Family seeks answers after 7 year old boy dies after swimming class

The family of a seven year old student criticised teachers at Saint Joseph Yannawa School in Bangkok after the boy drowned during a swimming class on March 25.

The boy, identified as Mon, passed away and was found underwater at the school’s swimming pool. His family shared the case with the Facebook page พระราม 3 ต้องรอด (Rama II must survive), saying they feared they would not receive justice. The boy’s funeral was held at Yannawa Temple from March 26 to 29.

Mon’s grandmother, 51 year old Nattaporn, told the page she went to the school at about 4pm to pick up her grandson, but could not find him. She said she and Mon’s friends began searching and later found his shoes on a rack outside the swimming pool area.

Nattaporn said one of the classmates climbed into the pool area and found Mon’s bag. She followed the child and searched the shower room and the changing room, but said Mon was not there.

Thai boy drowns after swim class in Bangkok
The boy’s grandmother and mother | Photo via Amarin TV

She then contacted teachers, who told her Mon might have already left the school. Nattaporn said she did not believe this was possible because he would not have left his belongings behind. She said she began to suspect he had drowned and urged the swimming trainer to search for him in the pool.

Mon was later found underwater. The trainer brought him out and performed CPR. The boy had a very weak pulse and later passed away in the hospital.

Nattaporn said the final class on the day of the incident was swimming. She said the class ended at about 2.30pm and the pool closed at 3pm.

Thai boys drowns in school after swim class
Photo via Amarin TV

According to Nattaporn, teachers and the swimming trainer gave conflicting accounts of how many students attended the class. The teacher said 13 students were present, while the trainer said 15. The trainer also admitted that no headcount was carried out after the class ended.

The family said the school told them CCTV cameras around the swimming pool were not working. They said they refused compensation offered by the school and are seeking a thorough investigation into the cause of Mon’s death, including whether it involved recklessness by teachers.

The school later issued an official statement on the case, saying it would cooperate with the investigation and improve security measures.

Boy drowns in school
Photo via Amarin TV

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Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.