Phichit governor probes school insurance scam at children centre
Parents paid 220 baht each, but no insurance coverage provided
The governor of Phichit province in northern Thailand has ordered an investigation into an insurance fraud case involving a supposed agent deceiving parents at schools and child development centres.
The parents were led to believe they had secured accident insurance for their children, but the money was never forwarded to the insurance company. This came to light following an incident yesterday, June 13, when a three year old girl suffered severe burns and finger amputations after falling into a charcoal kiln, only to find her insurance claim invalid.
Parents of the injured girl, who attended a child development centre in Ban Yang Sam Ton, Wang Sai Phun district, attempted to claim insurance money with evidence of medical treatment. However, they were denied the payout as the school discovered that the supposed insurance agent had not forwarded the collected premiums to the company, leaving the children uninsured. This person was found unqualified to act as an insurance agent.
Savitrie Soi-uta, the district chief of Wang Sai Phun, revealed that the provincial governor, Thaniya Naipijit, instructed a thorough investigation into the fraudulent activities reported by parents. Many parents were misled by a person falsely claiming to be an insurance agent from a reputed company, collecting premiums from several schools and child development centres without actually providing the insurance services.
In one development centre alone, parents of 26 children paid 220 baht each to this agent. Although the Yang Sam Ton school had 93 students insured under this scheme, none were actually covered as the agent never submitted the money to the insurance company. Parents, such as Janejira Kaewraksa, whose three year old daughter “B” suffered severe injuries and amputations, are now facing financial strain having already spent over 60,000 baht on medical expenses.
Witthayathorn, another parent of the injured child, recounted the incident from January when his daughter slipped into a kiln while visiting relatives in Pho Thale district. Despite seeking insurance compensation, they discovered the agent was fraudulent, having falsely represented themselves as a company representative to collect premiums from the school.
Phichit Deputy Governor Kittipol Wetchakun confirmed the severity of the situation, highlighting that the child had been hospitalised for over 50 days and had three toes amputated. The fraudulent insurance agent had collected money from the Ban Yang Sam Ton centre and school but failed to submit it, resulting in invalid insurance claims, reported KhaoSod.
The incident has been reported to Wang Sai Phun Police for further action.
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