Police said they prevented a teacher from committing suicide last night who had conned his own students of over THB2 million (US$58,000).
Chalat Phanyim, 43, was wanted for allegedly taking off with millions collected from students after promising to take them on a field trip to Japan when he was apprehended yesterday at a traffic checkpoint in the northern province of Phitsanulok.
In the car, traffic cops found a stove and suicide note written by Chalat. They said Chalat told them he was having financial difficulties and had planned to burn himself in the car before the police apprehended him.
Chalat had told students that he ran a study tour program in Japan and collected a fee of THB50,000 from each to cover all expenses. Because he claimed that his family ran a tour business, his school had not bothered doing any due diligence.
On Monday, more than 40 students were stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport, where they had arrived expecting to board a plane to Japan. Chalat was not present and could not be contacted.
The airline told the students’ families that the scheduled flight was full, and none of their names were on the passenger list. The families reportedly waited at the airport for three hours before realizing that they had been scammed.
He was being held by the authorities Wednesday morning. The police did not say what crimes he might be charged with.
รบกวนช่วยรีทวิตหน่อยค่ะ นักเรียนเกือบ 40 คน กำลังเดือดร้อน เพราะโดนอาจารย์โกงทริปทัวร์ มูลค่าหลายแสน (มีต่อในเธรด) #โหนกระเเส #ทวิตดีคนรีน้อย pic.twitter.com/HRwRkFHs5M
— ¯\_( ˘ ³˘)_/¯ (@_spirithaipai_) March 13, 2023
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