PHETCHABUN – Police have detained a teacher without bail after a shocking incident that left a student’s uncle dead. The teacher is accused of shooting the man during a dispute that broke out after the teacher was accused of inappropriate behaviour towards a student.
The incident happened after the teacher picked up the student from a friend’s house and took them home. The teacher then joined the student’s father, friends and the victim for drinks.
During the gathering, the student accused the teacher of sexual harassment on the car ride home, sparking outrage among family members. The student’s uncle, Taweesak Phonlai, 43, attacked the teacher. In response, the teacher left the room, returned with a .38 calibre gun and shot Taweesak dead at the scene.
After the shooting, the teacher surrendered to police at Mueang Phetchabun Police Station. He sought medical care at Phetchabun Hospital for injuries to his left eye and bleeding from his mouth and nose after he was beaten by the uncle’s family members. Police are providing round-the-clock security while he remains under observation.
Police Colonel Sombat Boonpan, head of Mueang Phetchabun Police, said today that the suspect is still in the hospital but is expected to be discharged within a couple of days.
Investigators have already opposed bail due to the seriousness of the offence and have requested the court to approve his detention. Once doctors clear him, the teacher will be taken straight to court.
The victim’s family has brought Taweesak’s body home to Village 4, Na Pa sub-district, for funeral rites. They held a ceremony at the scene with personal items of the deceased, following local custom. The family is also planning to file an additional charge of sexual assault against the teacher, based on the student’s and a friend’s statements.
Chaiwat Kwankaew, 45, the student’s father, said the teacher had joined them for drinks for about half an hour before the fight began. He explained that Taweesak, angry after hearing his niece’s accusation, struck the teacher several times before the shooting happened.
Chaiwat added that the teacher had never come to their home or brought alcohol before. He also mentioned that his daughter sometimes refused to go to school, and the teacher had notified him, but he didn’t force her.
Tai Phannon, Director of the Phetchabun Primary Education Area Office 1, said the school director had reported the case. Disciplinary action will wait until after the police investigation. The school is now working with local social services and health officials to support the students affected by the incident.
