Thai cancer patient faces scrutiny over 1.6 million baht donation
Social media campaign sparks outrage over unexplained fund discrepancies
The public demanded that a female cancer patient clarify her treatment costs after she launched a donation campaign and raised 1.6 million baht, yet only around 587,000 baht appeared to remain in her bank account.
A Thai woman, identified only as Bew, took to her Facebook account, CarBew Donlaya, to share with her followers that she is battling stage three breast cancer. She explained that the treatment costs were very high and beyond the coverage of the social security fund.
Bew stated that she had to pay 540,000 baht for 18 injections during targeted therapy, in addition to transportation costs and daily expenses related to her treatment.
The woman added that she could not afford the medication, which reportedly forced a postponement of her medical procedures, putting her at risk of progressing to the terminal stage of cancer. She lives with her mother, and as they could not find a solution, she shared her situation online to seek financial support.
Many netizens donated to Bew through the bank account provided in her post. She later announced that she had raised enough money for her treatment and wished to close the campaign, attaching a screenshot from her mobile banking application.
However, the screenshot sparked suspicion. The first notification showed that Bew had approximately 1.6 million baht in her account, while a second notification showed only around 587,000 baht remaining. This led netizens to demand an explanation regarding the use of the donated funds.
Bew explained that she had transferred about 1.1 million baht from the donation account to her mother’s account to facilitate payments to the hospital.
The controversy continued as some netizens pointed out that Bew chose to receive treatment at a private hospital rather than a state hospital, which would have been cheaper. Some even accused her of fabricating the story to swindle money.
In response, Bew shared documents from Naresuan University Hospital confirming that she is indeed suffering from cancer and receives treatment primarily at this state hospital.
Regarding her photographs in patient attire at Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS), Bew clarified that she was transferred to the private hospital for further examination and medication.
Nevertheless, further issues arose. Both hospitals insisted that all treatment procedures were covered under the social security fund, and BDMS stated that additional costs would only apply if patients requested examinations outside the state benefits.
Bew later deleted her previous posts and issued a new statement on Facebook on August 17…
“The doctor scheduled the first round of chemotherapy on August 19. I will discuss the details with the doctor again and explain the total medical expenses to everyone. My hair is falling out because I have already started treatment.
I am currently in recovery, so I may not be able to respond to everyone. I apologise. I am writing to inform you. The hospital has also scheduled the next round to discuss the treatment details clearly because there are many misunderstandings.”
Many donors attempted to contact Bew to retrieve their contributions, claiming that she did not respond. One donor, a male photographer, visited Bang Kluay Police Station on August 18 to file a complaint against her.
The photographer revealed that he had donated 200 baht to Bew but had become suspicious of her actions. He noted that many patients face financial difficulties but are not as fortunate as Bew.
He expressed concern that Bew’s actions might discourage future donations, potentially depriving those genuinely in need of assistance.
Police accepted the complaint and plan to investigate Bew’s financial transactions further.
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