Classes at two vocational colleges in Bangkok suspended after public brawl

[webfact]

Classes at two vocational colleges suspended after public brawl

BANGKOK, 16 October 2014 (NNT) – The Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC) announced that two vocational colleges in Bangkok have been ordered to suspend their classes due to a recent brawl at the Victory Monument.

The commission said that after students from Pathumwan College and Uthenthawai engaged in a public brawl on Wednesday at the busy intersection.

Pathumwan College’s electrical engineering department will be closed for 9 days and Uthenthawai's civil engineering and logistics departments will be temporarily closed for 3 days.

OHEC made known that the closures are aimed at preventing more gatherings, which can spark more violent incidents. If a brawl causes a death, the commission will convene again to determine a proper punishment for the affected departments.

One of the measures being discussed by the commission is to order students from the two colleges to wear the same uniform to lessen the tension.


-- NNT 2014-10-16

[Costas2008]

Yipeeeeee, 9 days no school, where shall we go and have a fight lads?

[webfact]

Faculties ordered closed over brawl
Chuleeporn Armanet
The Nation

Order comes after 4 students from 2 colleges get into a fight on bus in Victory Monument area

BANGKOK: -- The Civil Engineering and Logistics Management departments at Rajamangala University of Technology's Uthen Thawai campus and Pathumwan Institute of Technology's Electrical Engineering Department will be closed temporarily as punishment for a bus brawl between students from the facilities.

The former must close for nine days and the latter for three days.

Three Uthen Thawai students and one PIT student were involved in the altercation, with a three-day penalty for each offender.

It was up to the colleges to decide when the departments would be closed, said Office of Higher Education Commission (Ohec) chief Kamjorn Tatiyakavee.

The brawl occurred on Wednesday on bus No 29 in the Victory Monument area.

Authorities are hoping the punishment would prompt fellow students to stop their peers from getting into brawls, Kamjorn said.

He said he had informed the colleges of the decision.

Some 70 students attend PIT's Electrical Engineering Department, while about 300 attend Uthen's two departments.

Kamjorn said an institution could be closed for a semester or a year if a student was killed in a fight.

Long-term solution sought

He said it was hoped a long-term solution to the problem would come after Ohec completes its study of the solution guidelines to the issue proposed by the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (Ovec).

The Ovec has emphasised joint activities for students from the two institutions in the next academic year.

Kamjorn said a joint student-orientation ceremony and making students wear the same uniforms was also being considered.

Police have identified the students involved in Wednesday's fracas. Uthen Thawai students are Watchapong Puritangsanto, 20, Kritsada Doung-ngern, 21, and Kitipong Naew-olo, 21.

The trio claim PIT student Atichat Rodsatra, 20, stabbed Watcharapong first and as a result the other two attacked Atichat before the three men fled into nearby Soi Rang Nam, where they were arrested.

But Atichat, who sustained head and eye wounds, said that he was sitting at the back of bus when the three Uthen Thawai students boarded it at Victory Monument and searched him until they found his PIT ring.

He claimed Watcharapong pulled a knife but he resisted and Watcharapong's hand was cut and it erupted from there.

The students were charged with fighting on a public bus.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Faculties-ordered-closed-over-brawl-30245638.html

-- The Nation 2014-10-17

[webfact]

Colleges ordered shut down after student brawl



BANGKOK: -- Pathumwan and Uthenthawai colleges were offered to close from today after rival students engaged in another brawl that resulted in the injuries of four students.

The closure was ordered by the Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC) after the students of the two vocational colleges in Bangkok engaged in a brawl at a busy intersection near the Victory Monument Wednesday night.

OHEC said Pathumwan College’s electrical engineering department will be closed for 9 days and Uthenthawai’s civil engineering and logistics departments will be temporarily closed for 3 days.

The closure will affect 300 students of both colleges.

It said the closure was aimed at preventing more gatherings, which can spark more violent incidents.

If a brawl causes a death, the commission will convene again to determine a proper punishment for the affected departments.

