Police handcuff an 18-year-old gunman during the Hat Yai school shooting on Feb 11, an incident echoed on Friday when teachers in Phatthalung swiftly locked down a primary school to avert a possible knife attack. “We were worried he might use the knife on students or staff,” said the teacher, who asked not to be named. Mr Apidech said Mr Seksak had recently been released from prison on drug-related offences. “Given his background, we feared he could attack,” Mr Apidech said. The tragedy has spurred calls for tougher, system-wide safety measures, including better monitoring of high-risk individuals, improved training for school staff and reliable CCTV coverage.

Source: Bangkok Post March 20, 2026 14:07 UTC