The government will give Bt120,000 (S$4,682) in compensation to each family that lost a loved one in the Chao Phraya River ferry boat tragedy on Sunday.

Twenty-eight people died when the boat, carrying Muslim pilgrims, crashed and partially sunk.

The insurance policy for the boat had expired in March.

Government agencies and the private sector have pitched in to help the affected families.

Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Pol Colonel Dutsadee Arayawuth said yesterday the compensation payout had been approved by the committee of remuneration and compensation for damaged persons in accordance with the Compensation Act.

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At least 18 dead in Thai river boat collision

Source:

Reuters

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“The Right and Liberation Protection Department has headed to the area to help the victims and inform them of their right to get compensation,” he said. “The department will contact the Ayutthaya governor to hand the total Bt3.4 million to the victims or concerned persons by next week.”

Given the vessel was uninsured, Udomsak Khaonoona, chief of the Ayutthaya Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said: “The victims’ relatives have to sue the boat driver for damages by filing a civil lawsuit.”

He said the relatives of each victim would get Bt149,500 from the public and private sectors.

The Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) secretary general, Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn, said the Sombatmongkolchai boat involved in the accident used to be insured with compulsory passenger assurance via the Thai Pattana Insurance Company.

“The insurance covered one year from March 10 2015 to March 10 2016.

Some victims, however, have their own insurance,” he said. “The OIC will try to speed up payment of compensation by the insurance companies to those affected by the disaster.

“Passenger boat owners have to get compulsory marine passenger insurance, under the Act on Navigation in Thai Waters BE 1913, and keep checking the expiry date for passenger insurance protection.”

Thai Pattana Insurance has offered Bt10,000 to each family of the dead in the ferry boat accident as humanitarian aid, according to the OIC. But because the boat’s insurance had lapsed, the company will not pay compensation.

Police have charged the boat’s owner and boat driver, who was arrested on Sunday. The owner, Sunthorn Phansuathong, turned himself in to police yesterday.

“I own just one boat. I never thought it would be involved in such an accident,” Sunthorn said, adding he had paid the driver Bt500 to work on Sunday.

Police interviewed the abbot of Sanam Chai Temple yesterday as the ongoing investigation found that the boat hit a structure the temple had erected in the river.

The abbot, Phra Khru Palat Sombat Sirisuwanno, told police that the structure was constructed long before he took up this monastic post 18 months ago.

“And from what I’ve seen, there are many such piers in the Chao Phraya River,” he said.