Mother Of Girl Involved In Bangkok Tollway Accident Attends Funeral Of Victim

[shunima]

As tragic as this event was and is, it wasn't caused deliberately. It happened due to gross negligence and not with the clear intention to harm anybody. And if the mother shows regret and apologizes to another mom she should be respected for that. We all do not know her intentions, it's all speculation. There is a fair chance that she really wants to apologize and feels truly sorry about the actions she, her husband and her kid put in motion. And if this is the case she should get the chance to do so. We'll see in the coming month if the family really means what they currently express. Until then it's simply not fair to start the bashing on assumptions. It's the same old story here all over again… Not all reds are bad because a few of them were firebugs, not all yellows are bad because some idiots decided to paralyse the airport, not all Thais are bad drivers and even if most farangs behave this way… we are not smarter, we just grew up with another set or rules and values and sometimes think that makes us somehow more intelligent or whatever.

I'm prepared to take it as a given that the girl in question and her family feel remorse and will offer some sort of compensation, but what does any of that have to do with the law?

It was actually not my intention to make any references to the law at all. I'm just puzzled by all the judging going on here. We all make mistakes and some of them have very grim consequences. And if you ask about the relevance of law I believe that a good judicial system can distinguish between a real threat to society and a person that made a big mistake. I doubt that she will ever cause an accident with such magnitude again. So what's the imprisonment good for then? To scare others not to make the same mistake? That would mean she's getting the punishment for other people's errors.

It starts somewhere else. You have the rules and they are simply not enforced. Start with that. Punish people not wearing helmets or seat belts. Punish the ones making phone calls while driving, punish the drunk drivers, the ones without license, the ones ignoring traffic lights and the speeders, the reckless ones and put a tag on it that it hurts them. The hi-so can afford to pay the bills but it hurts them to buy new cars if you confiscate them. There are ways to do this other than to make an example of a girl that you can barely call a woman yet. And young does stupid things, we all did and luckily most of us got away with it.

She deserves to get sentenced yes, but she does not deserve to be punished because some people are frustrated about a society structure that does exist since centuries. It's hardly her mistake that she was born rich.

Edited January 2, 2011 by shunima

[ChiangMaiFun]

For God's sake man - this MINOR was driving ILLEGALLY - what don't you get??? 9 people died and would NOT HAVE DIED had she not broke the law - toughen up man and stop being so PC and think, for once, about the victims - 9 dead

The point is, just because the girl was unlicensed does not make her automatically the cause of the accident.

In this case she probably was the cause, but not because she was unlicensed.

yes that's right - I was pointing out the obvious - she could NOT get a license as she was UNDERAGED - if she had obeyed the law 9 people would be alive - is this correct or not?

it's a simple yes or no answer

No it isn't that simple. The question is... Did she do it on purpose, yes or no?

And as this whole thread here is based on speculation please answer how you see the following scenario:

Guy, 17 years just completed school (Mathayom 6) is doing a party with friends, buys some booze and gets kind of drunk. On his way back home (he's walking because he thinks that he's too drunk for his motorbike, so he's actually a good guy right?) he crosses a street and overlooks a car. The car driver hits him, loses control of his car and slams into a group of people on the walkway, some of them are killed on the scene. Now... the guy was 17 (under the legal age for alcohol purchase & consumption) Without him drinking it's most likely that nothing would have happened. But according to your logic harsh punishment is a simple yes or no answer, right? And then... the shop owner selling the booze is in for jail time too? And don't tell me you won't answer because it's fictional. Almost all post here are bases on assumptions.

everyone, every one of us, has to accept PERSONAL responsibility for all our actions - young, drunk, stupid or whatever - and yes we have all done all three

[lannarebirth]

As tragic as this event was and is, it wasn't caused deliberately. It happened due to gross negligence and not with the clear intention to harm anybody. And if the mother shows regret and apologizes to another mom she should be respected for that. We all do not know her intentions, it's all speculation. There is a fair chance that she really wants to apologize and feels truly sorry about the actions she, her husband and her kid put in motion. And if this is the case she should get the chance to do so. We'll see in the coming month if the family really means what they currently express. Until then it's simply not fair to start the bashing on assumptions. It's the same old story here all over again… Not all reds are bad because a few of them were firebugs, not all yellows are bad because some idiots decided to paralyse the airport, not all Thais are bad drivers and even if most farangs behave this way… we are not smarter, we just grew up with another set or rules and values and sometimes think that makes us somehow more intelligent or whatever.

