Authorities in Samut Songkhram province revoked the Child Protection Foundation's registration licence on Thursday with immediate effect.
Khru Yun: Charged with child assault
Anukul Peedkaew, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, revealed yesterday that the foundation, registered as an orphanage for 60 children aged 10 to 17, violated the written criteria because three overage youths and 20 underage children were in its care before the revocation was issued.
The move came after the last ten children were rescued by the Provincial Office of Social Development and Human Security and child welfare workers.
Sirisak Sirimangkhala, Samut Songkhram's acting governor, said 39 of the 54 children, including the last ten rescued from the foundation, ranging in age from 4-13 years, are now under the care of the ministry's nursery.
The parents of the other 15 children have since taken them home, he added.
Mr Sirisak also answered a question about the children's education by saying that local authorities and Thaworn Wittaya School, the children's school, will apply to have them homeschooled for now and plan their future education with the school later.
The foundation's licence was revoked after its secretary-general, Montri "Khru Yun" Sinthawichai, was accused of physically mistreating children by the Zendai Foundation, which reported the alleged incidents to Amphawa police station at the beginning of this month.
Evidence collected by the Zendai Foundation shows Khru Yun assaulting children while in the foundation's care and taking some of them to work at a resort run by his wife.
Khru Yun and his wife were charged with child assault and using child labour, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the deputy national police chief, said on Thursday. Mr Montri, however, insisted there was no mistreatment of children in the foundation's care, claiming he had just punished them in certain situations, as a responsible guardian.
To avoid similar incidents in the future, Mr Anukul said the ministry will investigate the registration of other child foundations across the country.
The Child Protection Foundation in Samut Songkhram's Amphawa district was established in 1994.