On January 30, 2025, Prachuap Wittayalai School in Mueang District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, hosted a regional forum focusing on the development of safe student transportation systems. The event, presided over by Prachuap Khiri Khan Governor Suttichai Sawat Saen, aimed to strengthen learning centers and model schools, encourage knowledge exchange, and enhance student bus safety management across three provinces: Prachuap Khiri Khan, Kanchanaburi, and Samut Songkhram.
The forum served as a platform to present achievements and future plans under the “Safe and Fair Public Transportation Services for Consumer Protection” initiative, a collaborative project between the Consumers’ Council of Thailand and the Health Promotion Foundation. Running since June 2023, the project is nearing completion and has successfully established learning centers and prototype schools to address transportation safety. Prachuap Wittayalai School, the region’s only prototype learning center, showcased its progress and best practices.
Participants included representatives from provincial education, transport, and police offices, as well as the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Consumer Council. Certificates were awarded to schools that excelled in safe student bus management, including Amphawan Wittayalai School in Samut Songkhram, Thaworn Witthaya School in Kanchanaburi, and several expansion schools. A discussion panel led by internal evaluator Piyaporn Arunphong facilitated knowledge-sharing on transportation safety practices.
The event highlighted the long-term vision for expanding these safety models across eight provinces in western Thailand, even as the project transitions away from direct budget support. Future collaborations may involve local health offices and additional funding sources, ensuring that the mechanisms established continue to benefit students and communities.
