Thai schools hold active shooter drills after deadly attack

Schools in Thailand conducted active shooter drills on ⁠Wednesday, as authorities ⁠moved to strengthen security measures ⁠two weeks after a 14-year-old opened fire at a school and killed at least eight people.

At the Surasamontree School in Bangkok, students took part in a “run, hide, fight” exercise, with ‌a police officer dressed in black and acting as a mock attacker, armed with a handgun and an assault rifle firing blanks.

Students ran from the gunman and hid under tables and behind locked doors, while others used furniture to block entrances. In one scenario, ⁠students tackled and pinned down the attacker after he entered the classroom.

The drills ‌follow a directive signed on August 10 by Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong requiring schools to draw up security plans ‌and rehearse emergency response procedures.

“Every school is responding because this is ⁠a new-age ⁠threat that can happen anywhere,” said Visitsak Vipattanamongkol, superintendent of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit at ‌the Patrol and Special Operations Division of the police.