FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Victims of 1991 fire seek PM's help on centre

Victims of 1991 fire seek PM's help on centre

Victims of the huge chemical fire that devastated Bangkok's Klong Toei community in 1991 yesterday urged PM Yingluck Shinawatra to speedily implement the Thaksin Shinawatra administration's resolution to establish an occupational medicine and environment

The 30-strong group also asked about progress in the Administrative Court of their lawsuit filed in 2009 by 105 affected residents through the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand.
Leading resident Thassanee Phrombutr said the lawsuit asked the Public Health Ministry and other agencies to implement the May 1, 2002 cabinet resolution about establishing the centre to rehabilitate the 105 affected people for a five-year period. However, years have passed and the court has not given any order, so they are asking about progress and when the trial would take place. She said early this year some officials told her the trial would begin in two months, but now, five months later, nothing has happened.
The government has provided Bt10,000 in assistance money to each victim for 10 years since the fire, as well as a special Bt50,000 to each of the 105 victims – totalling Bt5.25 million.
However, they also wanted the ministry to establish the centre, which they needed, Thassanee said. Many of the affected had to borrow to pay medical expenses despite being told they could pay medical bills up-front and have the state reimburse them later. Such reimbursement was only paid to those with civil servant status, she said.
 

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