Social media drama: 100+ students transported to camp in 18 wheel truck and trailer

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: School students transported in 10 wheel truck

 

Comment was rife online after pictures emerged of more than 100 students from a southern Thailand school who were transported in an 18 wheel truck to a camp for scouts and guides. 

 

The children were packed in like cattle for the journey from Bang Khan district in Nakhon Sri Thammarat to an international camp in neighboring Huay Yort district of Trang province, reported Daily News.

 

Parents were understandably concerned about safety and asked why the school did not have enough money for a tour bus.

 

The children were going on a four day three night camp.

 

Daily News Thai Caption: No money for a tour bus

 

Daily News in a follow up report went to see the director of Wat Lamnao school Sommai Sutthanorm who said that the school did not have a budget for a tour bus. 

 

Pictured in a scouts' uniform, he said that the 18 wheeler was his that he used in his Palm Oil business.

 

Consequently there was no charge for its use and he paid for the gas. 

 

He said it was only 26 kilometers to the camp and the children were not tired from the trip.

 

He said it was better than using pick-ups or song thaews and it was his so it was free. 

 

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[kotsak]

In Thailand anything can be turned into a "bus"..

 

[anchadian]

And the safety of those 100+ students?

 

 

[ubonr1971]

Director looks like he's really switched on. Should be flying for Thai airways. 

[Joe Farang]

11 minutes ago, kotsak said:

In Thailand anything can be turned into a "bus"..

 

Oi, that's a "Taxi Farang"

What are Thai's doing in it ?

[kotsak]

5 minutes ago, Joe Farang said:

17 minutes ago, kotsak said:

In Thailand anything can be turned into a "bus"..

 

Oi, that's a "Taxi Farang"

What are Thai's doing in it ?

They were being ferried to a yellow shirt gathering. There was a huge mobilization to bring as many people possible, they even used garbage trucks like the one in the photo. ????

 

[Lucky Bones]

I actually believe this guy.

The parents complaning are likely the same ones in my village screeeeeaming up and down our Soi at 100k's/hr with junior tucked unhelmeted in front of them.

(I'm not much better but putt along at 30 k's/hr)

It is just how things are done here.????????

 

[Mavideol]

let's hope they are not on their way to Russia  555

 

 

Sarcasm intended

[swm59nj]

There is nothing unusual about this in the LOS.  Just another normal routine. 
At least they weren’t put into an enclosed trailer 

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, anchadian said:

And the safety of those 100+ students?

 

 

What safety? 

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

school did not have a budget for a tour bus. 

 

At least the children had more space in an 18-wheeler compared to this:

 

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, anchadian said:

And the safety of those 100+ students?

 

 

Last count all alive and well... probably enjoyed the novelty ride.

[herfiehandbag]

I can certainly believe that there was "no budget" for transporting the children. It is mandatory that schools send the pupils to scout/guide camp, but they are given no funds to provide transport (or food, tents and so on). The school I taught at was lucky, the camping ground was just outside the city so the children hiked, teachers manning the crossing points at roads, and a couple of us driving the baggage in our pick up trucks. 

 

If the school is in a fairly remote rural area then it is a major problem. If the Ministry of Education is insisting on the children going camping ( they do rather enjoy it by the way) then perhaps some thought should be given to giving the schools some resources?

[Artisi]

5 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

I can certainly believe that there was "no budget" for transporting the children. It is mandatory that schools send the pupils to scout/guide camp, but they are given no funds to provide transport (or food, tents and so on). The school I taught at was lucky, the camping ground was just outside the city so the children hiked, teachers manning the crossing points at roads, and a couple of us driving the baggage in our pick up trucks. 

 

If the school is in a fairly remote rural area then it is a major problem. If the Ministry of Education is insisting on the children going camping ( they do rather enjoy it by the way) then perhaps some thought should be given to giving the schools some resources?

What, you mean use the slush fund just for the kids enjoyment - come on now, what do you think it is? 

 

[WHansen]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Parents were understandably concerned about safety

You can bet most of the parents have no problem taking their children to school on a motorbike without a helmet on or passing their motorbike keys to their children

[KhunBENQ]

No excursion here.

They do "camping" overnight on the school football ground. Place decorated like a camp.

Looks absurd to me 

[Bangkok Barry]

6 hours ago, anchadian said:

And the safety of those 100+ students?

 

 

Better than these. The reason he gave sounds okay, for a short distance. Just another example though of Third World Thailand.