I'm prepared to take it as a given that the girl in question and her family feel remorse and will offer some sort of compensation, but what does any of that have to do with the law?

It was actually not my intention to make any references to the law at all. I'm just puzzled by all the judging going on here. We all make mistakes and some of them have very grim consequences. And if you ask about the relevance of law I believe that a good judicial system can distinguish between a real threat to society and a person that made a big mistake. I doubt that she will ever cause an accident with such magnitude again. So what's the imprisonment good for then? To scare others not to make the same mistake? That would mean she's getting the punishment for other people's errors.

It starts somewhere else. You have the rules and they are simply not enforced. Start with that. Punish people not wearing helmets or seat belts. Punish the ones making phone calls while driving, punish the drunk drivers, the ones without license, the ones ignoring traffic lights and the speeders, the reckless ones and put a tag on it that it hurts them. The hi-so can afford to pay the bills but it hurts them to buy new cars if you confiscate them. There are ways to do this other than to make an example of a girl that you can barely call a woman yet. And young does stupid things, we all did and luckily most of us got away with it.

She deserves to get sentenced yes, but she does not deserve to be punished because some people are frustrated about a society structure that does exist since centuries. It's hardly her mistake that she was born rich.

Look shunima, I'll be straight with you. When I saw that picture of the girl leaning against the traffic barrier texting messages I saw my own daughter. In profile they could be twins. Same costume and same BB fixation as well. If it were my daughter, despite the wrongness of her actions, I would put up as vigourous a defense as I could muster to mitigate the shitstorm that would likely befall her. That said, the real heavy lifting of parenting comes long before these events ever occur (and let's be honest it could happen to any of us) in being unpoular and saying NO when children wish to be involved in things inappropriate for their age and development.. Their friends are doing it and they want to do it too. I don't know if this girl deceived her parents and took these actions without their approval or if they had a pattern of allowing her to break rules that could lead to tragedy. That is what the law is for, to find that out and dispense justice as fairly as possible. I think we know how it would be applied here to people of a certain class. I think the "noise" we've been hearing is more about the expectation of unequal justice under the law than any "lynch mob" mentality.

[ChiangMaiFun]

As tragic as this event was and is, it wasn't caused deliberately. It happened due to gross negligence and not with the clear intention to harm anybody. And if the mother shows regret and apologizes to another mom she should be respected for that. We all do not know her intentions, it's all speculation. There is a fair chance that she really wants to apologize and feels truly sorry about the actions she, her husband and her kid put in motion. And if this is the case she should get the chance to do so. We'll see in the coming month if the family really means what they currently express. Until then it's simply not fair to start the bashing on assumptions. It's the same old story here all over again… Not all reds are bad because a few of them were firebugs, not all yellows are bad because some idiots decided to paralyse the airport, not all Thais are bad drivers and even if most farangs behave this way… we are not smarter, we just grew up with another set or rules and values and sometimes think that makes us somehow more intelligent or whatever.

I'm prepared to take it as a given that the girl in question and her family feel remorse and will offer some sort of compensation, but what does any of that have to do with the law?

It was actually not my intention to make any references to the law at all. I'm just puzzled by all the judging going on here. We all make mistakes and some of them have very grim consequences. And if you ask about the relevance of law I believe that a good judicial system can distinguish between a real threat to society and a person that made a big mistake. I doubt that she will ever cause an accident with such magnitude again. So what's the imprisonment good for then? To scare others not to make the same mistake? That would mean she's getting the punishment for other people's errors.

It starts somewhere else. You have the rules and they are simply not enforced. Start with that. Punish people not wearing helmets or seat belts. Punish the ones making phone calls while driving, punish the drunk drivers, the ones without license, the ones ignoring traffic lights and the speeders, the reckless ones and put a tag on it that it hurts them. The hi-so can afford to pay the bills but it hurts them to buy new cars if you confiscate them. There are ways to do this other than to make an example of a girl that you can barely call a woman yet. And young does stupid things, we all did and luckily most of us got away with it.

She deserves to get sentenced yes, but she does not deserve to be punished because some people are frustrated about a society structure that does exist since centuries. It's hardly her mistake that she was born rich.

