A Thai mother was arrested after sending messages threatening a shooting at a kindergarten in Ratchaburi, prompting the school to cancel its sports day and switch to home-based learning from August 26 to 28.
The mother, whose identity was withheld, posted the threatening message in the parents’ LINE group, concerning the school’s sports day, which was scheduled to take place from August 26 to 28 during the Chinese Ghost Festival period.
Following the message shared, the mother wanted the school to postpone the sports day because she was busy with the Ghost Festival. She said she would join the school event, not for her child, but to launch a mass shooting.
The message spread panic and concern among parents, teachers and school staff. The school subsequently changed its teaching arrangements, with students studying from home during the three days.
Ratchaburi Provincial Police and relevant agencies held a meeting to establish security measures and track down the person who posted the message. Police from Mueang Ratchaburi Police Station were also deployed to maintain security around the school and provide information to parents.
The investigation later led police to the woman who sent the threat. She admitted sending the message to teachers in the LINE group.
She said she was upset because the school had assigned each student to craft their sports-day shirts, and she could not support her child to complete the shirt on time. She sent the threat in an attempt to have the school postpone the sports day.
Police initially charged her with two offences. The first was entering false information into a computer system in a manner that causes damage to another person, affects public safety or causes public panic.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both, according to the information provided.
The second was causing another person to fear or become alarmed through threats, which carries a maximum penalty of one month in prison, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both.
The school had prepared for the sports day, including activities involving sports, cheering, parades and other student roles. The sudden change affected students, other parents and the school itself, so the school may also pursue further legal proceedings to seek compensation for losses.
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The story Thai mother sends shooting threat messages to school to disrupt sports day as seen on Thaiger News.
