### Addressing Illegal Schools in Phuket: A Timeline of Actions by Phuket School Directory
Since November 2023, the Phuket School Directory team, led by LisAndi, has been working to address the growing issue of illegal schools operating in Phuket. These unlicensed institutions harm legitimate educational establishments and put the safety of students at risk. Here’s a detailed timeline of the team’s actions, including letters sent to the Phuket Governor and key events involving Pinnacle International School.
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**November 2023**
- **Project Initiation**\: The Phuket School Directory team begins researching the rise of illegal schools in Phuket.
- **First Contact with Licensed Schools**\: The team starts consulting with licensed school owners who express concerns about the increase in illegal schools.
**December 2023**
- **[Directory Development Begins](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/Phuket+School+Directory+Project "Directory Development Begins")**\: Steps are taken to develop the Phuket School Directory, categorizing schools based on their license status.
**January 2024**
- **[Initial Request to Schools](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/Initial+Request+to+Schools "Initial Request to Schools")**\: The team contacts schools directly to request their DBD registration numbers and school licenses for transparency. It creates a Data Collection Form.
- **[Compilation of List of Illegal Schools](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2181 "Compilation of List of Illegal Schools")**\: The team compiles a list of approximately 50 schools with questionable licensing status.
**February 2024**
- **[Letter to Phuket Governor (February 14, 2024)](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/24-02-14+Letter+to+Phuket+Governor "Letter to Phuket Governor (February 14, 2024)")**\: A formal letter is submitted to the Phuket Governor, detailing concerns about the growing number of illegal schools and requesting immediate action to investigate the schools listed in the directory.
- **Request for Meeting**\: The team requests a meeting with the Phuket Governor and relevant authorities to discuss the illegal school situation.
**March 2024**
- **No Response from the Governor**\: Despite the February letter, no concrete response is received, and the illegal schools continue to operate unchecked.
- **[Follow-up Letter to Governor (March 15, 2024)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2146 "Follow-up Letter to Governor (March 15, 2024)")**\: The team sends a second letter, urging for a prompt meeting with the Governor.
**April 2024**
- **[Letter from Phuket Governor’s Office (April 1, 2024)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2149 "Letter from Phuket Governor’s Office (April 1, 2024)")**\: A reply is finally received from the Governor’s office, acknowledging the concerns raised but deferring responsibility to the Salagan Department of Social Development.
- **[Request for Inspection](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2152 "Request for Inspection")**\: The team continues its calls for the inspection of illegal institutions and provides additional evidence of their continued operation.
**June 2024**
- **[Letter to Phuket Governor (June 5, 2024)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2157 "Letter to Phuket Governor (June 5, 2024)")**\: Another letter is sent to the Governor’s office, requesting clarity on which department is responsible for shutting down illegal schools.
- **Pinnacle International School Case**\: A parent contacts the Phuket School Directory with a suspicious document from Pinnacle International Academy. The team investigates and discovers that the document, which claimed the school was licensed, was falsified.
- **[Falsified School Documents Discovered (June 10, 2024)](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/2024-06-10+Falsified+School+Documents+Discovered "Falsified School Documents Discovered (June 10, 2024):")**[\:](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/2024-06-10+Falsified+School+Documents+Discovered "Falsified School Documents Discovered (June 10, 2024):") The team reports the falsification to the Phuket Primary Education Service Office, which confirms that the document was fake.
- **[Reminder Letter to Phuket Governor (June 25, 2024)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2162 "Reminder Letter to Phuket Governor (June 25, 2024)")**\: Another letter again requesting the MOE report and no more delays.
**July 2024**
- **[Police Report Filed (July 17, 2024)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2169 "Police Report Filed (July 17, 2024)")**\: Due to life threats received from individuals linked to Pinnacle International Academy, a police report is filed by Andreas Becker and Melissa Buytendag. A copy of this report is also sent to the Governor’s office.
- **[Letter to Phuket Governor (July 24, 2024)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2178 "Letter to Phuket Governor (July 24, 2024)")**\: The team sends a letter to the Governor regarding the falsification of documents by Pinnacle International School and requests immediate action.
**August 2024**
- **[MOE Report Received (August 1, 2024)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2165 "MOE Report Received (August 1, 2024)")**\: The Phuket Governor provides the Phuket School Directory with a report from the Ministry of Education (MOE) regarding schools with “Unknown License” status. The directory is updated accordingly with four new categories.
- **Request for Meeting (August 5, 2024)**\: The team requests a follow-up meeting with the Governor during the last week of August to discuss the report’s findings and address the illegal school situation.
- **Governor Cancels Meeting (August 7, 2024)**\: The scheduled meeting with the Governor is unexpectedly canceled, leaving the concerns of licensed school owners unresolved.
**September 2024**
- **[Meeting with PoMor and Media (September 6, 2024)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2184 "Meeting with PoMor and Media (September 6, 2024)")**\: Members of our Licensed Kindergarten, Nursery and School owners Group meet with a journalist and PoMor to discuss the illegal school situation and security for children.
- **New Report in Preparation (September 13, 2024)**\: A new list of schools suspected of operating without licenses is being prepared and will be submitted to the Governor's office shortly.
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### Incident Involving Pinnacle International Academy
**June 2024**
- **[Falsified School Documents Discovered (June 10, 2024)](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/2024-06-10+Falsified+School+Documents+Discovered "Falsified School Documents Discovered (June 10, 2024):")[\:](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/2024-06-10+Falsified+School+Documents+Discovered "Falsified School Documents Discovered (June 10, 2024):")** Pinnacle International School provides a parent with a falsified document claiming they would receive a school license within two months. Upon investigation, the Phuket Primary Education Service Office reveals that the official document was heavily modified, with fake text inserted between the original header and signature.
- **[Report to Governor (July 12, 2024)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2178 "Report to Governor (July 12, 2024)")**\: The Phuket School Directory reports the document falsification to the Phuket Governor, calling for an investigation and the immediate closure of Pinnacle International Academy.
**July 2024**
- **[Life Threats (July 17, 2024)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2169 "Life Threats (July 17, 2024)")**\: Following the report of document falsification, life threats are made against Andreas Becker and Melissa Buytendag, suspected to be from individuals linked to Pinnacle International School. A police report is filed, and a copy is submitted to the Governor's office.
- **No Immediate Action Taken (July 20, 2024)**\: Despite the serious nature of the threats and the falsification of government documents, no decisive action is taken against Pinnacle International Academy.
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### Ongoing Efforts and Future Steps
The team remains committed to ensuring transparency in Phuket’s education sector, regularly updating the Phuket School Directory and working closely with school owners and government authorities to combat illegal institutions. The team continues to seek a meeting with the Phuket Governor to address the unresolved issues of illegal schools, visa and work permit fraud, and the lack of accountability from responsible agencies.
The Phuket School Directory will continue to monitor the situation and advocate for fair practices in Phuket's educational landscape.