3-Year-Old Thai Girl Still In I C U After Left Unattended All Day In Parked School Van

[Pimay1]

IN: "1,2,3,4.....15!"

OUT: "1,2,3,4...14! One is missing!"

Is even that asked too much of this "mai pen rai"- country?

Absolutely right Doc but that brings up two things that must be present for this. Common sense and analytical thinking. 15-14= one missing. Unfortunately neither is taught in the rote learning schools.

[oldsailor35]

One must ask oneself does the classroom teacher actually take a register of children present for school each morning, and do they investigate any students absentees ??

A quick chat with the driver to confirm a child is indeed missing, if so backed up by a phone call to the family to verify a child is at home.

Obviously a "communication breakdown" or more simply the school has no check system in place!!

In this instance someone must be held accountable in the very least for their actions in leaving the child in the van & the school for not having a correct procedure!!

Little I guess will actually happen, a bunch of flowers for the mother & a lame apology.

Mai pen lai !..................obviously the driver thought his job was to get the bus there, nothing more. A typical Thai work ethic.

Edited April 5, 2013 by oldsailor35

[scorecard]

IN: "1,2,3,4.....15!"

OUT: "1,2,3,4...14! One is missing!"

Is even that asked too much of this "mai pen rai"- country?

Absolutely right Doc but that brings up two things that must be present for this. Common sense and analytical thinking. 15-14= one missing. Unfortunately neither is taught in the rote learning schools.

There's an update on the opening webpage of the paper we're not allowed to mention, includes details of the school and a teacher being charged.

[oldsailor35]

Why bother to check the van before locking it, little children do not leave valuable items on board like tourists do.

[stevehaigh]

this was on tv news this a.m. the girl went back to the van after all the kids got out to get something. the teacher didn't notice she hadn't returned to the group and the driver didn't know anyone was in the van.

[TRicher]

Absolutely criminal. That poor toddler was baking to death. The driver was that unaware? Is there any accountability? This is more then lack of communication or a system failure, this is just plain stupidity! The driver should be criminally liable to the family and to society. There are no excuses for this. Let's hope the little girl is a fighter and she overcomes this torturous event.

[chiang mai]

School bus drivers in Chiang Mai are some of the worst drivers anywhere, they charge around with lights flashing and a huge sign in their front window as though they are on a mission from God. Rarely is their standard of driving even close to being good and the idea that the kids under their management should be forced to wear seatbelts is something that hasn't occured to them.

[biplanebluey]

Just on another tack for a minute--When all the kids get off the bus I would have thought it would have been so natural for the driver to look inside the van.Kids have a habit of just jumping up and running off.They often leave behind coats hats satchels----all kind of things.Has the driver no experience with this.Sorry but there is no excuse whatever for this to happen.I am totally gutted at the thought of what might have happened from the time this poor girl was locked in.It's a good job I am not a judge---

[xavierr]

Poor thing. One cannot imagine the anguish and suffering she has endured.

[personchester]

Driver and teacher want brought up on child negligence charges .!!Lazy bast..ds dont check dont care!! Its shocking that this can happen, if it was my child teacher would not be smiling ,like she did on tv, she would be in I.C.U.

And you would be arrested and sent to the Bangkok Hilton for a considerable time.

[Loptr]

Quite sad. I hope she recovers.

I lost a close friend the same when I was a teenager. He fell asleep in his van early one summer morning and the temperature rose quickly. When he was found, he had gone into a coma. He never woke up.

[Morden]

this was on tv news this a.m. the girl went back to the van after all the kids got out to get something. the teacher didn't notice she hadn't returned to the group and the driver didn't know anyone was in the van.

So, she may have been abducted and suffered a different unspeakable fate and still no-one would have known she was even missing.

I'm not sure that I believe the driver's latest story in the quote above. It was said earlier that he had locked the bus. Now we are asked to believe that it was unlocked and the child returned to it - stayed there all day in pain. Perhaps he means that he later returned to lock it but didn't check inside first.

Of course, the situation is such that the teacher and driver will have long gone into lie mode with a frequent 'Solly' thrown in.

