SONGKHLA - The director of Hatyaiwittayalai secondary school said on Monday that miscommunication might have led to the threatening online post by a sacked foreign teacher.
She also said the school could in future reject all walk-in foreign teaching applicants.
Director Thiwichaya Meechooworapong said there may have been a problem with communicating and explaining the procedures inherent in the Thai bureaucratic system.
The school management had tried to solve issues with the former teacher through meetings and talks given by Thai staff and other foreign teachers.
Former English-language teacher Pieter Johannes Dreyer, a South African, was sacked by the school on July 24. He later allegedly posted a picture with a firearm, messages and an audio clip on a public group on LINE chat where there were about 5,000 members.
According to immigration police, he left Thailand through the Padang Besar border checkpoint in Sadao district of Songkhla at 2.39pm on July 19 and did not return.
The management of the school, which has about 3,600 students, considered the messages to be threatening and suspended all on-site teaching on Monday and Tuesday, requiring students to study from home for their own safety.
The incident was an important lesson for the school, which would make changes to its teacher admission conditions, she said. The could in future reject walk-in foreign teaching applicants and turn to job agencies instead.
Ms Thiwichaya confirmed that on-site classes had been suspended on Monday and Tuesday. Normal classes would resume on Thursday. Wednesday is Mother’s Day, a national holiday.
On Sunday Ms Thiwichaya released a statement elaborating on the issue. The statement denied allegations of fraud made by Mr Dreyer.
The statement said the school had to briefly delay payment of his salary from Nov 26 until Dec 2, 2025 because severe flooding affected its database and payment system.
The director also explained that the school could not raise his monthly salary from 33,000 to 35,000 baht right away, as he demanded, because it was a public school with set procedures for seeking permission to give him a pay rise. The school director alone did not have the authority.
In addition, Mr Dreyer had signed a contract agreeing to the 33,000-baht rate.
The director denied that the school management refused to cut his social security contribution and overestimated its flood damage.
Ms Thiwichaya said the school management had to terminate his contract because he violated it by posting false information about the school in online social media and was absent from work for more than two working days without informing his supervisor.
His absence affected the administration, teaching quality and credibility of the school, she wrote.
The director also wrote that Mr Dreyer filed a complaint against the school with the Labour Court and relevant authorities agreed with the school's request to transfer the case to the Administrative Court, which was considering it.
Ms Thiwichaya said the school management had tried to create understanding with Mr Dreyer in meetings and it intended to conclude the issue through peaceful means and cushion the impact on all parties.
In response to perceived threat, the school had filed a complaint with police and sought relevant legal action.
