## **Addressing Illegal Schools in Phuket** Illegal educational institutions have become a growing concern in Phuket, undermining licensed schools and putting children at risk. Many of these unlicensed schools operate without meeting the legal standards required for student safety, proper educational practices, and tax contributions. Despite repeated efforts to address this issue, the number of illegal schools continues to rise, fueled by inadequate enforcement and the ability of these institutions to advertise freely on social media. The Phuket School Directory has taken on the responsibility of identifying and addressing this critical problem, working in collaboration with local licensed schools and government authorities to promote transparency and ensure the closure of illegal institutions. The following timeline outlines our ongoing efforts to tackle this urgent issue. ## **A Timeline of Actions by Phuket School Directory** Since October 2023, the Phuket School Directory, led by LisAndi, has been actively working to address the growing issue of illegal schools in Phuket. These unlicensed institutions harm legitimate schools and pose risks to students. Below is a timeline of actions, including correspondence with the Phuket Governor and significant events concerning Pinnacle International School. ### **September 2023** - **Project Launch**\: The team begins researching the rise of illegal schools, focusing first on unlicensed Montessori schools misusing the “Montessori” name to market their services. ### **October 2023** - **First Meeting (Oct 5)**\: A meeting with licensed Montessori schools in Phuket was held, with all attending except Greenhouse Kindergarten. Despite their participation, Montessori School of Phuket and Tree Montessori remained unlicensed. - **[Edu Fair (Oct 14)](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/2023-10-14+Phuket+education+Fair+2023 "Edu Fair (Oct 14)")**\: The team attends an education fair in Phuket, engaging with both licensed and unlicensed Montessori schools, including Montessori School of Phuket, which still operates without a license. ### **November 2023** - **Directory Revamp**\: The domain [Phuket.School](https://phuket.school) is updated, with schools categorized by license status. - **Consultations with Licensed Schools**\: The team starts consulting school owners concerned about the rising number of illegal institutions. ### **December 2023** - **[Facebook Integration](https://www.facebook.com/phuket.school.directory "Facebook Integration")**\: The [Phuket School Directory's Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/phuket.school.directory "Phuket School Directory's Facebook page") is modified to categorize schools into groups based on their licenses, making it easier to sort posts. - **[Directory Development Begins](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/Phuket+School+Directory+Project "Directory Development Begins")**\: The Phuket School Directory, categorizing schools now based on their license status. ### **January 2024** - **[Data Collection](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/Initial+Request+to+Schools "Data Collection")**\: Schools are asked to provide DBD registration numbers and licenses for transparency. The team creates a form to gather data. - **[List of Illegal Schools Compiled](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2181 "List of Illegal Schools Compiled")**\: A list of around 50 schools with questionable licensing status is created. #### **February 2024** - **[Letter to the Governor (Feb 14)](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/24-02-14+Letter+to+Phuket+Governor "Letter to the Governor (Feb 14)")**\: A formal letter is sent to the Phuket Governor, highlighting the increase in illegal schools and requesting immediate action. - **Meeting Request**\: The team requests a meeting with the Governor to discuss the growing illegal school problem. ### **March 2024** - **No Response**\: Despite the letter, no reply is received from the Governor. - **[Follow-up Letter (Mar 15)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2146 "Follow-up Letter (Mar 15)")**\: A second letter is sent, urging for an immediate meeting. ### **April 2024** - **[Reply from Governor’s Office (Apr 1)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2149 "Reply from Governor’s Office (Apr 1)")**\: The Governor’s office responds, deferring responsibility to the Salagan Department of Social Development. - **[Ongoing Calls for Inspection](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2152 "Ongoing Calls for Inspection")**\: The team continues pushing for inspections of illegal schools, providing more evidence. ### **June 2024** - **[Letter to Governor (Jun 5)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2157 "Letter to Governor (Jun 5)")**\: Another letter is sent, requesting clarification on the responsible department for shutting down illegal schools. - **Pinnacle International School Case**\: A parent reports receiving a falsified document from Pinnacle International Academy. The team investigates and confirms the document is fake after having visited the Phuket Primary Education Office, who showed the original letter. It did not match the