In this photo released by the Chonburi government’s Public Relations Department, police officers gather inside Nongplalai Municipal Kindergarten after a gunman fatally shot a teacher in Chonburi, Thailand, on September 9, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
A police officer who allegedly gunned down his wife at the kindergarten where she was a teacher in eastern Thailand surrendered Thursday (September 10, 2026) after an overnight standoff with authorities, officials said.
Tatsapong Tongthat, an officer at the Bang Lamung station in Chonburi province, allegedly killed his wife late Wednesday morning (September 9, 2026) inside a building at the Nongplalai Municipal Kindergarten about 150 km southeast of the capital Bangkok, according to the provincial government.
Authorities said he fled to his home after the shooting, and police surrounded the house, where he remained until surrendering after an 18-hour standoff.
All 44 students at the school were unharmed and evacuated with other teachers after the shooting. Classes were suspended until Friday (September 11, 2026) as a safety precaution, officials said.
School safety and gun violence in Thailand have come under scrutiny after a 14-year-old opened fire at his high school and family home on August 7, killing eight people and injuring more than 20 before apparently taking his own life.
Another 14-year-old student was arrested Sept. 2 after he fired several shots but failed to injure anyone at his school in Kamphaeng Phet province, 200 km (120 miles) north of Bangkok.
Calls for tighter controls on firearms have intensified, and the national government has ordered a review of gun regulations, including the suspension of new permits to purchase firearms and a review of existing permits.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia despite fairly restrictive gun laws. While mass shootings are still rare, Thailand has seen an uptick in high-profile attacks in recent years.
Published – September 10, 2026 01:16 pm IST
