Dear ISB Parents
The three High School/Secondary Principals from ISB, Bangkok Patana School and New International School of Thailand would like to write to you jointly to revisit a serious matter that is always a concern for us here in our schools and for you at home too. This concerns our students’ behaviour and safety out of school in Bangkok. This is timely for all of us as we are about to have our annual visits from the Freedom from Chemical Dependency group (FCD). On Wednesday, September 26th, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm in the MPB, we will host and open parent discussion regarding these issues. This is in addition to the regular work on making healthy choices in our health education and pastoral programmes throughout the year.
As we represent the three largest international schools and also as so many of our students socialise with each other out of school Mr Smith, Mr Edwards and I work closely to share concerns and trends relating to student welfare. Each of the three schools has their own policies and practices in this regard but overriding this we share a fundamental concern for our students.
Recently we have once again heard that students, principally but not exclusively from Grade 10 upwards, are consuming large amounts of alcohol at weekends, some reports even suggesting that Grade 7 students may be involved. As in the past this seems to largely be focused on either large, professionally organised parties at venues such as BITEC in Bangna or the RCA complex off Petchaburi Road, or more informally at bars on Khao San Road. At the organised large parties students typically pay an entrance fee of around 500baht which then enables them to access free flow alcohol including spirits all evening. These parties can hold literally hundreds of people, there appears to be little screening of ‘undesirables’, fire safety is a major concern and youngsters are potentially at great risk when they leave the venues late at night. In the past agencies operating these parties have included “Pink Sky’ and ‘Culture One’ amongst others. On Khao San Road the concern is more that students are able to buy ‘buckets’ of alcohol for a few hundred baht and drink to excess with little or no regard for their age (many students apparently have fake ID anyway) or concern for their health. We also hear that at these venues youngsters may be offered illegal substances such as marijuana.
I would like to point out that where we are aware of specific student involvement we always inform parents and meet with the students. If you have particular concerns about your own child please contact the vice-principal, a counsellor or me. If you have more general concerns then please pass them to me in the first instance. Please note that we are not aware that the situation is any worse or more widespread than in previous years, but we believe that by acting together we are sending out a positive message early in the year to our collective school communities. All three schools want our students, your children to be safe, healthy and able to focus on fulfilling their potential in school.
Yours Sincerely
Philip Bradley
September 2012
General Guidelines for Student Safety in Thailand
Students
- Should always travel with your mobile phones and call your parents to let them know where you are
- Make sure that your mobile phones are charged up and switched on and that you have contact numbers for all of your friends’ families
- Should remember the strategies to help you say no to substance misuse
- Never leave your drink unattended, ask one of your group to look after it if you have to go to the toilet
- Any drink, not only alcoholic ones may be ‘spiked’ (tampered with) by someone who may wish to harm you
- Always stay with your group when you go out and keep a close eye on each other’s behaviour (in case their drink is spiked)– if it works for your group designate a ‘responsible person’ each time you go out
- Pay close attention to ‘outsiders’ to your group and frequently check up on the person that they are talking to
- Have an understanding in your group beforehand that if one of you is behaving strangely and irrationally then the others will take them home
- If a member of the group, especially a female is behaving irrationally or seems unusually disoriented whether by alcohol or something else stay with them at all times, contact the rest of the group by mobile phone and immediately take the person home
- Check in with your parents while you are out and if you are moving from place to place – do this by text if you don’t want to keep talking to them
- Go where you told your parents you were going
- Text your parents to call you with an excuse why you should go home if you feel you need to get away from a situation
Parents
- Always ensure that you know where your child is outside school time and what time they will return home
- Many parties are mis-characterised as ISB parties, this may give you a sense that ISB is supervises the event and that it is safe, if you are told an event is an ISB event it may simply mean there are lots of ISB student attending – always check, start with the official calendar
- If your child is going to a friend’s house then always call the other parent beforehand to ensure that you are happy with the arrangement and call again during the visit to ensure that your child is there
- Make sure that you know the mobile numbers of your child’s friends so you can contact them if you need to
- Keep your mobile phone charged up and switched on when your child is out in Bangkok
- Check your child’s health when they arrive home –often a hug and sniff is all that is needed.
These additional points refer to alcohol related / legal matters in Thailand
- It is illegal in Thailand for anyone under the age of 20 to enter a bar or night club
- It is illegal in Thailand for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase alcohol
- It is illegal in Thailand to be in possession of substances such as marijuana, ecstasy, opiates, etc
- It is illegal in Thailand to use fake identification papers or ID cards
- No ISB events allow alcohol
- After Graduation and After Prom parties are not organised by the school and we can not take responsibility for them
- Many bars in Bangkok will willingly permit students who are clearly under 20 years of age to enter them and sell alcohol to them
- There are extremely harsh penalties under Thai law for substance misuse (drugs) and such use is viewed as an adult crime even if committed by a student
- Illegal substances such as marijuana are easily available in Bangkok and young people out at night (and even in daylight) are seen as a potential market by drug pushers