One week has passed since he was assaulted by a group of men and sustained serious injuries to his arm, but Chattraphat Namjundee, a 26-year-old PE teacher at Mathayomwatsing School in Bangkok's Bang Khunthian district, is still in a state of shock over the unprovoked attack.
"I was punched, kicked and hit with a chair and table by a group of men I have never met before. I had to run for my life and lock myself inside a room until police arrived," he recalled.
InquiryLines, published bi-weekly on Mondays is a Bangkok Post column to present in-depth details of a range of issues from politics and social interest to eye-catching everyday lives.
Mr Chattraphat was among 12 people injured in the scuffle that erupted last week when a group of 24 men stormed Mathayomwatsing School, where 248 high school students were taking their General Aptitude Test and Professional and Academic Aptitude Test, disrupted the tests, vandalised property and attacked security guards, the school director, teachers and students.
The intrusion took place after the school asked people at an ordination ceremony at neighbouring Wat Sing to turn down their loudspeakers so as not to disturb the students.
"I was supervising the tests when I heard screaming from lower floors. I realised there must be something wrong so I went out to look and saw a female teacher being slapped by the assailants. I tried to stop them and calm them down, but they got mad and started attacking me, so I told the students to flee to safety," Mr Chattraphat said.
Reports of the events that day drew outrage from the public. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha joined the public in condemning the incident and pledged the perpetrators would be dealt with urgently.
The next day, 24 men aged 18 to 41 turned themselves in to authorities. They were charged with invasion, property damage and assault. Sixteen of them had been prosecuted for drug abuse in the past, although none tested positive for illicit substances in this case.
One suspect was also charged with sexually harassing a minor after a student claimed she was molested while trying to break up a fight between the attackers and her friend.
The leader of the mob later offered a tearful apology, saying he and his accomplices were drunk, meaning that all of them could face more charges under the 2008 Alcoholic Beverage Control Act which explicitly says drinking is not allowed at temples or other religious venues.
According to the National Institute of Educational Testing Service, the raid on Mathayomwatsing School will cost the government at least 700,000 baht because authorities will have to hold another test for the 87 students who were unable to finish.
The cost of arranging that test and repairing the damage to school assets will be recovered from the 24 suspects, as the education ministry plans to file lawsuits with the Civil Court.
"While the hooligans' behaviour was unacceptable, I don't hold a grudge against them. They have been arrested and will have to pay for what they did. I just hope this kind of incident won't happen at a school again. Schools should be safe places for students and teachers," Mr Chattraphat said.
After being hailed as a hero for protecting his students, Mr Chattraphat said he was only doing his job, and behaved as any good teacher would in the circumstances.
"I care deeply for my students and their well-being. That is why I did what I did that day," he said.
Mr Chattraphat, who still has a soft cast on his right arm and bruises on his body, said he will return to work today although his doctor says he still needs to be careful with his injuries.
"I want to get over this nightmare and get back to normal life as soon as possible. I have a football team which is competing in the youth league to train. The team needs a coach to guide them and other students also need their PE teacher," he said.
Mr Chattraphat said that next month he will be ordained as a monk at a temple in Sing Buri province, his hometown, to study and practice Dhamma, the teaching of the Buddha.
"When my family and I planned this last year, little did we realise that the timing would be so apt. Buddhists believe that giving up hatred and forgiving the harm done to us by others allows us to move on and to achieve peace of mind, so I think becoming a monk will help me get back on track.
''And of course, there will be no loud music and alcoholic beverages at my ordination ceremony because I have already seen what they can cause," Mr Chattraphat said.
