Thailand school bus fire: S$354,300 in public donations to be split among victims' families

The bus tragedy claimed 23 lives.

Natalie Ong

October 13, 2024, 04:18 AM

The public has stepped in to raise $9 million baht (S$354,300) in donations for the families of the victims of the tragic school bus fire accident that left 23 dead and three injured, The Bangkok Post reported.

The accident, which occurred on Oct. 1 in Bangkok, sent shockwaves globally due to the speed the fire engulfed the bus and the young age of the victims.

Deputy Interior Minister Sabeeda Thaised shared that the Office of the Insurance Commission had previously disbursed 500,000 baht (S$19,700) in compensation to each family who lost a loved one.

The Budget Bureau has also given S$1 million baht (S$39,400) to the family of each deceased, she added.

Families of the victims are agreeable to the public donations being divided amongst them, including the survivors.

The families of the 23 deceased victims would receive 197,914 baht (S$7,793) each, while the three injured students would receive 1.51 million baht (S$59,400) each.

This was after it was decided that about 4.5 million baht of public donations would go to the families of the 23 deceased victims, and the other 4.5 million baht would be given to the families of three severely injured students who are still in hospital.

Some absentee parents tried to claim compensation

However, complications arose when the distant parents of some students who perished in the accident also tried to claim the money, despite having no role in raising the children, reported The Bangkok Post.

The Office of Attorney-General (OAG) flagged these problems, noting that some of these parents had left the children in the care of grandparents or relatives from a young age.

Contestation to the right to compensation, either in whole or part, is ongoing.

Long journey of recovery for survivors

The Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health has also issued an update on a 14-year-old female student who sustained serious burns.

Stating that the initial treatment results of the skin graft were "satisfactory" and the overall healing of her burn wounds is "progressing", doctors noted that it will "take time for both body and mind to heal".