Police at Muang Phatthalung station were called to Wat Pak Sra School in tampon Chai Buri of Muang Phatthalung district at about 11am, according to local reports.
Apidech Pongchansathian, 55, the village head of Moo 10, told police that a 44-year-old local man, identified as Seksak, also known as Jay, rode a motorcycle into the school grounds, carrying a short knife and behaving erratically, reported the Bangkok Post.
Witnesses said the man circled the school twice before dismounting and heading towards a toilet block. Sensing danger, teachers hustled all 29 pupils into a single classroom, secured the doors and called a village headman and police, according to Thairath Online report.
As police arrived, Mr Seksak bolted from the school and fled into an adjacent paddy field, where he was pursued and arrested a short time later.
Police then took him to Phatthalung Hospital for evaluation, citing symptoms consistent with mental distress potentially linked to drug use. No injuries were reported.
A teacher at the school said the suspect’s “paranoid” manner and visible nervousness prompted the rapid lockdown.
“We were worried he might use the knife on students or staff,” said the teacher, who asked not to be named.
Mr Apidech said Mr Seksak had recently been released from prison on drug-related offences. Although he harmed no one, his presence in the school with a blade left children and staff badly shaken.
“Given his background, we feared he could attack,” Mr Apidech said.
The incident called to mind a hostage-taking and deadly school shooting in Hat Yai district of Songkhla last month. An 18-year-old gunman, who had a history of mental illness and drug use, stormed into Patong Prathan Khiriwat School, fatally wounding the director and holding students hostage before he was overpowered by police.
The tragedy has spurred calls for tougher, system-wide safety measures, including better monitoring of high-risk individuals, improved training for school staff and reliable CCTV coverage.
The Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) is conducting a review of school safety protocols nationwide and examining stricter, more comprehensive measures.