A Thai police officer allegedly shot and killed his wife, a kindergarten teacher, at the school where she worked in Chonburi province on Wednesday, triggering a major security response as authorities rushed to protect dozens of children.
The shooting happened at Nong Pla Lai Municipal Kindergarten in Bang Lamung district, southeast of Bangkok, while classes were underway.
Despite the violence inside the school, officials said all 44 children were safely evacuated. Three other teachers and three school staff members were also moved to safety, with no students reported injured.
According to local officials cited by AFP, the suspected gunman arrived at the kindergarten at about 10:30 a.m. and spoke with his wife before shooting her. Authorities said the incident occurred outside the classroom, meaning students did not witness the shooting.
Local reporting identified the victim as a 48-year-old teacher named Phailin. Khaosod English reported that officers found her body in the school’s canteen area and recovered a 9mm shell casing nearby. Police were continuing to gather evidence and interview witnesses.
Children rushed to safety as parents arrived
The shooting sparked panic at the kindergarten, with reports describing frightened and crying children being moved to a safe area while authorities contacted their parents.
Parents subsequently rushed to the school to collect their children.
Chonburi Governor Naris Niramaiwong confirmed that all 44 children had been safely evacuated. He ordered the kindergarten closed and directed authorities to provide psychological support for children and staff affected by the incident.
Suspect returns home as police negotiate surrender
After the shooting, the suspected gunman reportedly left the kindergarten and returned to his residence.
Authorities later surrounded the house and began negotiations aimed at securing his surrender. At the time of the latest reports, the motive for the shooting remained unclear.
Police had not publicly established a definitive motive, and the circumstances leading to the shooting remained under investigation.
Another shooting puts Thailand’s gun problem back in focus
The Chonburi shooting comes only weeks after another deadly school shooting shocked Thailand.
On August 7, a 14-year-old student killed seven people, including five school staff members and his two grandparents, before taking his own life. Police said 23 people were also wounded. Reuters reported that the teenager used a firearm belonging to his grandfather.
That attack renewed scrutiny of Thailand’s firearms regulations and the availability of both legal and illegal weapons.
CNA reported in August that Thailand had an estimated 10.3 million civilian-held firearms based on the latest available Small Arms Survey estimate, including millions believed to be unregistered. Experts have argued that stronger oversight, tighter controls and better monitoring of firearms are needed.
The government has previously introduced firearm restrictions following major shootings, but repeated incidents have continued to raise questions over whether existing measures are sufficient.
Thailand’s most devastating recent mass killing occurred in 2022, when a former police officer carried out a gun-and-knife attack at a childcare center in Nong Bua Lamphu province, killing 37 people, including 24 children.
The investigation now turns to the suspect and motive
For now, authorities are focused on resolving the standoff at the suspect’s home and determining what led to the killing.
The immediate priority, officials said, was protecting the children and staff. All 44 children escaped unharmed, but authorities are preparing psychological support for those affected by the traumatic incident.
The killing has nevertheless added another disturbing chapter to Thailand’s recent string of firearm-related violence — this time unfolding inside a kindergarten where children were only moments away from the gunfir
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