A 12-year-old Myanmar girl has been ordered held at Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Centre for 30 days while police investigate an alleged assault on a 14-year-old Thai schoolgirl in a school bathroom.
The Phuket Juvenile and Family Court made the order on 11 August 2026 after Cherng Talay Police brought the girl before the court within 24 hours of her being formally charged.
The accused, described as aged 12 years and eight months, is alleged to have attacked the Thai student at a school in Phuket. As she is a minor, authorities have stressed that her identity and any information that could identify her must not be disclosed.
Alleged assault
The alleged assault took place at about 1.30pm on 5 August, after a dispute reportedly linked to allegations that the girls had been gossiping about each other. Police who responded to the school found six girls involved in the incident, four of whom were students at the school and two who were from outside the school.
The 14-year-old Thai student who was allegedly attacked was reported to have bruising around her left eye and left arm and an abrasion to her knee, with doctors estimating that her injuries would require about two days to heal.
Police initially recorded the incident and the two sides agreed to mediation, with the parents of the alleged attacker agreeing to pay 3,000 baht in compensation, but the injured girl’s mother later filed a formal complaint after a video of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Court orders 30-day detention
Police said the girl was formally notified of the allegation on 10 August in the presence of a Phuket provincial prosecutor, a psychologist and a person requested by the child, in line with legal procedures for children facing criminal allegations.
Investigators then took her to the Juvenile and Family Court so it could confirm whether she fell within the legal definition of a child accused of an offence, and whether the charge and treatment of the child had been carried out lawfully.
At the hearing, police set out their reasons, necessity and supporting evidence for seeking custody. They said her alleged behaviour could pose a serious danger to others and cited other grounds, including the fact that her mother and father had lost their jobs.
The court subsequently ordered her held during the investigation at the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Centre for 30 days.
If the investigation is not completed within that period, police may apply for further custody orders of up to 15 days each. Such extensions can be requested no more than twice under the legal process.
Immigration action may follow case outcome
Once the case has reached its final legal outcome, the girl will be referred to the Immigration Bureau for consideration of further action under relevant laws.
Pictures courtesy of Amarin
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11 August 2026
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