One of the measures being discussed by the commission is to order students from the two colleges to wear the same uniform to lessen the tension.

It also instructed executives of both colleges to work out practical measures to prevent future student violence.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/colleges-ordered-shut-student-brawl/


-- Thai PBS 2014-10-17

[ScubaPhuket]

Yipeeeeee, 9 days no school, where shall we go and have a fight lads?

When there are so many of you TEFL English teachers... How is it this country can't speak English for toffee?

Edited October 16, 2014 by ScubaPhuket

[MaxYakov]

That's right, four students get into a fight so two Universities are closed affecting 3000 students. All in the interest of Peace and Order, I'm sure. Any excuse to retard education in Thailand, as if it weren't distracted and retarded enough already.

[BSJ]

"If a brawl causes a death, the commission will convene again to determine a proper punishment for the affected departments." There's no logic in that!

The police should be going after the murderer and the others involve. The college can't be the police any more than the police can be teachers.

[SOTIRIOS]

.again.....a movie glorifying student gang violence is running in the cinemas........

[Fiddlesticks]

I would venture to say that the level of learning will be the same whether the students are attending class or celebrating their three day suspension. Education and learning is a casual pastime in Thailand.

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

That's right, four students get into a fight so two Universities are closed affecting 3000 students. All in the interest of Peace and Order, I'm sure. Any excuse to retard education in Thailand, as if it weren't distracted and retarded enough already.

The report says one faculty in each institutions has been temp. closed. It doesn't say 2 whole institutions have been ordered to temp. close.

There is the argument that peer pressure might just have some impact on the brawlers, who are very much the minority in most cases.

A different point - I personally know of al least 10 mid size / large Thai companies who refuse to employ anybody from the institutions that have brawlers:

- For fear it will spill into the company in some form.

- Concerns that the brawlers will come in with overall attitudes that solid companies definitely don't want.

When will we see some overall leadership which encourages / convinceds these kids (plus 90% of alll Thai university bachelor students) to grow up.

[seajae]

and how many students were arrested and jailed, were expelled from the uni's involved?, until they actually have to face proper punishment this will never end, what a load of sh*t these officials are

[thesetat2013]

That's right, four students get into a fight so two Universities are closed affecting 3000 students. All in the interest of Peace and Order, I'm sure. Any excuse to retard education in Thailand, as if it weren't distracted and retarded enough already.

This is Thailand mate. 9 days closure simply means the course will be extended for that time at the end of semester. And more work for their respective teachers. It is not a punishment to the students. It is an extended holiday with only the school staff made to suffer the actions of their students.

When are the police going to wake up and start treating these kids like the criminals they are?

[Toknarok]

All those named may be students, but they are ADULTS and should be treated as such.

[catinthehat]

"If a brawl causes a death, the commission will convene again to determine a proper punishment for the affected departments."

So once there is a death it only then elevates the level of importance and hence "proper Punishment" at that time.

Really states where their priorites are.

[Krataiboy]

One of the measures being discussed by the commission is to order students from the two colleges to wear the same uniform to lessen the tension.

Why make them wear a uniform at all? Uniforms are for the military and traffic wardens and help you identify the enemy. Let all vocational training college students wear civvies instead and they wouldn't know who to rumble with.

Wearing clothes of their own choice would also help give these largely under-rated students a chance to express their individuality and enjoy some self-worth for once.

As a parent with three kids at vocational college, I would frankly be delighted not have to shell out for any more poorly designed, low quality, over-priced uniforms.

If the generals in government can strut their stuff in civvies, why can't students? It's democracy at work!

[culicine]

All those named may be students, but they are ADULTS and should be treated as such.

Does anyone, especially Thai males, actually GROW UP in this country? I'd expel those losers if I were the rector of their college. Why punish the whole college because of a few wayward criminals? It's just another example of shifting responsibility (most often away from the students). They seem accountable for nothing.

[Cereal]

Yeah...let's get them to all dress the same. That will solve everything.