[DocN]

this was on tv news this a.m. the girl went back to the van after all the kids got out to get something. the teacher didn't notice she hadn't returned to the group and the driver didn't know anyone was in the van.

Should that make me feel...better?

[chivo]

"Mai Pen Rai" can really be a horrible modus operandi.

[hgma]

a horrific reminder of why my wife and I drive our kids too and from school.

Noway in a schoolvan.

[lostinisaan]

Humans are making mistakes. And I guess we all do some in life. Hope the little girl will have a speedy recovery.

[atyclb]

Driver and teacher want brought up on child negligence charges .!!Lazy bast..ds dont check dont care!! Its shocking that this can happen, if it was my child teacher would not be smiling ,like she did on tv, she would be in I.C.U.

The teacher smiling is a reflection of the culture that tells them all the time to smile. One would expect anything BUT a smile in a tragedy like this. I personally would think a 3 year old in a coma is adequate to cause a solemn facial expression if not extreme regret or sadness.

On numerous occasions I have been upset with the "smile response" in the face of serious issues / mistakes / incompetence in dealing with various employees as a paying customer.

Just as you'd expect loved ones to show sadness and tears at a funeral, you'd expect this teacher (education no less) to show similar emotion. This astonishingly inappropriate affect has amazed my friends from Japan, HK, Singapore not tom mention westerners. Perhaps the "smile" in this case is a psychological way of covering up sadness. either way, bizarre for anyone with reason/logic.

[Amras]

Wow all sorts of thoughts are running through my head about this one? It's quite worrying how simple checks were not carried out to prevent something like this happening.

It's also scary to think that sitting in a parked car in the sun all day is so dangerous!?

Even in Australia on an average temperature day of say 25, the car can get very hot within an hour.

At the temperatures here, 30+, it can take 10-20 mins before the car becomes so hot that you start to feel dehydrated. Go sit in your car middle of the day doors and windows closed for 20 minutes and see. You won't last long.

Poor kid. If only someone had to take the blame, but of course no one will. Hopefully she has no lasting brain damage from this.

[lucjoker]

All school bus drivers should have a special license to transport children. Number one to be able to drive and secondly to ensure an IQ above 60.

Dont count on drivers,teachers,etc...... in this country you count on yourself,you bring your children to school yourself and get them back home yourself,all the rest is BS.I would never ,ever trust my children to a thai driver in a school minivan nor anny taxi driver,or your IQ is also under 10.

No car is no excuse,take your motorbike or your bicycle or walk .No school nearby? Rent (because you prob.not own) nearby a good school.

[HaleySabai]

Number one to be able to drive and secondly to ensure an IQ above 60.

......But the National average is 59!

[tragickingdom]

So Pavena sees another opportunity to promote herself. The girl is lucky that she didn't die. But accidents happen and not every time a baby, toddler or dementing person is forgotten in a bus or a car it is done on purpose.

[lostinisaan]

Driver and teacher want brought up on child negligence charges .!!Lazy bast..ds dont check dont care!! Its shocking that this can happen, if it was my child teacher would not be smiling ,like she did on tv, she would be in I.C.U.

The teacher smiling is a reflection of the culture that tells them all the time to smile. One would expect anything BUT a smile in a tragedy like this. I personally would think a 3 year old in a coma is adequate to cause a solemn facial expression if not extreme regret or sadness.

On numerous occasions I have been upset with the "smile response" in the face of serious issues / mistakes / incompetence in dealing with various employees as a paying customer.

Just as you'd expect loved ones to show sadness and tears at a funeral, you'd expect this teacher (education no less) to show similar emotion. This astonishingly inappropriate affect has amazed my friends from Japan, HK, Singapore not tom mention westerners. Perhaps the "smile" in this case is a psychological way of covering up sadness. either way, bizarre for anyone with reason/logic.

I think you're a little but too hard on this one. Smiling is a part of Thai culture.Even when somebody's really sick and you ask him/her, they'll say Sabai dee...

Would some fake tears have changed what has happened? I think all involved wish they could tun time back.

