Thailand's Education, Higher Education, Social Development and Human Security, and Labour ministries have given themselves 90 days to draw up National School Safety Standards for Cabinet consideration following the violent incident at Debsirin Nonthaburi School.
The proposed nationwide framework will cover mental health screening, school security, emergency preparedness and bullying, while immediate support and tighter entry checks are being introduced at the affected school.
Emergency support at Debsirin Nonthaburi
The joint meeting was led by Professor Yodchanan Wongsawat, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation; Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong; Social Development and Human Security Minister Nikorn Soemklang; and Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat.
Yodchanan said the incident must not be allowed to happen again. The response has two parts, beginning with a short-term School Reopening Plan focused on psychological recovery and initial safety screening.
Nationwide mental health support will be available through the Department of Mental Health, including the 1323 hotline, a chat service and an appointment system. Local psychologists from the Education Ministry, institutions under the Higher Education Ministry, and the Social Development and Human Security Ministry will coordinate support.
Mental health volunteer teams will be sent to Debsirin Nonthaburi to assist pupils, teachers and parents. Psychological recovery activities, in line with international standards, will be held on the first day classes resume.
The classroom where the incident happened will be closed permanently. Registered parents will be able to observe their children from a designated area, while severely affected teachers and pupils may transfer to other schools where appropriate.
Prasert ordered the school to suspend classes throughout next week while it assesses the situation and strengthens internal measures.
National standards and tougher checks
The longer-term standards will require regular mental health screening for pupils and teachers, along with a referral system for at-risk pupils to specialist doctors.
A Train the Trainer programme will equip guidance teachers and class advisers to identify needs and provide basic psychological first aid. Pupils will also have a reporting channel via the Rights Protection Centre on the Traffy Fondue platform and a Safe Zone to raise concerns they cannot discuss elsewhere.
Other proposals include drills for different emergencies, reviews of vulnerabilities including CCTV systems, and a Zero Tolerance policy under which bullying will not be ignored. The framework also calls for stronger teacher-pupil relationships, promotion of moral values, and rigorous screening of people and illegal items before entry to education institutions.
Temporary checks for illegal items have already begun at school entrances. Prasert said he was preparing a ministerial announcement allowing administrators and teachers responsible for discipline to search bags and belongings of pupils in at-risk groups for weapons, including knives and guns.
Yodchanan urged parents to watch for unusual behaviour and seek psychiatric help promptly where needed, saying there was no shame in seeing a psychiatrist.
The Education Ministry has prepared assistance for the family of the teacher who died, including ministry funds, the Ch.P.K. funeral assistance scheme and government support. It will also consider a special promotion because the teacher died on duty.
Prasert said the school, with around 3,500 pupils, already had CCTV and security measures, but had never experienced an incident of this severity.
Picture courtesy of The Nation
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10 August 2026
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