PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN - While teachers across the country enjoyed Monday off, a holiday honouring their profession, their colleagues in Bang Saphan district had no time for rest.
Teachers in the district called off activities planned for Teachers' Day and instead continued cleaning up at schools left damaged, muddy and waterlogged by the floods of Jan 9 and 10.
Torrential rain fell on Prachuap Khiri Khan on those days and Bang Saphan was one of the districts quickly inundated by flooding caused by the rain and forest runoff.
The Basic Education Commission estimates about 1,800 schools in flooded provinces were damaged, and at least 30 of them are in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
At Bang Saphan Kindergarten School, pupils saw their playground and classrooms with floodwater up to 2.20 metres deep. (continues below)
A young pupil helps clean out the muck left behind by the flooding at Matthayom Noppakhun School on Children's Day on Saturday. (Photo from Matthayom Noppakhun School Facebook account)
Matthayom Noppakhun School fared no better, with floodwater coursing swiftly through the premises on those days, leaving 13 people stranded at the school before rescuers came to help them. The water there was also around two metres deep.
"Battling on in tears. Feeling pain over what we see. But teachers fight on. Fight the good fight," the school posted a message on its Facebook account on Teachers' Day.
The flood has receded at the school but it left behind mud and damage to all six buildings, including the library where most books and periodicals are water damaged.
Teachers and students at the school came together to clean up and see what is still usable in the wake of the flooding.
"Teachers take part in activities at Bang Saphan Witthaya School every year on Teachers' Day. But they have been cancelled so we can clean up the schools," Wipaporn Ngaokhiri, a kindergarten teacher, said.
"My house was also flooded. But I don't have time for a cleanup. I have to do clean up at the school first," she added.
The private school has 308 students from the kindergarten level to Prathom 6 (Grade 6).
The damage at the school is estimated at 5 million baht, according to school principal Viroj Kaewdaeng.
Mr Vijor said the cleanup started last week, but the damage to the water system has delayed much of the work.