Personal story: I worked as a flight attendant for a major carrier and our main competition was going to go bankrupt. The government didn't want 25,000 or so people dumped onto the unemployment line so they forced our carrier to absorb them and hire all their staff, repaint their planes to match ours, throw the same uniform on the pilots and F/A's and all would be cool.

In the infinite wisdom that management in nearly every company employs, they merged the crews working together. For harmony and all that crap.

Well, I was working business class one day when I heard a commotion from the economy section. First a little, then in seconds there was screaming and swearing at full volume, much from the passengers.

I yanked open the curtain and two girls (one from each company working in harmony!) each had a hold of the other's hair and were swinging haymakers over the meal/drinks trolley. Stuff was spilling on passengers and it was a full on donnybrook.

Me and a couple of other F/A's pulled them apart. When we landed we were saying good-bye and thank you for flying with us etc. Both girls had a black eye, swollen lips, bruises etc. It was actually hilarious from my point of view, although I managed to keep the proper decorum.

So yeah....put all the punks in the same uniform. They'll never know who goes to school where, and everyone will love each other.

[halloween]

One of the measures being discussed by the commission is to order students from the two colleges to wear the same uniform to lessen the tension.

Why make them wear a uniform at all? Uniforms are for the military and traffic wardens and help you identify the enemy. Let all vocational training college students wear civvies instead and they wouldn't know who to rumble with.

Wearing clothes of their own choice would also help give these largely under-rated students a chance to express their individuality and enjoy some self-worth for once.

As a parent with three kids at vocational college, I would frankly be delighted not have to shell out for any more poorly designed, low quality, over-priced uniforms.

If the generals in government can strut their stuff in civvies, why can't students? It's democracy at work!

There are very good reasons for students to wear uniforms, especially when the students come from families with varying levels of income. do you really need them explained?

Would you be happier if your little Somchai was demanding up-market name-brand clothes and shoes?

[ikke]

Yipeeeeee, 9 days no school, where shall we go and have a fight lads?

When there are so many of you TEFL English teachers... How is it this country can't speak English for toffee?

This is a so called TROLL post ! totally off-topic and offending people !

[ScubaPhuket]

Yipeeeeee, 9 days no school, where shall we go and have a fight lads?

When there are so many of you TEFL English teachers... How is it this country can't speak English for toffee?

This is a so called TROLL post ! totally off-topic and offending people !

Didn't mean to offend, post was entirely on topic actually, classes on reading & understanding English available at your local TEFL outlet.

Thanks.

[AleG]

"If a brawl causes a death, the commission will convene again to determine a proper punishment for the affected departments." There's no logic in that!

The police should be going after the murderer and the others involve. The college can't be the police any more than the police can be teachers.

Yes, there is logic in that.

Would you agree that this young people, before entering a particular college were not born with an innate hatred for students of a "rival" institution? If so, would you agree that this feelings are inculcated within the college/department after joining?

This rivalries are a cultural thing, simply going after individuals will not address the problem. Personally, rather than stopping classes I'd simply hammer the institutions with financial penalties, although closures and suspensions are, indirectly a financial penalty they also punish people that may no be involved in any wrong doing.

[tubby johnson]

Yipeeeeee, 9 days no school, where shall we go and have a fight lads?

When there are so many of you TEFL English teachers... How is it this country can't speak English for toffee?

This is a so called TROLL post ! totally off-topic and offending people !

Didn't mean to offend, post was entirely on topic actually, classes on reading & understanding English available at your local TEFL outlet.

Thanks.

Off-topic, infantile, imbecilic: Troll

[tim armstrong]

The problem is that many of these students are not smart enough to get into a university. ...And at 18 or so they are not very employable as they are not 21. So for them they have to wait out 3 years still being at school -which they have disliked most of their lives. So what's left is to 'belong ' to a local gang of similarly dissaffected young people. If they don't get into drugs or minor crime what's left is fighting with each other. Some type of paid community service scheme might help a few.

[socksy01]

Uniforms are designed to bring a certain amount of discipline and self respect but there's Lauren Bacall chance of that amongst these mutants.

Edited October 19, 2014 by socksy01