Look shunima, I'll be straight with you. When I saw that picture of the girl leaning against the traffic barrier texting messages I saw my own daughter. In profile they could be twins. Same costume and same BB fixation as well. If it were my daughter, despite the wrongness of her actions, I would put up as vigourous a defense as I could muster to mitigate the shitstorm that would likely befall her. That said, the real heavy lifting of parenting comes long before these events ever occur (and let's be honest it could happen to any of us) in being unpoular and saying NO when children wish to be involved in things inappropriate for their age and development.. Their friends are doing it and they want to do it too. I don't know if this girl deceived her parents and took these actions without their approval or if they had a pattern of allowing her to break rules that could lead to tragedy. That is what the law is for, to find that out and dispense justice as fairly as possible. I think we know how it would be applied here to people of a certain class. I think the "noise" we've been hearing is more about the expectation of unequal justice under the law than any "lynch mob" mentality.

Indeed - good post - this all reflects the great cultural issues here - it highlights, for each of us, those things we know to be true. Responsibility must be recognized - you are right to highlight that people are 'afraid' another Mercedes type driver will 'get away with it' because of class, rank and/or money - that's the bigger issue here not just some silly 16 year old that's made a crucial and, probably small error, that led to such HUGE consequencies.

[brahmburgers]

It starts somewhere else. You have the rules and they are simply not enforced. Start with that. Punish people not wearing helmets or seat belts. Punish the ones making phone calls while driving, punish the drunk drivers, the ones without license, the ones ignoring traffic lights and the speeders, the reckless ones and put a tag on it that it hurts them. The hi-so can afford to pay the bills but it hurts them to buy new cars if you confiscate them. There are ways to do this other than to make an example of a girl that you can barely call a woman yet. And young does stupid things, we all did and luckily most of us got away with it.

She deserves to get sentenced yes, but she does not deserve to be punished because some people are frustrated about a society structure that does exist since centuries. It's hardly her mistake that she was born rich.

A sensible post, thanks. As much as anything else, I'm surprised at how much interest this one accident is eliciting. Sad, yes, but is it sadder than the dozens of other road fatalities that happen every week in Thailand?

And yes, there is a class system in Thailand - in some ways as stratified as India. It's impossible for a Thai cop to mete out reprimands objectively. If they ever do decide to start issuing warnings and tickets for errant drivers, you can bet your sweet bippy that the well-heeled and well-connected will be able to slip away without taking responsibility. By not apprehending people who go through red lights, cut corners, and drive dangerously, the police are also being irresponsible and exacerbating the danger factor for everyone on Thai roads.

[shunima]

As tragic as this event was and is, it wasn't caused deliberately. It happened due to gross negligence and not with the clear intention to harm anybody. And if the mother shows regret and apologizes to another mom she should be respected for that. We all do not know her intentions, it's all speculation. There is a fair chance that she really wants to apologize and feels truly sorry about the actions she, her husband and her kid put in motion. And if this is the case she should get the chance to do so. We'll see in the coming month if the family really means what they currently express. Until then it's simply not fair to start the bashing on assumptions. It's the same old story here all over again… Not all reds are bad because a few of them were firebugs, not all yellows are bad because some idiots decided to paralyse the airport, not all Thais are bad drivers and even if most farangs behave this way… we are not smarter, we just grew up with another set or rules and values and sometimes think that makes us somehow more intelligent or whatever.

I'm prepared to take it as a given that the girl in question and her family feel remorse and will offer some sort of compensation, but what does any of that have to do with the law?

It was actually not my intention to make any references to the law at all. I'm just puzzled by all the judging going on here. We all make mistakes and some of them have very grim consequences. And if you ask about the relevance of law I believe that a good judicial system can distinguish between a real threat to society and a person that made a big mistake. I doubt that she will ever cause an accident with such magnitude again. So what's the imprisonment good for then? To scare others not to make the same mistake? That would mean she's getting the punishment for other people's errors.

It starts somewhere else. You have the rules and they are simply not enforced. Start with that. Punish people not wearing helmets or seat belts. Punish the ones making phone calls while driving, punish the drunk drivers, the ones without license, the ones ignoring traffic lights and the speeders, the reckless ones and put a tag on it that it hurts them. The hi-so can afford to pay the bills but it hurts them to buy new cars if you confiscate them. There are ways to do this other than to make an example of a girl that you can barely call a woman yet. And young does stupid things, we all did and luckily most of us got away with it.

She deserves to get sentenced yes, but she does not deserve to be punished because some people are frustrated about a society structure that does exist since centuries. It's hardly her mistake that she was born rich.

