Fresh man suffers serious head injury in haze party

PHETCHABURI: -- A freshman of the Polytechnic Krungthep Commercial School sustained serious head injury after senior students subjected him and nine others to a haze ceremony at a bungalow in Chao Samran Beach in Muang Phetchaburi on Tuesday night.

Nirojsak Inthachote, a 16-year-old electronics-major student, was rushed to the Muang Petch-Thon Buri Hospital where he underwent an emergency brain surgery.

His elder brother, Piyapong Inthachote, a second-year student who was at the haze and brought Nirojsak to the hospital, said his brother's injury was from the impact of falling face down on the sandy beach as part of a haze activity.

Prior to the incident, a total of 36 alumni, senior students, second-year and first-year students left Bangkok on a hired bus Tuesday morning for the haze ceremony at the bungalow. The senior students then drank rice whisky mixed with sweet water until all were drunk, Piyapong said.

At 6pm, one of the seniors identified only as Miss Bew, ordered some 10 junior students including Nirojsak to do "thing ding", falling face first on the sandy ground, continuously until a freshman passed out.

Using first aid to resuscitate the freshman, they ordered the rest to keep doing "thing ding" until 9pm when Piyapong noticed that Nirojsak was unconscious. He then urged the seniors to take his brother to a hospital but was ignored, so he turned to the bus driver.

The victim's father Prasit Inthachote, 47, said he was saddened by what happened to his son and that his family had no money to cover the medical expenses.

"I don't know where to find the money and who will be responsible for this," he said, adding that, if possible, he wanted his son transferred to the state-run Phra Chomklao Hospital where he could use a Bt30 universal healthcare card to reduce the medical bills.

The victim's mother, Nanthaporn Inthachote, 48, said the senior students had promised to assist with the medical bills, which amounted to Bt100,000. She said doctors also told her to prepare for the worst because Nirojsak's condition was very serious and had not responded so far. She and her husband also filed a police complaint at Chao Samran Beach police station.

Police reportedly invited Miss Bew and the other senior students for interrogation at the precinct late Tuesday night but were unable to give testimonies as they were still drunk.

-- The Nation 2008-10-22

How very stupid.

No; to those who will pipe up in defence -- this does not happen everywhere.

Thai tertiary teachers are aware of these practices but seem not to make much attempt to stop it. I believe it's quite traumatic for new students.

Errrr, sorry but i haven't a clue what a Haze Party is, any help ??

I'm still trying to figure out what a 'thing ding' is except perhaps maybe it's a voluntary 'face plant'..... Why not just smash bricks into your face?

er - from 'tinternet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazing

"Police reportedly invited Miss Bew and the other senior students for interrogation at the precinct late Tuesday night but were unable to give testimonies as they were still drunk."

That's a serious piece of journalism. I understand the seriousness of this, but it almost sounds like a punch line.

Sadly drunken hazing and ritual initiations happen on most all college campuses world wide.

Each your many are injured and usually one dies somewhere in the 'rush season'.

A total waste.

MAI PEN RAI ...

Thai middle-class and upper-class youth would be well advised to be selective about what Western norms and mores they adopt.

Just as 'all that glitters is not gold', all that comes from societies that developed industrialism is not beneficial.

"Thai Images: The Culture of the Public World" by Neils Mulder contains much food for thought on the emergence of Thailand's middle class and what it is importing from the West and fitting in (more or less) with its indigenous culture.

Here's hoping for a speedy and full recovery.

I'll probably get flamed, but IMHO if you'll willing to jump on your face until you have brain damage maybe the brain wasn't that great to begin with.

Hazing is hardly a Western invention. Since the beginning of time, there have been rites of passage for all kinds of things. The idea of some type of initiation into a member of a group is common place and gives people a sense of belonging (and entitlement). In the modern era, these are usually less dangerous, but you are not a member of certain churches unless you are baptized and confirmed. In other's it's a matter of circumcision. In lodges and organizations it's secret codes, handshakes etc.

The college and university equivalent of these is generally confined (in Western Countries) to fraternities and to a lesser extent sororities and not for the populace at large.

The difficulty with all of these rites in the school systems is that generally you have older children initiating younger children, rather than knowledgeable adults conducting a rite of passage.

Freshman suffers serious head injury in haze party

PHETCHABURI: -- A freshman of the Polytechnic Krungthep Commercial School sustained serious head injury after senior students subjected him and nine others to a haze ceremony at a bungalow in Chao Samran Beach in Muang Phetchaburi on Tuesday night.

The freshman has died...

STUDENT DIES OF BRAIN INJURIES FROM HAZING RITE

PHETCHABURI : A student who suffered severe brain damage in a brutal hazing ceremony died yesterday. Nirojsak Inthachot, 16, a student from Bangkok Polytechnic and Commerce school, was pronounced dead yesterday morning at Phrachom Klao hospital, where he was being treated for serious brain injuries he received during the hazing activity on Oct 21. He died at around 9.45am with his family at his bedside. Doctors said his brain was clinically dead and his heart had stopped functioning naturally. His body has been taken to Wat Thabantherngtham in Nonthaburi for funeral rites. His mother, Nanthaporn, said it was a great loss for the family and she hoped that her son would be the last to suffer such a senseless death from hazing activities. Mrs Nanthaporn said Her Majesty the Queen had donated money to cover the cost of moving Nirojsak's body from Phetchaburi to Nonthaburi. Her Majesty had also previously helped to cover the student's medical costs while he was being treated. Mrs Nanthaporn said she was grateful for the assistance the Queen had given to the family. She also said Her Majesty had been kept regularly informed about Nirojsak's condition. In the fatal hazing ceremony, at Chao Samran beach in Phetchaburi province on Oct 21, Nirojsak and other freshmen were told by seniors to grab each other by the arms and hurl themselves head-first to the ground. Witnesses said they were told to drink alcohol, stand in a row holding hands, and throw themselves to the ground head-first several times. Nattakarn Sriklang, a female graduate from the school, was released on bail on Oct 28 after being arrested on Oct 23 for alleged links to the brutal hazing ceremony. Police are considering charging the woman with carelessness causing death. She denied

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/021108_News/02Nov2008_news08.php

His mother, Nanthaporn, said it was a great loss for the family and she hoped that her son would be the last to suffer such a senseless death from hazing activities

Indeed.