[Pib]

7 hours ago, Lucky Bones said:

I actually believe this guy.

The parents complaning are likely the same ones in my village screeeeeaming up and down our Soi at 100k's/hr with junior tucked unhelmeted in front of them.

(I'm not much better but putt along at 30 k's/hr)

It is just how things are done here.????????

 

Yeap.  Or junior riding solo on mom's/dad's motorcycle...barely big enough to hold the motorcycle up....no helmet....too young for a license....and mom & dad may not even have the mandatory govt insurance on the ;motorcycle or even a license plate.   It's a super common occurrence all over Thailand but especially in the rural areas.   I see it all the time around my mother-in-law's home in a rural village.  Simply a common place occurrence in Thailand and similar less developed countries.

[Elkski]

I'm glad the kids made it safe but the story could have been massive  tragedy!!

I visited a village in isaan for 21 days this Jan and just like here in USA young kids whizzing by with no helmet on electric scooters.  Sometimes standing up on the pillion.   It makes me cringe and I feel terrible when I see this because I know what sliding on rough roadwat is going to do to their skin.   As for school funding in Thailand from my experience a school director gets lots of cash funding for certain events.  I personally was with a school director when we picked up 100k baht cash at the govt finance office for her to use for a multi school sports event.   She surely could have used the money for her debt.   I was able to suggest we go to the hardware store and buy more netting to replace the failing cover over the frog pond that was part of a school education and money making endeavor.   Many parents were happy and the new cover was put up promptly.  It seemed like there was little accountability required for this money.  Plus she told me that the previous director got lots of improvement projects approved before his  paying to move to a more desirable (lucrative) school.  These projects were ongoing and she said the director got lots of kickbacks from the deals.    A bus would only cost a few thousand baht I would imagine.     Corruption is woven into ever aspect of society in Thailand.  IMHO 

It's hard to imagine parents dropping kids and gear off for a field trip and being ok with them riding in a semi truck bed.   If that's not 3rd world mentality what is?

 

And yes my children thought I was to cautious of a father.  But they are alive adults today.  

Edited February 1, 2023 by Elkski

[steven100]

8 hours ago, anchadian said:

And the safety of those 100+ students?

 

 

err .......  who cares about safety  '    this is Thailand ...    save money comes first, safety second.

[Nsp64]

Look at that fool dressed up like a boy scout....have some dignity man !!

[QballQ]

17 hours ago, swm59nj said:

There is nothing unusual about this in the LOS.  Just another normal routine. 
At least they weren’t put into an enclosed trailer 

I always tell people new to Thailand to not ride behind trucks full of pigs, as that is not water splashing in your face.

[Pouatchee]

On 2/1/2023 at 11:06 AM, webfact said:

Sommai Sutthanorm who said that the school did not have a budget for a tour bus. 

 

Pictured in a scouts' uniform, he said that the 18 wheeler was his that he used in his Palm Oil business.

It seems to me that a director of a school who owns a palm oil business is doing quite well for himself.

 

It is a known fact that directors skim ofc the top of their allocated budgets. The school lunch scandal  reorted on not so long ago comes to mind.

 

I think these directors need to be audited regularly in order to maintain transparency. Everyone deplores the education in Thailand, yet the budget allocated is one of the most significant in this country. I believe the reason for the failure is likely that the money gets funneled into the wrong pockets and in the end it is all of us who suffer for the lack of skills in this country.

[QballQ]

1 hour ago, Pouatchee said:

It seems to me that a director of a school who owns a palm oil business is doing quite well for himself.

 

It is a known fact that directors skim ofc the top of their allocated budgets. The school lunch scandal  reorted on not so long ago comes to mind.

 

I think these directors need to be audited regularly in order to maintain transparency. Everyone deplores the education in Thailand, yet the budget allocated is one of the most significant in this country. I believe the reason for the failure is likely that the money gets funneled into the wrong pockets and in the end it is all of us who suffer for the lack of skills in this country.

Which was one of the reasons they tried to decentralise the MOEs in regional areas in the late 00s/early10s, then around 2018, decided to go back to a centralised approach as there was too much corruption.

[brianthainess]

On 2/1/2023 at 12:27 PM, kotsak said:

In Thailand anything can be turned into a "bus"..

 

They said the view was Rubbish. 

[brianthainess]

Admittedly it was some 60yrs ago, but when I went camping with the Scouts in the UK, we were transported to a camp ground hours away, by a furniture truck. Meh.