Officer left doctor visit as SWAT team answered school emergency call
A Sala Daeng investigator grabbed tactical gear from his car as his team withdrew from the MPB SWAT Challenge to support the August 7 response.
A police investigator seen entering Debsirin Nonthaburi School in shorts and tactical gear had abandoned a planned doctor’s appointment after learning of the shooting, while his special operations colleagues withdrew from a SWAT competition to support the response.
The Royal Thai Police identified the officer on Monday (August 10) as Pol Sgt Maj Setthawut Sangmueang, an investigator at Sala Daeng Police Station and a member of Metropolitan Police Division 7’s special operations team.
Images circulated on social media showed Setthawut dressed in plain clothes and shorts but carrying full tactical equipment as he entered the school with other officers during the August 7 operation.
Officer retrieves tactical gear from his car
Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan, deputy inspector-general and spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said Setthawut had been attending an investigation training course on the day of the shooting.
He had received permission to leave the course for a medical appointment. While travelling, however, he was alerted to the incident at the school and immediately abandoned his personal plans.
Setthawut collected tactical equipment that he kept ready in his car and headed directly to the school to support the police operation, Trairong said. His clothing reflected the circumstances in which he received the emergency call rather than any lack of operational readiness.
SWAT team withdraws from competition
Other members of the Metropolitan Police Division 7 special operations team were participating in the MPB SWAT Challenge 2026 when news of the shooting emerged.
The competition, held from August 5 to 7, was organised to test the tactical skills and operational capabilities of police special operations teams under the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
Police said the entire Division 7 team decided to withdraw from the competition and travel to Nonthaburi to assist with the real-life emergency.
The Royal Thai Police described the officers’ decision as demonstrating that their responsibility to protect the public took precedence over the competition. It added that they were prepared to respond even though they had not been wearing their normal operational uniforms when the alert was issued.
Police chief praises responding units
Trairong also conveyed praise from national police chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch to all officers involved in responding to the shooting and helping teachers, students and members of the public.
The units included Provincial Police Region 1, Nonthaburi Provincial Police, Plai Bang Police Station, the Arintaraj 26 special operations unit and supporting personnel from the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
The police chief also commended every officer and agency that took part in bringing the situation under control and assisting people at the sc
