Attendees included Phuket Vice Governor Ronnarong Thipsiri, Patong Mayor Chalermsak Maneesri, his sister Patong Deputy Mayor Lalita Maneesri; Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee; senior police officers from Patong Police; representatives from the Department of Social Development and Human Security; and concerned parents.
Vice Governor Ronnarong stated that the Phuket Governor has ordered a fact-finding investigation, which will be conducted by a working group over the next 15 days.
Patong Police is also pursuing legal action where necessary, and psychological officers have been assigned to speak with the affected children to ensure fairness to all parties involved.
The investigation was launched after posts on social media showed a young boy with bruises to his face. He also suffered a serious injury to his wrist.
The parents were told that the boy was involved in a fight with another child at the kindergarten, a claim they now dispute.
Patong Mayor Chalermsak assured that Patong Municipality has been proactive in addressing the issue and is committed to finding a resolution.
Deputy Mayor Ms Lalita reinforced that the municipality has prioritised the case since the incident was first reported.
“We have taken this issue seriously and are working to ensure justice for all parties. We urge everyone to wait for the evidence to be properly assessed,” she said.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the injuries and to establish the full details of the incident. Pol Lt Col Wichet Suwanno of the Patong Police urged all involved to provide truthful accounts, stating that authorities will ensure an impartial investigation.
Meanwhile, the parents of the injured child expressed concerns about their child’s safety at school. They have opted to keep the child at home for now and are considering transferring to a different school.
The parents of the child accused of assault also called for a thorough investigation, stating they want to establish the truth behind the incident. They noted that they had provided B4,000 to the family of the injured boy as a gesture of responsibility.
However, the parents did say that if it were found their child did not inflict the injuries, they wanted the money back.
To improve security and reassure parents, Patong Municipality has announced plans to install additional CCTV cameras in all 13 classrooms. The initiative aims to improve monitoring and ensure student safety moving forward, said an official report of the meeting.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities promising updates as more details emerge, the report said.
Phuket MP Mr Chalermpong noted in a post online, “The parents of the abused child raised concerns about the severity of the violence, questioning details such as the weight of the assault.
“They argued that a child aged 3-4 might not have been able to exert enough force to cause the bruises shown.
“Additionally, discrepancies were found in the teacher’s initial claim about going to the bathroom, which did not align with statements made during the meeting,” Mr Chalermpong said.
“The parents also questioned why the school had not called both parents together to discuss the incident but had instead spoken to them separately.
“Pornpirun Khamleang, Director of Patong Kindergarten School, explained that following the incident involving students during mealtime, the school issued a rule prohibiting all personnel from eating with students.
“Additionally, homeroom teachers were assigned the responsibility of supervising the children,” Mr Chalermpong wrote.
“After hearing from the parents of both children, [Patong Deputy Mayor] Ms Lalita proposed measures to the meeting. These included temporarily relocating teachers to administrative roles during the investigation and allowing students to remain with other teachers to help them adjust to a comfortable environment. She also stressed the importance of using a multidisciplinary team of child experts to uncover the truth,” Mr Chalermpong concluded.