Pol. Lt. Gen. Piyawat Chalermsi, Commander of Police Region 9, has ordered the formation of a fact-finding committee regarding the incident in which an 18-year-old man seized a police officer's gun at Thung Lung Police Station and used it to fatally shoot the director of Patong Prathan Kirivat School in Songkhla. He also expressed his deepest condolences and profound sorrow.
Update on the incident where a perpetrator used a firearm inside Patong Prathan Kirivat School on Municipal Road 31, Patong Subdistrict, Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, taking teachers and students hostage, resulting in the death of the school director and injuries to two students. Police carefully implemented tactical plans and succeeded in apprehending the suspect, as previously reported.
On 12 Feb 2026, reporters noted that the Facebook page of Police Region 9 posted a condolence message expressing sorrow over the passing of Mrs. Sasiphat Sinsomros, director of Patong Prathan Kirivat School, honoring the spirit of teaching and mourning deeply.
Meanwhile, at Thung Lung Police Station, Hat Yai District, Songkhla, Pol. Maj. Gen. Archan Jansiri, Deputy Commander of Police Region 9, along with Pol. Maj. Gen. Theerasak Chaiyotha, Commander of Songkhla Provincial Police, and investigative officers from Thung Lung Police Station, convened to discuss the case.
Regarding yesterday’s incident, which raised public questions about how the suspect managed to seize a police firearm, the event began when Thung Lung Police Station received a report of a man acting violently against family members at a house in Village 1, Patong Subdistrict. Two police patrol officers, accompanied by the village headman, went to investigate. Upon arrival, they found the suspect, Mr. Khemnan, acting erratically and wielding a long knife. Police employed tactics to subdue him using a baton to approach closely.
However, Mr. Khemnan attacked the officers with the knife, injuring one, though the bulletproof vest protected him. The officer then ran to the police car, which had its doors locked, to retrieve a taser from inside. While unlocking the vehicle, Mr. Khemnan charged with the knife, forcing the officer to jump away. Mr. Khemnan then grabbed the gun inside the car, got on a motorcycle, and fled toward the school where the subsequent incident occurred.
Reporters stated that Pol. Lt. Gen. Piyawat Chalermsi, Commander of Police Region 9, has issued an order to appoint a committee to investigate the circumstances that allowed the suspect to seize a firearm from police officers and commit the crime, to determine whether it resulted from negligence or unavoidable circumstances under the pressure of the situation. He has instructed the committee to expedite the investigation and promptly conclude their findings.