Student injured by coffee cup makes a recovery

Dr Suthon Pisuttinusart examined the damage to the face of Nong Sai at Yanhee Hospital in Bangkok on Feb 14, 2016, watched by Pavena Hongsakul of the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women.

The teenage student who suffered a facial deformity after being hit by a coffee mug thrown by a teacher has fully recovered after five months of treatment, a doctor says.

Naruedee Jodsanthia, 17, better known as Nong Sai, was now able to fully close her left eye and smile normally. There was no longer drooping at one corner of her mouth, Supoj Samritthiwanicha, a physician at Yanhee Hospital told the media on Sunday.

Nong Sai had received a combination of treatments from experts in the fields of neurology and brain damage along with alternative treatments including acupuncture, hyperbaric oxygen and physical therapy.

Dr Supoj said Nong Sai and her mother were satisfied with the treatment results since the teen was taken to the hospital by the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women. Treatment began on Sept 16 last year.

The upper secondary student at Chokchai Samakkee School in Nakhon Ratchasima was sent to the Bangkok hospital after Paithoon Klaengkrathok, a 58-year-old physical education teacher threw a coffee mug at her on Aug 8 for disobeying him.

The impact injured nerves on the left side of Ms Narudee's face. The injury prevented her from closing her mouth and left eyelid, causing her face to distort to one side.

The 17-year-old said the teacher made students sit in rows outdoors while waiting for class, but the ground was too hot to sit on, and students were talking loudly. The teacher became furious and threw the cup which hit her on the left eyebrow.

Mr Paithoon said he did not mean to hurt Nong Sai and offered to pay 80,000 baht for damages. An investigation found he had been guilty of a minor disciplinary violation. He was transferred from the school.