Thai schools hold shooting response drills after deadly school attack

BANGKOK: Thai schools conducted active shooter drills on Wednesday (Aug 19), as authorities moved to strengthen security measures two weeks after a 14-year-old opened fire at a school and killed at least eight people.

At the Surasamontree School in Bangkok, students took part in a "run, hide, fight" exercise, with a police officer dressed in black and acting as a mock attacker, armed with a handgun and an assault rifle firing blanks. 

Students ran from the gunman and hid under tables and behind locked doors, while others used furniture to block entrances. In one scenario, students tackled and pinned down the attacker after he entered the classroom.

The drills follow a directive signed on Aug 10 by Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong requiring schools to draw up security plans and rehearse emergency response procedures.

"Every school is responding because this is a new-age threat that can happen anywhere," said Visitsak Vipattanamongkol, superintendent of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit at the Patrol and Special Operations Division of the police.

"Every school is on alert, adjusting their plans, and preparing so students can respond to incidents and threats of all forms," he said.

The school has also escalated daily security checks using metal detectors and bag searches. Teachers demonstrated handheld detectors and displayed sharp objects confiscated from students.

Surasamontree School director Onitcha Kochana said the training could help students respond if a real emergency occurred.

"I'm impressed and really like this training, because it gives students knowledge and awareness," Onitcha said.

"They can take what they learned today and use it to handle the situation, turning something serious into something less severe," she said.