content in the fake copies! - **[Falsified Documents Reported (Jun 10)](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/2024-06-10+Falsified+School+Documents+Discovered "Falsified Documents Reported (Jun 10)")**\: The fake document is reported to the Phuket Primary Education Office, which verifies the forgery. - **[Reminder Letter (Jun 25)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2162 "Reminder Letter (Jun 25)")**\: The team sends a reminder, requesting the MOE report. ### **July 2024** - **[Police Report Filed (Jul 17)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2169 "Police Report Filed (Jul 17)")**\: Andreas Becker and Melissa Buytendag file a police report due to life threats linked to Pinnacle International Academy. - **[Follow-up Letter to Governor (Jul 24)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2178 "Follow-up Letter to Governor (Jul 24)")**\: Another letter is sent, emphasizing the need for immediate action regarding Pinnacle International School. ### **August 2024** - **[MOE Report Received (Aug 1)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2165 "MOE Report Received (Aug 1)")**\: The Governor provides the Phuket School Directory with the MOE report on schools with “Unknown License” status. The directory is updated accordingly. - **Meeting Request (Aug 5)**\: The team requests a meeting with the Governor to discuss the findings. Damrong Dhamma Center offers Tuesday Aug 8, as a potential day for a joint meeting. - **Governor Cancels Meeting (Aug 7)**\: The meeting is unexpectedly canceled, leaving concerns unresolved. - **Damrong Dhamma Center Meeting (Aug 8)**\: Licensed school owners and admins meet to discuss the ongoing issue of illegal schools. - **Letter to Ombudsman (Aug 15)**\: The Damrong Dhamma Center writes to the Thai Ombudsman for assistance in addressing illegal schools. ### **September 2024** - **[Meeting with Media and PoMor (Sep 6)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2184 "Meeting with Media and PoMor (Sep 6)")**\: Licensed school owners meet with journalists and PoMor to discuss security for students and the illegal school situation. - **International School Admin Group Meeting (Sep 18)**\: The group discusses the rise of illegal schools and agrees to support the campaign to close them down. - **New Report in Preparation (Sep 23)**\: A new list of suspected illegal schools is prepared for submission to the Governor’s office. - **Additional Report to Ombudsman (Sep 24)**\: Andi Becker submits an additional report on illegal schools to the Ombudsman. ### **October 2024** (Upcoming) The fight to close down illegal schools continues, with new actions and reports scheduled. --- ## **Incident Involving Pinnacle International Academy** ### **May 2024** - **Initial Meeting (May 5)**\: At Serenity Selina Resort in Rawai, the Phuket School Directory team meets Melissa Buytendag and learns about the conflicts between Yedda Blue and Pinnacle International Academy. Pinnacle had initially been responsible for obtaining a license for Yedda Blue but reportedly failed to deliver while setting up their own school, profiting from the service without results. ### **June 2024** - **[Falsified Documents Discovered (Jun 10)](https://phuket.school/s/phuketschool/wiki/2024-06-10+Falsified+School+Documents+Discovered "Falsified Documents Discovered (Jun 10)")**\: Pinnacle International Academy provides a parent with a falsified document claiming they would receive a school license within two months. An investigation by the Phuket Primary Education Office reveals that the document was heavily modified, with fake text inserted between the original header and signature. ### **July 2024** - **Report to Governor (Jul 12)**\: The Phuket School Directory reports the document falsification to the Phuket Governor, urging an immediate investigation and the closure of Pinnacle International Academy. - **[Life Threats (Jul 17)](https://phuket.school/content/perma?id=2169 "Life Threats (Jul 17)")**\: Following the report, Andreas Becker and Melissa Buytendag receive life threats, suspected to be linked to Pinnacle. A police report is filed, and a copy is sent to the Governor’s office. - **No Immediate Action (Jul 20)**\: Despite the severity of the threats and the falsification of official documents, no immediate action is taken against Pinnacle International Academy. ### **August 2024** - **Ongoing Concerns**\: Pinnacle continues operating, and concerns grow regarding the lack of response from local authorities. ### **September 2024** - **New Ownership (Sep 1)**\: Melissa Buytendag informs the team that the brother of Pinnacle's previous owner has taken over leadership and ownership of the school. - **Issues reported with the illegal Thai Living Kids Kindergarten (Sep 24)**\: A mother reported and complains about serious issues with the Illegal Thai Living Kids Kindergarten. She contacted several other Kindergartens. - **Ministry of Justice Investigation (Sep 24)**\: The Ministry of Justice's Special Investigation Unit in Bangkok takes up the case, officially investigating the falsification and other related issues concerning Pinnacle International Academy. --- ## **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.