Teen Dies After Renovation in Chonburi Hospital Special Room
A 17-year-old girl with a spinal tumor died at a Chonburi hospital after construction workers drilled and renovated her special room for hours while she was still a patient. The family, who paid 1,500 baht daily for the room expecting strict infection control, alleges workers lacked protective gear and the hospital did not warn them or move the high-risk patient. They are demanding the hospital explain its safety protocols.
On November 13, 2026, the family of 'Nong Ton Khao,' a 17-year-old grade 11 student who died on November 11 after treatment for a nervous system tumor, revealed disturbing details about her final days at a hospital in Chonburi. The mother, 36-year-old Sawalak, said her daughter fell ill around August with a tumor near the spinal cord causing arm numbness and weakness. After initial treatment at Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok, she was transferred to a Chonburi hospital on October 6 and placed in a shared special room costing 1,500 baht per day from October 8. The room housed about 7-8 beds, and the family believed it had strict infection control, crucial because the girl had a tracheostomy and was immobile but conscious and communicative.
In mid-October, while the girl was still a patient, four to five workers entered to install or repair equipment, using drills continuously from late afternoon until nearly evening for several hours. The mother alleged the workers wore no masks, gloves, or protective gear. Nurses covered the girl's head and face with a sheet clamped to the bed to block dust, and a small vacuum was used, but the family feared dust still spread. The noise prevented rest, and the mother had to repeatedly check on her daughter before removing the cover out of concern.
'My daughter had a tracheostomy and was at high risk of infection; I wouldn't even put powder on her for fear of dust, yet workers drilled for hours. Why wasn't she moved to a safe area first?' the mother said. She added that staff only informed them on the day of the work, and they dared not object for fear of affecting their daughter's care.
The father, 40-year-old Surajit, said the family chose the expensive special room hoping for close care and reduced infection risk, despite the financial burden. Previously, the family had grown hopeful as the girl could still communicate and they discussed home care equipment like a suction machine. The family now wants the hospital to clarify safety measures.
