chaisuwan, deputy director of Rattaphum Witthaya School—where Sasiphat previously served—posted an account describing what happened during the incident. According to the post, the 18-year-old attacker took a female student hostage. Sasiphat then negotiated to take the student’s place, stepping forward as the hostage instead.
The post said that split-second decision left Sasiphat critically wounded after she was shot. Despite doctors’ efforts, she later died peacefully, prompting tributes from family members, teachers and students across the country, many of whom described her as a truly “self-sacrificing teacher”.
Career and contributions
Sasiphat held a master’s degree in education administration. Colleagues said she devoted her career to improving schools and education quality.
Her career record, as shared in the post, included:
2015–2016: Deputy director, Nikhom Sang Ton Eng Rattaphum School and Rattaphum Witthaya School
2016–2020: Director, Sathing Phra Chanuppatham School
2020–present: Director, Phatong Prathan Khiriwat School
She was also credited with developing a school-management approach known as the “Phatong Model”, and promoting active learning to raise education standards, reflecting what colleagues described as her vision and commitment to youth development.
The Ministry of Education also posted a message expressing its deepest condolences and paying tribute to her legacy, saying her actions would be remembered as those of a teacher who protected students with her life.
