Parents alarmed after toddler’s face beaten in at Bangkok school

The injured 13-month-old child at Nong Bunmak Hospital. Photo: Cha Gu Ra / Facebook
The injured 13-month-old child at Nong Bunmak Hospital. Photo: Cha Gu Ra / Facebook

The terrible twos are a volatile time, but a toddler beating another bloody at a Bangkok school has parents anxious to know how it happened.

A bloody-faced 2-year-old was rushed to the hospital yesterday morning after she was attacked by a classmate with a wooden object at Bangkok’s Natthawut Wittaya Primary School while they were left unattended. Disturbing photos of cuts and bruises on the injured girl’s face and body were circulating online today after another parent went public with the incident.

“Where did all the teachers go? How did you let this happen! How can 2-year-olds do this to each other? Can someone please take responsibility?” user Cha Gu Ra wrote.

Reached for comment, the local police chief dismissed it as an accident.

“I don’t believe the kids intended to hurt one another. From talking to others in the situation, it seemed like they were fighting over the toy,” Chanat Gweechaochalart, Nong Bun Mak police chief, told Coconuts Bangkok this morning.

He said that the parents and school administrations had come to terms and are planning to meet to discuss compensation for the hospital bills – which the school and parents of the instigating child have agreed to cover. The injured student is scheduled to be released from the Nong Bunmak Hospital this afternoon.

“[The injured student] is not sad or anything anymore. Her injuries were not minor. She hasn’t said much about the incident but she’s only 1-year-old and 11 months,” Chanat said after visiting the child at the hospital last night. The child who started the fight was two months older.

“I don’t think either child has the capability to wrap their heads around the situation yet,” he said adding that there was no evidence of foul play or a cover-up by anyone.  

The incident occurred in the late morning during a break from the annual ceremony to pay respects to teachers called wai khru. Police said about 20 children were left unattended in a room for roughly 10 minutes because teachers were busy with the ceremony.

Chanat said that the two children were likely fighting over a box of dominos when one of them hit the other in the face with a wooden panel that came with the game, causing the injured student to start bawling. He said teachers rushed in at that point.

Though Chanat said that he’d never encountered a case of toddler-on-toddler violence before, he doesn’t believe it is a cause for concern.

“This is not a big deal, the situation has just been blown up by social media. Kids are just being kids,” he said.

Maybe that’s because preschoolers beating preschoolers bloody doesn’t strike anyone as normal.

“The parents have come to an understanding. This should all be cleared up soon,” he said.

Earlier today, school director Natthawut Inken told reporters all had been settled before laying out a version of events that matched the police.

He said the school has taken good care of the student. Responding to social media criticism, he said that at least one member of the faculty remained at the hospital with the injured student until 9pm.

“From now on we must tighten up our watch on the children but we were truly busy with the ceremony yesterday and the accident was something we could have never foreseen,” he said.

The original post and images below contain upsetting images.

The injured 13-month-old child at Nong Bunmak Hospital. Photo: Cha Gu Ra / Facebook
The injured 13-month-old child at Nong Bunmak Hospital. Photo: Cha Gu Ra / Facebook



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