'Miracle' toddler survived Thailand nursery massacre asleep under blanket

The girl during a family meeting at their home in Uthai Sawan, Thailand ( Image: REUTERS)

A three-year-old child who managed to survive last week's massacre at a nursery in northeast Thailand slumbered through the horror under a blanket in the corner of a classroom.

A toddler survived a massacre at a nursery in Thailand while sleeping under a blanket in the corner of her classroom.

Paveenut Supolwong's parents believe their daughter's nap saved her life as her face and body were covered when the killer burst into the nursery.

The three-year-old girl - nicknamed Ammy - was the only child in the nursery to have escaped unscathed after former police officer Panya Khamrap killed more than 30 people in a rampage through the town of Uthai Sawan.

Ammy's mother, Panompai Sithong, said she is still "in shock" following the massacre earlier this week.

The woman explained: "I feel for other families... I'm glad that my kid survived. It's a mixed feeling of sadness and gratitude."

Today, the family's wooden home was bustling with relatives and neighbours sharing plates of fish, papaya salad, and reflections on the tragedy.

They fussed over Ammy as she played in the yard in a flowery gown, an amulet tied around her neck, alternating between bewilderment and gap-toothed smiles at all the sudden attention.

The family also gathered to take part in a Buddhist ceremony for children who endure bad experiences.

Relatives splashed one another with rice wine poured from a silver bowl and cried out wishes for good fortune.

They loaded Ammy's tiny wrists with white threads for luck, pinching her cheeks and whispering blessings. It was a rare moment of joy in a town plunged into grief after the tragedy.

Of the 22 children stabbed to death, 11 died in the classroom where she was napping, according to police. Two other children were in hospital with serious head wounds.

"My kid is not a deep sleeper," Panompai said. "I believe there must be some spirits covering her eyes and ears. We have different beliefs, but to me, I think it protected my kid."

Another relative told local media Ammy's survival was a "miracle", but the family had to break the news to her that her beloved best friend, two-year-old Techin, and her teacher were dead.

"She was asking her grandmother, 'Why don't you pick up Techin from school?'," Panompai said. The girl does not yet know the full extent of the tragedy she lived through.