Armed police walk through the school premises after a shooting in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province, north of Thailand's capital Bangkok, on August 7, 2026. Lillian Suwanrumpha, AFP
MANILA — Eight Filipino teachers are “safe” after a deadly shooting at a school near Bangkok Friday, an envoy said.
A teenage suspect killed his grandparents before shooting dead at least six more people at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province.
“All 8 Filipino teachers in Debsirin School Nonthaburi are safe, no injuries. They are in the designated safe zone,” Philippine Ambassador Millicent Cruz-Paredes said.
The teenage suspect first shot dead his grandparents, using his grandfather's handgun, then went to the secondary school and killed three teachers and three students, national police said in a statement.
"I was afraid that I would die, and I was scared that I wouldn't be able to pursue my dreams," said Pawarisa Maylissa, a grade 12 student who hopes to attend medical school.
"I heard many gunshots very loudly because it seemed the suspect was on the floor directly above us. I could even hear bullets hitting the floor."
Fifteen injured students were not struck by gunfire but hurt as they were trying to flee, deputy interior minister Polapee Suwunchwee told local broadcaster Thai PBS.
The shooter was identified as a student of the school and also reported dead, according to local media reports citing authorities.
Some reports said police officers had shot and killed the suspect, while others said he had died by suicide.
"It's such a terrible incident. It should never have happened. How could this happen in our country?" Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at Bangkok's Government House.
Photos published by local media show the suspect wearing a purple school uniform and carrying a black cross-body bag, with several bullet casings visible on the ground.
An AFP journalist saw a dozen mental health workers arrive at the school, where traffic was nearly at a standstill.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, with around 10 million firearms estimated to be in circulation -- one for every seven inhabitants.
Past promises of tightening gun laws have not prevented repeated shootings.