Officer Abandons Doctor's Visit to Aid School Crisis
A police officer abandoned his doctor's appointment to respond to a school crisis in Nonthaburi on August 7, arriving in casual clothes with tactical gear retrieved from his vehicle to support the emergency response team.
On August 10, Deputy National Police Commissioner Trairongphiphan Phiwphan, speaking as spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police, said that Police Commissioner Kittiphon Panchet commended all police units involved in resolving and assisting teachers, students, and civilians at the Nonthaburi school incident on August 7. The units included Regional Police Region 1, Nonthaburi Provincial Police, Plai Bang Police Station, Arintharaj Unit 26, and Bangkok Metropolitan Police Command support personnel.
The spokesperson addressed online social media images showing a police officer wearing shorts and casual clothes while carrying full tactical gear as part of the response team at Thepsirin School in Nonthaburi. After verification with Bangkok Metropolitan Police Command Division 7, the officer was identified as Sub-Lieutenant Saettawut Sangmuang, commander of Sala Daeng Police Station's special operations team.
According to Trairongphiphan, the officer was attending an investigation course and had requested leave to see a doctor. Upon learning of the emergency while en route, Sub-Lieutenant Saettawut immediately abandoned his personal appointment, retrieved tactical equipment from his vehicle, and rushed to support the crisis response team. The officer was part of a special operations team competing in the MPB S.W.A.T Challenge 2026, but the entire team withdrew from the competition to respond to the emergency, demonstrating their commitment to public safety above all else.
