The Criminal Court recently handed down a 385-year jail term to a former school director in Surat Thani after finding him guilty of malfeasance in connection with a school lunch programme.

Somchao Sitthichane, former director of Ban Thai Mai school in Tha Chana district, in the north of the province, was found guilty of violating Sections 151 and 157 of the Criminal Code over the lunch programme, in which small kids were served khanom jeen (thin rice noodles) sprinkled with fish sauce.