---
title: "Thai Schools Drill for Shooting Scenarios: Students Hide Under Desks, Backpacks Checked at Entry"
description: "On August 19, shooting-response drills were held at Thai schools: students hid under desks, while backpack checks and metal detectors were strengthened at the entrance. The measures were introduced after a tragedy involving a 14-year-old shooter."
date: 2026-08-19T23:02:44.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/thailand-school-shooting-drills-bangkok
tags: [thailand, school-shootings, safety-drills, bangkok, education, security]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Thai Schools Drill for Shooting Scenarios: Students Hide Under Desks, Backpacks Checked at Entry

![Thai school students hide under desks and on the floor during a shooting drill, with backpacks placed nearby](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/20/thailand-school-shoot-drills-bangkok/thailand-school-shoot-drills-bangkok-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- On August 19, drills following the “run, hide, fight” scenario were held at Thai schools, including Surasamontree in Bangkok.
- The drills were conducted under the education minister’s August 10 directive following a shooting carried out by a 14-year-old student.
- Schools have tightened checks: metal detectors at the entrance and inspection of students’ backpacks, bags, and pencil cases.
- Sources disagree on the number of deaths: from seven to “at least nine” people.

On August 19, large-scale shooting-response drills were held at a number of schools in Thailand, organized against the backdrop of tightened security measures following a tragedy in which a 14-year-old student opened fire, killing several people. According to Reuters, at Surasamontree Secondary School in Bangkok, students rehearsed the “run, hide, fight” scenario, facing off against a police officer in black clothing who portrayed an armed attacker wielding an unloaded weapon. Students fled from the “shooter” and then hid under tables in locked classrooms, while others blocked the entrances with furniture; in some cases, groups of students coordinated their actions to apprehend and neutralize the intruder after he breached the room.

### Ministry Directive and a “New-Generation Threat”

The events were carried out in accordance with a directive signed on August 10 by Thailand’s Education Minister Praset Jantaratangtong, which requires schools to develop security plans and regularly conduct emergency-response drills. As Visit Sak Wipattanamongkol, head of the explosive-ordnance disposal unit of the patrol and special police, stated, shootouts represent a “new-generation threat that can happen anywhere.” In his words, all schools are on heightened alert, adjusting their plans and preparing for students to be able to respond to incidents and threats of any kind.

### Backpack Checks and Metal Detectors at the Entrance

At Surasamontree School, daily security checks have also been tightened: metal detectors are used at the entrance, and students’ backpacks are inspected. Teachers use handheld detectors to confiscate sharp objects that students may carry. School principal Onicha Kachana noted that the drills help students respond appropriately to emergencies: “I was impressed and got great enjoyment from them, because these drills gave students the knowledge and understanding of how to minimize the damage from serious situations.” Following the events of August 7–8, the Thai government instructed schools across the country to strengthen security measures, including the inspection of students’ backpacks, bags, and pencil cases. According to Suparong Sawangngamwong, a teacher at Sawasdee Wittaya School in Bangkok, the search of personal belongings helps parents feel more at ease, knowing that their children are in a safe place.

### Conflicting Data

Open sources disagree on the number of victims of the original shootout. Materials citing Reuters state that the shooting carried out by a 14-year-old student killed “at least nine people.” Meanwhile, the headline of a publication on the 7kanal.co.il portal reports “seven killed and 15 wounded.” The discrepancy in figures may be explained by differences in the timing of data collection, a recount of the injured, or the use of different primary sources; at the time of preparing this material, no single agreed-upon official figure confirmed by all parties is provided in the available sources. The fact that drills are being conducted and checks are being tightened in Thai schools is confirmed by several independent publications.

### Context: Why Thailand Has Strengthened School Security

The drills are part of the authorities’ systemic response to an incident that exposed the vulnerability of educational institutions to “new-generation” threats. The combination of practical “run, hide, fight” scenario training, regular searches of personal belongings, and the installation of metal detectors is intended to form behavioral reflexes in students in the face of a real threat and to reduce potential damage. Experts and police representatives emphasize that the readiness of staff and students to respond quickly is a key factor in minimizing the consequences of such incidents, and that schools are moving to a state of permanent heightened alert.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Mass drills on responding to a shooting are being conducted in Thai schools, and students’ backpacks are being checked.](https://www.vietnam.vn/ru/truong-hoc-thai-lan-dong-loat-dien-tap-chong-xa-sung-kiem-tra-ba-lo-hoc-sinh) - Подтверждает проведение учений 19 августа, сценарий «беги, прячься, сражайся», проверку рюкзаков и металлодетекторы, ссылается на Reuters.
- [Shooting at a Thai school: seven killed and 15 wounded](https://www.7kanal.co.il/news/291136) - Указывает 7 погибших и 15 раненых, что расходится с формулировкой «по меньшей мере девять» в основном тексте; источник для раздела противоречий.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: When and where were the shooting-response drills held in Thailand?
**A:** On August 19, drills were held at many schools in Thailand, including Surasamontree Secondary School in Bangkok, where the “run, hide, fight” scenario was rehearsed.

### Q: Why have Thai schools strengthened security measures?
**A:** After a 14-year-old student carried out a shooting that killed several people, the authorities, under the education minister’s August 10 directive, required schools to develop security plans and conduct drills.

### Q: What checks are now being carried out in schools?
**A:** Metal detectors are used at the entrance, students’ backpacks, bags, and pencil cases are inspected, and teachers use handheld detectors to confiscate sharp objects.

### Q: How many people were killed in the shooting, according to sources?
**A:** Reuters materials cite “at least nine” killed, while a 7kanal.co.il publication reports seven killed and 15 wounded; no single agreed-upon figure is provided in the available sources.