Only 16 years old -- how might that affect any charges laid ?

Surely some of the college teachers/admin must have been aware of a busload of new students going off with the "seniors" ? What about the "36 alumni" ?

Edited November 2, 200817 yr by sylviex

Pictures of that "female creature" along with all the other senior students should be put in all the newspapers along with their family details....such creatures should be ostracised and never be allowed a momentt of peacefulness for their rest of their lives.

Surely some of the college teachers/admin must have been aware of a busload of new students going off with the "seniors" ? What about the "36 alumni" ?

Not necessarily. The students organize it themselves. They don't need the bus to pick them up or drop them off at the college. Most institutions organize official activities but obviously without alcohol and hazing, it's not the real deal for many students, and so they sort something out for themselves.

Surely some of the college teachers/admin must have been aware of a busload of new students going off with the "seniors" ? What about the "36 alumni" ?

Not necessarily. The students organize it themselves. They don't need the bus to pick them up or drop them off at the college. Most institutions organize official activities but obviously without alcohol and hazing, it's not the real deal for many students, and so they sort something out for themselves.

Not necessarily, no; but I think very often the institutions do get word of such activities but choose "not to know".

Boy injured in hazing dies

The technical college student who sustained a serious head injury in a hazing ceremony last week in Phetchaburi died yesterday morning.

Polytechnic Krungthep Commercial School freshman Nirojsak Inthachote, 16, succumbed to his injury and died at 9.45am at Phra Chomklao Phetchaburi Hospital's ICU.

Nattakan Srikhlang, 20, the senior student who allegedly ordered Nirojsak and fellow freshmen to fall head-first repeatedly on the sandy floor as part of the haze, will be charged with reckless action causing another's death, Phetchaburi deputy commander Colonel Prapakorn Rewthong said. Police would issue arrest warrants for more senior students who were at the haze ceremony, he added.

The religious rites for Nirojsak would be held at Wat Tha Banthoengtham in Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district and his cremation would be held on November 6. The Bureau of Royal Household informed through Phetchaburi Governor Chai Panichpornpan that it would cover Nirojsak's funeral expenses.

Meanwhile, Polytechnic Krungthep Commercial School executives offered their condolences to Nirojsak's family and proposed to cover the funeral expenses.

School director Duangrit Benjathikul said he had called the family to offer condolences and assign a teacher to accommodate the transport of Nirojsak's body and his relatives to Bangkok.

Deputy school director Somkiat Kitpanich said that the school-assigned committee had completed about 80 per cent of its probe into the incident. He affirmed that the school did not know about the haze and that senior students who currently studied there would be summoned after the school term began on November 3.

On October 21 night, Nirojsak underwent emergency brain surgery at Muang Phet Thon Buri Hospital for a head injury sustained during a hazing at a Chao Samran Beach resort, after which he remained unconscious. HM the Queen had earlier granted Bt100,000 through the Phetchaburi Red Cross Society to assist the freshman's family for medical expenses.

Source: The Nation - 02 November 2008

Very sad.

Yes prosecute tyhe instigators as a warning to others.

And for the actions themselves.

Seems each fall similar inccidents happen somewhere in the world

for exactly the same lame reason, our need to fit in a group

or forever be an outsider.

Seems each fall similar inccidents happen somewhere in the world

for exactly the same lame reason, our need to fit in a group

or forever be an outsider.

Well, it's by no means the only way of fulfilling this need.

Just how many countries do have violent/dangerous hazing college rituals ? I don't believe it's commmon in Australian Universities, other than military ones, for example (less living in dorms, less affiliation with faculties etc.) I do believe it occurs in some forms in boarding schools there.

It seems to occur in Asia -- not sure how widely -- and I can see how this fits with pressure to identify with a group & hierarchical tendencies.

I'd be interested in hearing people's experience in other countries.

Edited November 2, 200817 yr by sylviex

My deepest sympathies to his family, friends and fellow-students. I am sure he will be sorely missed.

I can understand a 16 year old being to afraid of going against the peer-pressure and speaking up against the act of smashing ones head into the sand, but the hazing-leaders are usually not drunk per se and have all the games pre-planned - wasn't it anywhere in their mind poking the thought that it might not be the smartest thing to do?

We did our hazing in much other ways way back in upper secondary school and even if people might be embarrassed no-one ever got hurt...

The Education Minister said he was considering bringing back the cane to stop it.

Hazing is a big issue in Higher and Further Ed here, remember that girl at Chula that threw herself offthe top of a campus building earlier this year because of bullying during hazing. There is now a University code of conduct regarding hazing which was formally adopted by all Uni Presidents, it doesn't cover technical colleges though. Tech colleges are getting a really bad reputation for violence a few weeks ago a group of students jumped out of a taxi a few hundred yards in front of me and calmly walked up to a bus and shot one of their fellow students stone dead in cold blood. And they wonder why the numbers of students at Techs are falling like a stone.