Students discard cash outside Triam Udom entrance exam over strict item ban
Strict rules at a prestigious Bangkok school’s entrance exam have drawn controversy after students were seen throwing away cash and other belongings, raising concerns about how they would get home afterwards.
The admissions exam for Triam Udom Suksa School for the 2026 academic year took place at Impact Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi, with 13,895 students competing for 1,520 places.
A Facebook post by Chiratchai Pawiwaranon, which has since been deleted, showed students discarding money and other prohibited items outside the venue. He questioned how students would manage to get home without cash, noting that not all parents were waiting outside.
The post quickly gained traction after popular pages Drama-addict and Hone Krasae shared it, leading to widespread online debate.
Some Facebook users defended the examination centre, pointing to prior announcements that prohibited wallets from the exam room. A belongings deposit point was available at Hall 5 for 30 baht per person, but some students arrived too late to use the service and were left with no choice but to discard their belongings.
The discarded items raised questions about security and whether students could retrieve them after the exam. Concerns were raised about students needing cash for transport, as not all shops accept digital payments. Others criticised the distance of the deposit area and traffic congestion, which added to the pressure on students.
Triam Udom Suksa School, known for its high academic standards and as a pathway to top Thai universities, enforced the strict rules to prevent cheating. School director Bunyapong Phowatthanat said prohibited items had been announced a month in advance, including communication devices, wallets, cash, and various personal items.
Bunyapong added that some students may have arrived late, which led to the need to leave valuables behind. The area where items were discarded was restricted to exam candidates and remained secured. After the exam, students were able to retrieve their belongings with no reports of loss or damage. The director confirmed the rules were not new, but said this was the first year such concerns had been raised, reported Bangkok Post.
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