The parents of the boy, Itthip “Nong Ninja” Boonrung, filed a formal complaint at the Damrongdharma Center (Phuket Provincial Office of the Ombudsman), yesterday (Sept 9).
The parent had already filed a formal complaint at Phuket City Police Station.
Charan Kwankaew Nitikornchamnansek, Director of Phuket Damrongdhama Center, received the formal complaint to investigate the incident, presented by lawyer Anantarak Petchhin.
The man implicated is director of Thepamnuay Wittaya School on Thepkrasattri Rd on the north side of Phuket Town.
Itthip’s mother Chalermkwan Rachaphonsaen, 54, told reporters she thought it best to not publicly name the school director at this stage.
The assault left Itthip with a split lip and bruises on his head.
“The physical injuries are not that much, but it’s the psychological impact. Nong Ninja is frightened that he will be attacked by the director again,” Ms Chalermkwan said.
Ms Chalermkwan said they were unaware of the incident until their daughter, Itthip’s younger sister, told her and her husband that Itthip “had a headache”.
“The old director was around for about five years. This new director has been around only about five months,” she said.
This was not the first incident in which the school director had physically intimidated children at the school, Ms Chalermkwan added.
“This time there are witnesses,” she said.
Mr Anantarak, the lawyer who drafted the formal complaint, noted, “In addition to hurting this student, the school prohibits students from eating pork, eating seafood, and deducts money from teachers’ salaries to support their religion.”
The school is linked to a well-known hospital on the island, he said.
“They also let some teachers have no qualifications,” he added.
“As this incident involves a registered education institution, it must involve the relevant government agencies,” Mr Anantarak said.
One former teacher at the school, who asked to be named only as “Kru Yui”, said he left the school because of the new school director.
“This director is a person who takes his own beliefs and loves his family as his main principle and does not listen to teachers or children,” Kru Yui said.