Ayutthaya school cancels field trip after bus blaze tragedy kills 23

Following the bus blaze tragedy that claimed the lives of 23 students and teachers, St. Anthony Bang Pa-in School in the central province of Ayutthaya cancelled its upcoming field trip on October 9 as a safety precaution.

The fire yesterday, October 1, broke out on a coach bus carrying 44 students and teachers from Wat Khao Phraya Sangkharam School during a field trip to Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces, resulting in 23 deaths and three injuries. The devastating incident has sent shockwaves throughout Thailand and the globe and caused panic among families with young children.

Many Thai parents shared their thoughts online, suggesting that schools should no longer organise field trips, especially for primary school students. Several pointed out that this was not the first accident during a field trip. News platform Naewna also reported on previous accidents.

For instance, a bus accident in the central province of Prachin Buri in 2019 claimed the life of one student and injured 24 others. Last year, 25 students were injured in a bus accident in the southern province of Chumphon. Another accident involving a student bus occurred in Pathum Thani earlier this year, resulting in 25 injuries.

In light of these concerns from Thai parents, St. Anthony Bang Pa-in School in Ayutthaya announced on its official Facebook page yesterday that it initially planned to take students on a field trip on October 9 but decided to cancel it.

“As the school had prepared for the field trip on October 9, the executives and teachers are aware of parents’ concerns and the safety of all students. Therefore, the field trip will be cancelled, and the format of extracurricular learning activities, appropriate for each student, will be adjusted further.

“The school would like to thank all parents for their cooperation. Further details of the arrangements will be provided later. We apologise for any inconvenience.”

Diverse opinions

Many netizens praised the school for its prompt decision while others argued that the field trip itself was not the root cause of the issue. Another group of netizens felt that schools and relevant authorities should prioritise the condition of the driver and the vehicle instead.

A People’s Party MP, Rukchanok Srinork, yesterday also expressed her disagreement with the cancellation.

“I disagree with the cancellation of school field trips. This solution only addresses the outcome, not the root cause. It also deprives children of valuable learning opportunities.”

Rukchanok emphasised that visiting new places is crucial for children’s development. She pointed out that some families cannot afford to take their children on trips, so school field trips provide them with their only chance to travel.

The MP further stressed that the root cause could be addressed by enforcing stricter measures regarding vehicle inspections, driving licences, the driver’s health, and educating children on how to respond in an emergency situation.

As of now, St. Anthony Bang Pa-in School is the only institution to have cancelled its field trip. However, other schools are likely to announce similar cancellations soon due to safety concerns from parents.