The news about a male Thai scout leader wandering into a female shower block at a global scout meeting in South Korea last week brought unwanted attention to the scout movement in Thailand.
It is only hoped that the Ministry of Education will handle the case with sensitivity to show that the Thai scout movement understands modern etiquette and can ensure the safety of young attendants.
This has also occurred as the Thai government prepares to bid for the rights to host the World Scout Jamboree in 2028.
News about 80 South Korean scouts from the Korea Scout Association's North Jeolla Province Council walking out from the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree event to protest against the organisers went viral on Sunday. They reportedly claimed the organisers failed to impose proper measures to protect teens after the male Thai scout leader, who is over 30 years of age, walked into the female shower block.
According to a probe launched by the Thai Ministry of Education, the Thai scout leader did not know the site was a shower block designated for females.
"He had no idea that the space was a female bathroom. He even sang as he walked into it. The organiser found it was just a misunderstanding," Sutin Kaewpana, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education, told the media yesterday.
The Thai scout leader who entered the female shower block was given "a simple warning" by the jamboree committee. Despite no violation or felony reported, the Korea Scout Association's North Jeolla Province Council reported the matter to the local police.
The report has shone a spotlight on the scout movement in Thailand, which was launched as an initiative of King Rama VI some 112 years ago.
Scout activity has been governed by the National Scout Organization of Thailand (NSOT). It is overseen by the Ministry of Education, which made scout activities compulsory over the last two decades.
The junta government also used the scout movement to instil 12 moral values in Thai youths.
But the bathroom etiquette faux pas is just a tiny problem facing NSOT.
The scout movement was once popular several decades ago but has become less relevant and may perhaps soon be forgotten.
Many parents have complained about the outlay for scout uniforms, which can cost up to 1,400 baht per set.
Meanwhile, students have made complaints that scout lessons are boring.
Instead of conducting classes outdoors and focusing on instilling a passion for outdoor adventure, teachers often conduct activities in classrooms, treating scout activities as lessons and not as fun-filled activities as they should be. This should not be the case.
The next education minister and government need to re-energise scouting activities and make them more relevant and interesting for today's young.
NSOT also needs to maximise the use of its 130 properties for promoting outdoor activities, with only 10 campsites reportedly currently being used.
Thai youths need scout activities like never before to provide an outdoor experience that also promotes volunteering and teamwork.
The next education minister needs to do justice to what should be fun-filled activities by bringing them out of the classroom and making them enjoyable and available to all children. No real education is achieved if students are just kept in classrooms.