School danger: Thailand's Ministry of Education warns of floor collapse

Photo: KhaoSod

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has issued a warning to all schools about the safety of their educational buildings. This warning has been put out to the public after an incident where the floor under an old school building in Phanat Nikkhom, Chonburi, collapsed, affecting about 30 students.

The students fell almost 2 meters to the ground, luckily there was flooding in the area, making the fall less serious. The incident was reported by the Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC).

The said school building, under the jurisdiction of Chonburi Secondary Education Region, Rayong, was conducting an English learning activity that required students to answer questions in front of the class. This led to a large crowd of students in front of the classroom, causing the floor to collapse, shocking everyone in the classroom and injuring more than 30 students.

The collapsed floor was located on the first floor of a three-story wooden school building (Model 318) built in 1976. The section of floor that collapsed was in front of the blackboard in the classroom, causing students to fall to the flooded first floor, resulting in two students requiring medical attention. The two students, both first year high school students, were taken to Phanat Nikhom Hospital where they were diagnosed with minor injuries to their arms, legs and back. After receiving treatment, they were allowed to return home, KhaoSod reports.

Safety at the school helps prevent an accident on the floor. Photo by KhaoSod.

The school subsequently assessed the damage to the students' property and compensated accordingly. The assigned building had previously undergone renovation and restoration.

Permpoon Chidchob, Minister of Education, who ordered all schools on October 6 to check classrooms, buildings, toilets, supplies, and other equipment daily to ensure safety, said building security is important. If any damage is found, repairs must be made immediately or, if this is not possible, barriers and warning signs must be erected to prevent accidents. In this case, the school's administration and teachers reacted correctly and promptly suppressed the result. "However, I would like to emphasize that all schools need to be strict about student safety every day. Don't be careless.".

Home / News / Thailand News / School safety: Thai education ministry issues warning after floor collapse

Thailand News Nattapong Westwood Nattapong Westwood is a Bangkok-born writer who is half Thai and half Australian. He attended an international school in Bangkok and then went on to study journalism in Melbourne. Nattapong started his career as a freelancer before joining Thaiger. His passion for news drives his dedication to the craft as he constantly strives to provide engaging content to his audience.