State Audit Office families to get 100,000 baht quake compensation
As the death toll from the collapsed State Audit Office building rises to 44, heartbroken families are being offered compensation while rescuers race against time to find dozens still buried beneath the rubble.
The Interior Ministry announced that it will pay 100,000 baht to the families of each victim killed in the State Audit Office building collapse in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok on Friday, March 28, with the first round of payouts scheduled for this Friday.
As of yesterday, April 15, the confirmed death toll had climbed to 44, with nine people injured and 50 still missing from the original 103 reported at the disaster scene.
Search operations remain focused on Zone C, believed to be the area where most victims are trapped beneath the mangled wreckage.
Deputy Bangkok Governor Tavida Kamolvej and Suriyachai Rawiwan, head of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, provided an update yesterday. They confirmed that overnight operations on Monday uncovered two more bodies and 24 human remains, which have been sent for forensic analysis.
A further victim was identified yesterday morning through DNA testing, bringing the official death count to 44. Government rescue services have collected DNA samples from 91 relatives to help with the painstaking identification process.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with embassies and border checkpoints in a bid to locate missing individuals from Myanmar, who are feared to be among the dead.
Heavy-duty machinery has been deployed across all four zones of the collapse site, with workers using gas cutters and drills to slice through thick concrete and twisted steel. Search dogs are being sent in three times a day, with operations paused at intervals to allow them to sniff for survivors or remains, Bangkok Post reported.
Tavida confirmed that the 100,000-baht compensation will be paid out regardless of whether the deceased was the head of the household.
“There are no extra conditions, this is support for every life lost.”
Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) reported that 23,888 people have filed for earthquake-related aid so far. Chatuchak district tops the list with 3,205 claims, followed by Huai Khwang, Bang Sue, Phasi Charoen and Thon Buri.
Site inspections began on April 10 but many residents were not home when officials visited. Government officials are urging those returning from Songkran holidays to contact their local district office as soon as possible.
Victims have until April 27 to file damage claims, 30 days from the day of the incident. All 50 district offices are accepting applications during business hours, with local committees working with the BMA’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department to process support.
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