[AhFarangJa]

My wife is a school bus monitor, she was trained in first aid, and also the children are counted on, belted up, and counted off, she also has to check for belongings inadvertantely left behind. Admittedly, this is not in Thailand but where we work in Saudi, but, surely there is a resposibility on the school that provides the service? or am I simply naive?

either way, get well soon little one....

Edited April 5, 2013 by AhFarangJa

[sausageandmash]

As my mother used to say "wipe that smile off your face, before I knock it off". Same thing should be said to this woman.

if it was my child teacher would not be smiling ,like she did on tv, she would be in I.C.U.

It's a reactionary smile. They smile when they're nervous. Thais will smile in many situations what we think odd, but other Thais can tell which kind of smile it is. They don't call it LOS for nothin' !

[Fullstop]

There was a big problem in Australia years ago with Vietnamese leaving their kids locked in cars while they gambled in casinos. The difference here is that it was intentional. Quite a few suffered from heat stroke and worse symptoms.

[sausageandmash]

Locals need to understand that smiling at a foreigner isn't always appropriate.

Driver and teacher want brought up on child negligence charges .!!Lazy bast..ds dont check dont care!! Its shocking that this can happen, if it was my child teacher would not be smiling ,like she did on tv, she would be in I.C.U.

The teacher smiling is a reflection of the culture that tells them all the time to smile. One would expect anything BUT a smile in a tragedy like this. I personally would think a 3 year old in a coma is adequate to cause a solemn facial expression if not extreme regret or sadness.

On numerous occasions I have been upset with the "smile response" in the face of serious issues / mistakes / incompetence in dealing with various employees as a paying customer.

Just as you'd expect loved ones to show sadness and tears at a funeral, you'd expect this teacher (education no less) to show similar emotion. This astonishingly inappropriate affect has amazed my friends from Japan, HK, Singapore not tom mention westerners. Perhaps the "smile" in this case is a psychological way of covering up sadness. either way, bizarre for anyone with reason/logic.

I think you're a little but too hard on this one. Smiling is a part of Thai culture.Even when somebody's really sick and you ask him/her, they'll say Sabai dee...

Would some fake tears have changed what has happened? I think all involved wish they could tun time back.

[Tywais]

So Pavena sees another opportunity to promote herself.

And what is wrong with promoting the foundation, it does a LOT of good for women and children and the word should be out there to make others aware. However, I don't know how you arrived at that conclusion simply because the news article mentions her and likely independently.

[giddyup]

Well people, it is not part of the Thai culture to manage so carefully something as variable as child attendance at school. When our kids are sick and don't go to school, sometimes the teacher will call to ask why the child hasn't showed up in school and other days...no call. It just isn't ingrained in their culture to manage these types of issues.

Given the Thai culture is what it is and no amount of ranting on this forum is going to change it, we just need an emergency exit system on the bus that can be opened from the inside. This is mandatory on all buses in the US. Why the little girl didn't scream or try to get anybody's attention or open the door to leave the bus?

Finally, the driver or teacher will never be brought up on charges in Thailand. That is very naive. She has a reasonable chance for recovery under proper care and at least she is in Bangkok Hospital not some rural dungeon, so it seems they are doing their best to give her the best possible care.

The little girl's screams would not have been heard, the bus was parked in an isolated area.

[giddyup]

This type of 'head in the clouds' mentality really tears me up, especially when it comes to children. You see so many instances every day where children seem to be treated with the same or less concern than a bag of potatos. Parents or minders apparently in lala land. Never a thought or worry, UNTIL ! ! ! !

No matter if you are a believer or not, or whatever God you may pray to, please offer your thoughts and prayers for the full and complete recovery of this special little one

G

Children either standing up behind mum on the pillion or straddled between the knees on the motorbike whilst mum is on her mobile. Bags of potatoes indeed!

[KuhnPaen]

They arrest dumb mothers and fathers on the spot in the US for this kind of thing. Rightly so. Temperatures inside a car reach 140 F in Los Angeles--I can't even imagine what that would be like in Thailand. Poor kid. Hope she recovers.