First compensation payout set for SAO collapse victims’ families
Compensation will be delivered tomorrow to the first batch of 21 relatives of victims affected by the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok.
Wichien Chubthaisong, President of the Lawyers Council of Thailand, announced on Thursday that a press conference regarding the compensation will be held at 10am on Friday.
This compensation, provided to the families of the deceased and injured, was secured following negotiations with representatives from the ITD-CREC Joint Venture (Italian-Thai Development and China Railway No.10 [Thailand]).
The first group of recipients includes 12 families of the deceased and nine families of those injured. Each family of a deceased victim will receive one million baht, while each injured person will receive 200,000 baht in compensation, Wichien explained.
He emphasised that this financial assistance does not affect the victims’ legal rights. “If the families of the deceased or the injured are dissatisfied, they still retain the right to pursue legal action for damages in court,” he said.
Wichien also noted that Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong has been invited to preside over the press conference. He added that negotiations will continue to ensure that compensation is provided to all remaining victims.
