Parents brought 11 girls to file complaints against a school principal in Kanchanaburi who sexually abused them over many years. When the children reported to teachers, they were told to prioritize the school's reputation. Recently, OBEC removed the principal from the area and reassigned him to assist at the district office instead of the school.
At 11:30 a.m. on 9 July 2026, at the Paveena Foundation for Children and Women in Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok, Khlong 7, Lam Phak Kut Subdistrict, Thanyaburi District, Pathum Thani, a group of 11 female students' parents traveled from Kanchanaburi to file complaints with Ms. Paveena. Their daughters, aged 11 to 15, studying in grades 5 to 9 at a school in Kanchanaburi, were sexually abused by the school principal. He touched their breasts with his hands. Some were abused since grade 3, nearly every day, totaling hundreds of times. The principal would call the children to cut hair, do house chores, or try on clothes at the teacher's residence within the school and threatened to withdraw scholarships if they told anyone.
Additionally, one victim’s mother suspected the principal’s behavior of regularly buying undershirts for the children, deducting the cost from government subsidies for uniforms and school supplies. The principal then demanded the old undershirts back, with unclear reasons. The children had reported the abuse to several teachers but received no assistance. Instead, teachers told them to love the school and not damage its reputation. The 11 girls confirmed many other friends were also victims. On 3 July, the principal resigned, raising parents’ fears he might escape responsibility. They insisted on pursuing the matter fully.
Ms. Paveena then coordinated with Mr. Akkaranan Kankittinan, Deputy Minister of Education and Director of the Education Rights and Freedom Protection Center, who personally came to receive the complaint along with Dr. Arunee Jiramahasarn, Assistant Secretary-General of OBEC, and Dr. Tarin Kandokmai, Director of the Rights and Freedom Protection Center, Ministry of Education. They held a joint meeting to investigate and planned to coordinate with Police Colonel Manop Namprasanthai, Superintendent of Srisawat Police Station, Kanchanaburi, regarding the legal case. The Paveena Foundation staff were assigned to accompany all 11 families to file a complaint on 10 July.
Mr. Ton, father of an 11-year-old girl "A" (pseudonym), a grade 5 student and parents’ representative, said that on 1 July 2026, he heard news that the school principal had sexually abused several students. He asked his daughter and learned she had been abused three times since grade 4 by having her breasts touched. He then inquired with other students in nearby villages and found out the principal had abused over 20 students.
When he confronted the principal at school, the principal denied the allegations and accused the children of being influenced by social media and imagining things. Recently, the principal resigned on 3 July, citing everyone’s peace of mind and not wanting to damage the school’s reputation. Mr. Ton wants to prosecute the principal fully and sought help from the Paveena Foundation.
Meanwhile, the aunt of an 11-year-old girl "B" (pseudonym), a grade 6 student, said her niece reported that the principal called her to his residence to cut her hair and touched her breasts since grade 3 because she was taller than her peers. She was abused almost daily, hundreds of times. If not called for haircuts, the principal would have her do laundry, wash dishes, and clean the teacher’s residence. Sometimes he gave her 50-100 baht to buy snacks. The principal also ordered undershirts for the children, calling them to try them on at his residence before touching their breasts. He deducted 40-50 baht for undershirts from the 400 baht government subsidy for school supplies. Once, the girl was called for haircuts three days in a row (10–12 June 2026), during which the principal just trimmed a little and touched her breasts before letting her go home.
The mother of 11-year-old girl "C" (pseudonym) said their family moved here last year and her daughter transferred to this school in grade 4. The daughter said the principal often pulled her hand to his residence to cut her hair, claiming her hair was too long and against regulations, even though the mother had just taken her to get a haircut. The principal frequently had her help with house chores like laundry and dishwashing almost daily from grade 4, second semester, totaling 60-70 times. While at his residence, the principal would touch her breasts inside her shirt, sometimes undress her, and threaten that if she told anyone, he would withhold her 3,000-baht scholarship. The daughter was afraid to tell her mother fearing financial hardship. Many other female students were also called to the teacher’s residence for chores and were similarly abused.
Other parents reported consistent information from their daughters about the principal’s behavior. The principal would walk around the school daily, calling girls to his residence for haircuts, claiming it was against regulations and to save parents haircut costs. He also called girls to pick up undershirts, sweatpants, scout uniforms, and school supplies from the teacher’s residence within the school, near the classroom buildings, before fondling and sexually abusing them. Many girls became victims. Boys were never given haircuts by the principal and were told to get haircuts at a barber shop themselves.
Furthermore, the abused children said when they sought help from several teachers about the principal touching their breasts, they were only advised to avoid meeting him or to go in groups but no action was taken. The principal continued to find opportunities to grope them. Some teachers, upon learning that parents and children planned to complain to the Paveena Foundation, sent messages to the children urging them to protect the school’s reputation, warning that if they pursued charges against the principal, the homeroom teacher might also face investigation.
Mr. Akkaranan Kankittinan, Deputy Minister of Education and Director of the Education Rights and Freedom Protection Center, said two actions are underway. First, OBEC has set up a committee to investigate the principal, who has been removed and reassigned to district office duties. Second, the Ministry of Public Health and Ministry of Social Development and Human Security will jointly support the long-term psychological rehabilitation of the children. OBEC will expedite disciplinary investigations and psychological support. The Ministry of Education will back parents and children legally. If found guilty, the principal will face severe disciplinary action, dismissal without pension benefits, and criminal prosecution.