Miracle at nap time – the girl who survived

Three-year-old Ammy slept through the whole thing. During the assault by the crazy killer who burst into her daycare centre, Ammy slumbered on, unnoticed by the man with the knives. Ammy has a habit of completely wrapping herself up in her blankets, and according to her mother, Panomphat Srithong, that might have saved her.

Panomphat was working at an electronics firm in Bangkok when the attack occurred last Thursday.

“Someone told me that all the children had died,” said Panomphat on Saturday with Ammy, sitting quietly in her arms. “But later I saw a video someone took of Ammy. It is a miracle she didn’t die.”

Ammy had been attending the centre for about a year and was the only child to escape unhurt from the attack. According to the BBC, Ammy was found awake, curled up next to the bodies of her classmates.

“She had no idea what was happening when she woke up,” said her 59-year-old grandfather Somsak Srithong. “She thought her friends were still asleep. A police officer covered her face and carried her away from all the blood.”

Panomphat is concerned that asking her daughter too many questions will not help her much, about it, but she said Ammy has some understanding of what happened.

“She knows that one of her friends, who is her best friend, has died,” said Panomphat, who also has a son aged 10.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Thai authorities dispatched mental health experts to counsel survivors and family members. “She is still a happy girl,” said Panomphat.

The attack by former policeman Panya Kamrab left 37 adults and children dead. Panya, who was facing drug-related charges, later turned the gun on himself after killing his wife and son at their home