Prachathat Party Leads Fundraiser to Expand Prachip Wittaya School
Pol Col Tae of the Prachathat Party led a fundraising drive to purchase land for expanding Prachip Wittaya School in Narathiwas province, recalling his son Masae Useng who attended the school. He highlighted the success of private religious schools in Thailand’s deep south, noting they now outperform government schools in producing doctors and academic competitors. The event also touched on personal histories, including his past connection to Masae Useng, who authorities suspect of being a BRN insurgent leader.
Pol Col Tae spoke at the event, highlighting that private religious schools in Thailand’s three southern border provinces now outperform government schools in academic achievement, producing over ten students who gain admission to medical programs each year and sending more than a hundred students to academic Olympiads. He recalled attending the wedding of his son-in-law Saifudin nearly ten years ago, having first met Saifudin in Egypt during political unrest there, when the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre arranged a chartered flight to bring Thai students home safely. Pol Col Tae said seeing Saifudin married to the daughter of Babao and becoming a father himself brought him joy, noting that Babao’s father is Masae Useng. He added that in the past, security concerns were linked to education, causing it to decline, but today Prachathat wants to promote education and decentralize power to localities because building a person is more valuable than building an airport. The reporter noted that Masae Useng formerly taught at Samsam Witthaya School in Waeng district, Narathiwas, and Thai authorities believe he is a key leader of the BRN separatist movement seeking to divide the three southern border provinces and four districts of Songkhla province, describing him as a major suspect in rebel arms thefts from an army development battalion.
