Justice Ministry Distributes 9.3 Million Baht to Ladprao Beer Hall Fire Victims
The Justice Ministry distributed 9.3 million baht to 31 victims of a Ladprao entertainment venue fire, with 14 recipients each receiving 300,000 baht in a July 20 ceremony. The compensation was provided under Thailand's Victim Compensation
On July 20, Justice Minister General Rutthapol Naorawat presided over a ceremony at the Justice Ministry on Chaengwattana Road to distribute compensation to 31 victims of the Ladprao entertainment venue fire. Fourteen victims who attended the ceremony each received 300,000 baht, totaling 4.2 million baht, while the remaining 17 victims had their payments transferred directly to their bank accounts, bringing the total compensation to over 9.3 million baht. The assistance was provided under the Victim Compensation Act of 2001 and its 2016 amendment, which also supports innocent defendants in criminal cases.
Diriyarut Temhiwongse, director of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department, explained that the victims included various people: the heirs of Bree, the female lead singer of the Tossakant band, the band's drummer who was a Laotian employee, and members of the general public. The event aimed to publicize the compensation program and assist those harmed by the criminal acts of others.
Over the past 24 years since the Victim Compensation Act was implemented, the state has distributed assistance to 145,613 victims totaling approximately 7.6 billion baht and to 2,815 innocent defendants totaling approximately 641 million baht. Officials are exploring the establishment of a revolving victim assistance fund similar to those in other countries, which would draw support from donations, restitution from offenders, and court-ordered penalties to expand the reach of victim compensation programs.
