Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (AFAPS) director Police Maj-General Pornpipat Beyasri said yesterday Supreme Commander General Boonsrang Niumpradit had asked a committee to probe the boy's death.

Preliminary examinations showed that second-year student Karun Orachon died from fluid in his lungs after senior students forced him to drink copious amounts of water. No other physical injury was found.

Pornpipat said the AFAPS established an internal investigation, dismissed a student supervisor and suspended the seven senior students involved. Police are set to question the seven.

The AFAPS has already found the students broke rules by not applying accepted punishment - physical exercise.

They forced Karun to drink 20 litres of water then perform push- ups until he vomited and then made him repeat the tasks.

Karun's father, policeman Lt-Colonel Sanchai of Wieng Nong Long in Lamphun, made a complaint to Nakhon Nayok police. He has been advised to take action against the students also.

"We didn't know this trip would be to retrieve my son's body. We wanted to visit him and ask why he was 'adjusted' so severely. When we heard he was dead our hearts broke," the father said.

Sanchai has received an apology from the AFAPS, which will arrange his son's funeral.

He could not accept that the "disciplinary" action his son was made to undergo was "normal", saying he was convinced the elder students intended to hurt Karun. He is convinced his son died as a result of the punishment.

Meanwhile, Kasetsart University indicated it was confident student initiations this year would be problem free. It has banned activities outside its four campuses.

Rector Wuttichai Kapilakarn said he was sure there would be no inappropriate activities. Students had been warned rules were not to be broken.