Phuket MP warns teachers of jail time for hitting students

Phuket‘s Move Forward MP-elect for Constituency 1, Somchart Techathavorncharoen, has issued a warning to teachers that hitting students is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to 40,000 baht or up to two years in prison, or both. Somchart made the announcement on his official Facebook page, reminding the public that the Ministry of Education had abolished corporal punishment in 2005.

Despite the ban, Somchart said he continues to receive complaints about teachers hitting children. He encouraged parents to report such incidents directly to him. According to Section 295 of the Thai Criminal Code, causing bodily or mental harm to another person is an offence punishable by imprisonment or a fine.

In addition to criminal charges, Somchart noted that parents and children could also seek civil damages and compensation for medical expenses and emotional harm caused by the abuse, reported Phuket News. The Ministry of Education has set out regulations for disciplining students, which include reprimands, suspensions, demerit points, and activities aimed at changing behaviour.

Somchart emphasised that any activities used to discipline students must adhere to guidelines established by the Ministry of Education.

Corporal punishment sadly remains an issue across Thailand.

In June last year, a teacher in Sri Racha district of Chon Buri province allegedly injured a 12 year old student by forcing her to do 60 squat jumps. The studen’t father said the teacher punished the entire class of sixth graders with the squat jumps after someone spilled liquid ink on her desk.

In March last year, a Thai teacher in Pattaya was accused of hitting a 10 year old student because he was asking too many questions during an examination. The boy’s mother said he came home with a bruise on his back. When the student came home from school, he told his mother that the teacher that hit him. At first, the mother says she didn’t think much of it as teachers will sometimes do a light slap as punishment, but then she saw the bruise on her son’s back.