The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has offered 50,000 baht in compensation to the family of an 11-year-old girl who died after being ordered to run laps during a physical activity hour at a city-run school.
Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang said yesterday that a physical education teacher at Wat Thung Khru School had ordered pupils to run four laps around its sports field, and the girl collapsed during the run.
The BMA had offered 50,000 baht as initial compensation to the girl's family, Pol Gen Aswin said.
The girl's father, Nathapol Wacharamonthien, went to Thung Khru police station with Pavena Hongsakula, head of the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, yesterday to follow up on the investigation into his daughter's death.
Ms Pavena said the teacher had ordered pupils to begin running laps about 11am on Jan 23.
The girl fell sick during the run and was treated in the school's infirmary until 2pm, when a teacher phoned the girl's father and asked him to pick her up.
Mr Nathapol said when he arrived at the school his daughter was shaking and panting, unable to speak.
She could only shake her head or nod.
She died on the way to hospital, he said.
He insisted his daughter was healthy and active and had no chronic illness. They had no reason to suspect she would die.
Mr Nathaphon said he went to the Pavena Foundation because the family wanted to know why the school did not take his daughter to a hospital.
Pichaya Nakwachara, a deputy city clerk who was at the station, denied reports the teacher ordered the run as punishment for students not paying attention in class.
Running was a normal part of the physical activity hour at the school and the girl collapsed after running two laps, he said.
Pol Maj Gen Samrit Tongtao, commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 8, said the results of an autopsy on the girl's body were expected from Siriraj Hospital in about 45 days.
