Principal Dies After Thailand School Shooting
Last update: February 12, 2026
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Teen suspect in custody after attack that also injured two students.
A teenage gunman accused of killing a school principal in Thailand using a police officer’s weapon was in custody on Thursday, authorities said, following an attack that also left two students injured.
Police shot and arrested the 18 year old on Wednesday after he entered Phatong Prathan Khiriwat School in southern Songkhla province with a firearm. Officials said several shots were fired during the incident.
School director Sasiphat Sinsamosorn died in hospital early Thursday after undergoing surgery for gunshot wounds, according to a statement from the Songkhla public relations department.
Songkhla police chief Teerasak Chaiyotha said she was shot before officers intervened and apprehended the suspect.
The teenager, who was grazed by a bullet during the arrest, is being treated in hospital and has not yet been formally charged while investigations continue, Teerasak said.
Police had initially responded to reports of a teenager acting erratically. Teerasak told reporters that the suspect had been hospitalised for psychiatric treatment in December and later discharged.
Authorities said the teenager allegedly stabbed a police officer with a knife and stole his 9mm pistol shortly before entering the school and carrying out the shooting.
Sasiphat was shot in the chest and died from blood loss, the provincial department said, describing her as a brave teacher. The school expressed its deepest condolences in a Facebook post, saying her memories and kindness would remain in their hearts.
A teenage girl who was shot underwent surgery and remains in hospital, the health ministry said. Another student was injured after jumping from the second floor of the building but has since been discharged.
Classes have been suspended for two days while authorities gather evidence and review security measures at the school.
CBI News reports that Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, with an estimated 10 million firearms in circulation, roughly one for every seven people. Previous pledges to tighten gun laws have failed to prevent repeated shootings.
In 2022, a former police officer armed with a gun and knife attacked a nursery in northern Thailand, killing 24 children and 12 adults in one of the country’s deadliest massacres.
