Kalasin Probation Office director Narong Khamphetch, along with Kalasin Dhamrongtham Centre head Chaiya Kruahong, oversaw registration of alleged victims at the Tha Khan Tho district office’s hall yesterday.

Victims were divided into three groups: 23 people already ordered by a court to repay the debts, 179 others currently facing lawsuits and some 100 other about to be sued.

Each group will receive appropriate aid, said the ministry.

Victims’ fears allayed

Narong said he had been assigned to inform the alleged victims about the steps involved, which parts of the law that they had to abide by – such as presenting themselves to court as summoned to make way for debt settlements – and to find solutions to the issues.

As Narong gave assurances that officials would stand by them and ensure justice, the villagers seemed less tense and agreed to go to the court as summoned.

Victim Kanchana Charee, 47, said a representative of the Tha Khan Tho community’s financial institute had verbally invited residents, most of whom were poor villagers, to borrow Bt200,000 each from the Government Saving Bank’s Tha Khan Tho branch office for the institute operations. The residents had been told that they would each get a Bt10,000 “dividend”, while the institute would take the rest of money to invest for profits and would repay the loans on their behalf.

The residents joined the program in 2014-16. Kanchana and her husband received a Bt15,000 “dividend” after securing the Bt350,000 for the institute and had already spent it. Until January 2017, Kanchana and other villagers received letters from the Kalasin Court telling them to repay the debts as the institute had never repaid the loans to the bank, she claimed.

Villagers filed complaints with the Damrongtham Centre, resulting in a negotiation with the bank but the villagers refused to repay the debts.

They also lodged police complaints alleging fraud against the institute president and the person who requested they borrow the money. The villagers had not heard much since filing the complaint but it had reportedly being passed onto prosecutors, Kanchana said.

The villagers petitioned the Justice Minister for help on December 26, asking for the Department of Special Investigation to take up the case and for help in stopping the bank from trying to collect the debts pending outcome of the investigation into the alleged fraud. The petition led to the ministry-organised event yesterday.

“The villagers and I are afraid that we will end up being the sole guilty party, despite the fact that we were duped into the loan contracts,” Kanchana said.

This “One-Stop Service”, located in the compound of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in Ratchathewee district, aims to help people with disabilities, caretakers of the disabled, and organisation advocating for their rights to access information about rights, welfare and services from the public sector.

It also serves as a model “Disabilities Hub” learning and life skills development centre. Its mission is to help disabled people in Bangkok and its vicinity with:

1 Issuance of Thai disabled-person ID card

2 Facilitating loan applications from the People with Disabilities Fund for Vocational Promotion

3 Providing physical-aid devices for disabled persons

4 Promoting vocations and employment of persons with disabilities

5 Arranging visits to aid the persons disabilities at home and providing other advice

6 Providing other services such as massage services given by the blind, a souvenir shop selling goods made by persons with disabilities, a coffee shop operated by people with disabilities, a concert plaza, a centre to collect aid device donations and a hotline 1479 centre.

The department’s director general, Anan Chuchote, said the rite will be held on January 11 at 7am.

“My department has invited the premier to chair the ceremony. After the rite, the official demolition of the crematorium building and surrounding pavilions will commence,” Anan said.

The deconstruction will begin with officials first erecting fences around the site and discussing which buildings will be removed first.

For the key crematorium buildings, officials will first relocate decorations and paintings to the Office of Traditional Arts in Nakhon Pathom province, Anan said.

Other buildings will be relocated to a museum in Pathum Thani province so that younger people can learn about Thai culture through viewing the works.

The work will be finished around mid-March, said Anan.