UBON RATCHATHANI – A 12-year-old student has been taken into custody after fatally stabbing a classmate at a secondary school in Phibun Mangsahan district of this northeastern province.
The incident occurred during the school lunch break on Thursday, shocking the local community and raising concerns about safety protocols in educational institutions.
According to police reports, the attack took place at approximately 12.30pm when the two Matthayom 1 (grade 7) boys, who had a prior history of conflict, got into an altercation near the school canteen. Witnesses say the suspect approached the victim while he was speaking with friends, drew a concealed knife, and stabbed him in the left abdomen.
As the victim attempted to flee towards the kitchen area, the suspect pursued him and delivered a second fatal stab wound to the neck. Despite the victim pleading for mercy, the attack continued until bystanders intervened and restrained the assailant, said witnesses.
The injured student was promptly taken to Phibun Mangsahan Hospital but was later pronounced dead.
Following the incident, the suspect was escorted by officers to the scene to reconstruct the events as part of his confession.
In the wake of the tragedy, the secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) criticised the school’s failure to enforce safety measures, particularly the lack of routine bag checks.
“The school’s negligence allowed a weapon to be brought onto the premises,” said Thanu Wongchinda, pointing out that the Ministry of Education had issued guidelines requiring regular security screenings.
The initial investigations revealed that the two students had clashed previously during their primary school years, albeit at different schools. When they were enrolled in the same secondary school, the conflict was rekindled, ultimately culminating in the deadly confrontation.
Authorities are now working with local health services to provide psychological support for the families involved, as well as for other pupils and staff affected by the incident.
While the altercation has been classified as a personal dispute rather than a broader security threat, education officials reaffirmed the government’s policy that schools must remain safe environments.
Schools across the country are being urged to reinforce security protocols to prevent future incidents of this nature.