Thai father tries to cash in on disabled daughter’s funeral fund
Lawsuit sparks outrage over alleged neglect and greed
A Thai father in the eastern province of Rayong attempted to claim 4.8 million baht from a donation campaign for his disabled daughter, who died of cancer, despite not caring for her while she was alive.
The 34 year old woman, Pan, suffered from oral cancer and was unable to afford medical treatment, which eventually left her disabled. Her tragic life story was shared publicly, prompting a donation campaign that raised over 7 million baht to fund her treatment.
Tragically, Pan succumbed to the disease in September last year. At the time of her death, about 4.8 million baht remained from the donations. Before her passing, Pan drafted a will detailing how the remaining funds should be distributed among her relatives.
According to the will, Pan intended to give 1.5 million baht to her aunt and 1.2 million baht to her grandmother, both of whom cared for her until the end of her life.
The remaining 2.1 million baht was to be shared among three other family members. Pan’s father was allocated 1.1 million baht, her younger brother 500,000 baht, and her niece 500,000 baht.
However, according to a report on One 31, Pan’s father rejected the will and is now seeking to claim the full 4.8 million baht. He hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit against other family members to take control of all the remaining funds.
Pan’s aunt, 47 year old Somjit, told One 31 that the father had never cared for Pan, never fed her, nor taken her to a hospital. She claimed he only showed interest in her once the donations began coming in. Somjit said he tried to control the money while his daughter was still alive, but Pan refused.
Local community leader, Direk Wichiancharoen, confirmed that Pan’s father did not care for her, and that it was her grandmother and aunt who did. He also confirmed the legitimacy of Pan’s will, stating that he was present as a witness when it was drafted.
Channel 3 attempted to interview Pan’s father regarding the lawsuit, but he declined to provide any comment to the media, stating he would only speak in court.
Many Thai netizens expressed support for the relatives who cared for Pan, hoping they would prevail in the legal dispute. Police and other relevant authorities have yet to comment on the case.
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