BANGKOK — 8 August 2026, Five ministries are joining forces to introduce a 90-day national school safety standard following the fatal shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, with the government planning tougher mental health screening, a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and tighter checks for weapons and other prohibited items.
The measures were discussed at an inter-ministerial meeting at the Ministry of Education on 8 August, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Minister Yodchanan Wongsawat.
Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong, Social Development and Human Security Minister Nikorn Somklang, Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat and representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, including the Department of Mental Health, also attended.
The meeting was held following the shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, in which a student allegedly used a firearm against teachers and fellow students, leaving several people dead and injured.
Yodchanan said all agencies would do their utmost to restore confidence among parents and the public, stressing that every child must be safe at school and that such a traumatic incident must not happen again.
The plan is divided into two main areas.
Immediate measures for reopening schools
The first is an emergency “school reopening plan” focused on psychological recovery and initial safety screening.
It includes six measures:
- Establish nationwide channels for mental health assistance through the Department of Mental Health and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, including hotlines 1300 and 1323, chat services and appointment systems, working with local psychologists from the Education Ministry, higher education institutions and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
- Deploy mental health volunteer teams to schools affected by the incident to provide close support to students, teachers and parents. Psychological recovery activities based on international standards will be organised on the first day schools reopen.
- Temporarily close classrooms where incidents occurred.
- Establish designated areas where parents can observe their children, with registration required for security purposes.
- Allow teachers and students suffering severe psychological effects to transfer to other schools where appropriate.
- Introduce temporary measures to screen for illegal items before people enter schools.
National school safety standard within 90 days
The second part is the creation of a “National School Safety Standard” within 90 days, which will be submitted to the Cabinet so that all ministries can follow a common set of guidelines.
The longer-term measures include regular mental health screening for students and teachers, an effective referral system for at-risk students to specialist doctors, and a “Train the Trainer” programme for guidance and homeroom teachers to improve their ability to assess students and provide basic psychological first aid.
The plan also calls for a rights protection centre on the Traffy Fondue platform, providing a safe zone where children can report problems or concerns that they may be unable to discuss elsewhere.
Schools will also conduct drills covering different emergency scenarios and inspect potential risk areas.
The government will adopt a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, while promoting stronger relationships between teachers and students and tighter screening of people and prohibited items before they enter schools.
Yodchanan urged parents to monitor changes in their children’s behaviour and seek psychiatric advice if necessary.
“Seeing a psychiatrist is nothing to be ashamed of. It is a proper way to take care of mental health,” he said.
Schools may search bags of at-risk students
Prasert said the Education Ministry had held an urgent nationwide online meeting with schools and agencies under its supervision, including the Office of the Basic Education Commission, vocational education authorities, the Office of the Private Education Commission and the Department of Learning Encouragement.
The ministry is preparing an official regulation authorising school administrators and disciplinary teachers to search the bags and belongings of students considered at risk, in order to prevent weapons such as knives and guns from being brought onto school grounds.
Prasert said Debsirin Nonthaburi School would suspend classes throughout the following week to assess the situation and improve its internal safety measures.
The ministry is also preparing assistance for the family of the teacher who died, including support from ministry funds, welfare benefits, the Teachers and Educational Personnel Welfare Promotion Fund and government compensation. A special promotion may also be considered for the teacher who died while on duty.
“Although Debsirin Nonthaburi is a large school with around 3,500 students and already had security measures in place, this incident was unprecedented in its severity,” Prasert said.
“The government and all agencies therefore need to raise preventive measures to the highest possible level to ensure that such a loss is not repeated in Thai society.”
Nikorn said his ministry would contribute in three key areas.
First, it will deploy social workers and psychologists to work with the Department of Mental Health and the Education Ministry to provide comprehensive psychological support for children and families.
Second, it will integrate its emergency reporting system by linking the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security’s 1300 hotline with the Traffy Fondue platform, allowing information to be coordinated and transferred to the Education Ministry more quickly and efficiently.
Third, the ministry will use the tragedy as a case study to review and strengthen security measures at child care facilities and educational institutions under its supervision nationwide.
A representative from the Department of Mental Health said keeping children safe as they grow requires cooperation from everyone in the community.
The Education Ministry’s HERO OBEC Care student support system has already been implemented in more than 85% of schools nationwide, helping assess and screen children for different mental health issues systematically.
However, the representative said the most important step now is to promote two-way communication and create trusted adults who children feel comfortable talking to, rather than allowing them to consume media alone while pressure continues to build.