Look shunima, I'll be straight with you. When I saw that picture of the girl leaning against the traffic barrier texting messages I saw my own daughter. In profile they could be twins. Same costume and same BB fixation as well. If it were my daughter, despite the wrongness of her actions, I would put up as vigourous a defense as I could muster to mitigate the shitstorm that would likely befall her. That said, the real heavy lifting of parenting comes long before these events ever occur (and let's be honest it could happen to any of us) in being unpoular and saying NO when children wish to be involved in things inappropriate for their age and development.. Their friends are doing it and they want to do it too. I don't know if this girl deceived her parents and took these actions without their approval or if they had a pattern of allowing her to break rules that could lead to tragedy. That is what the law is for, to find that out and dispense justice as fairly as possible. I think we know how it would be applied here to people of a certain class. I think the "noise" we've been hearing is more about the expectation of unequal justice under the law than any "lynch mob" mentality.

Thanks lannarebirth, thanks for your kind response and thanks a lot that this thread now has a discussion that is far away from the bashing on pages 1-3. I think we all are far better off if this whole mess results in "enforcing rules for the sake of peoples safety" regardless of their standing in society. Happy new year !

[cdnvic]

The topic is about the mother attending the funerals, please stick to that. You can continue repeating the same opinion of the accident over and over to people who will never change their minds in the other topic.

Edit: Deleted post that ignored this one.

Edited January 2, 2011 by cdnvic

[ianf]

Make no mistake, I don't believe this makes everything OK, because it doesn't. It simply shows one mother reaching out to another. She has some realization of the pain that has been caused by her own daughter. Her efforts are probably meant to protect her daughter as well.

The family could have sent someone on their behalf. They didn't. Somewhere in the convoluted situation, we have someone who is acknowledging some responsibility. 30,000 baht is just a token. It will help pay for the funeral and some food for those involved.

Plenty of people in the past have taken no responsibility. It's a small step, but a step in the right direction.

It would have been more impressive if the family had turned up - maybe even the daughter - and where is the Father? and BTW any Thai funeral I have ever been to was 100k minimum

I have been wonder about the father too but am not going to pass judgement at this point not knowing the facts especially given about three other members of the family (brother, uncle and aunt) have all been involved positively. For all I know the father may be suffering some health issues that prevent his being involved or the media is just not mentioning him since the mother appears to be acting as the family lead and spokesperson.

The girl is still hospitalized and has received a number of threats but she did meet with with 5 of the families and/or victims at one hospital already (3 or 4 -days after the accident). She also stated she wants to attend the funerals of all those who died .. however that is probably not possible given the publicity and threats against her life. At least two of the 5 families said they accepted her apologies and there was no reports of any family refusing to meet with them or not taking the token offerings. So, again I am going to give much more credibility to these victims and their families than posters here regarding her and her family's sincerity.

Its OK for the mother to go to the funeral but surely for letting her child daughter take a car out on the public roadshe and the kid's father should take full responsibility. If parents took note of this there woud be fewer road death funerals in 2011.

Edited January 2, 2011 by ianf

[Prapoj]

Good move. Best move so far. Let's forgive and forget.

[gorillagrower]

I see a glimmer of hope for the young lady who caused the accident. She has a mother who has a lot of courage and a fair amount of compassion.

Come on, I personally think it's all an act. She's just trying to save the family name and 30,000B compensation what a joke. I really do hope this underage teen driver gets what should be coming to her but I highly doubt she'll get in any trouble. Imagine if that was one of you Sons or Daughters who died in such a way and some lady was offering 30,000B compensation. I would through it back in her face.

You are certainly entitled to your own opinion but it shocks my senses that you think so little of your fellow humans to believe this woman doesn't feel awful about the deaths of 9-people who her daughter appears to have been at least largely responsible for. But more shocking is why you appear to want to believe this rather than the logical as this women is losing face big time by doing what she is doing and the article clearly states the offering was "token compensation" and the family member took it ... again, I would put a lot more credibility and care into the victim's family and what the believe than a poster here who seems hell bent on believing the worst in people.

Maybe I wrong but I've lived here long enough (12yrs) to see to many cases like this. Using the big last name as a get out of Jail free card, pay some money for it to disappear, losing face, etc. Maybe she has remorse but the family has lost face because of this and need to regain creditably again and going to these funerals she is trying to do that. I don't agree she is losing face by going to these funerals but she's trying to regain it. Ok some of it for sure is remorse but a lot of it is saving face. Even if the underage driver is at fault there is no way she will get in any trouble. Money, Big Last Name, Military Dad and so on. She has no worries. The police are charging her because of how many people are pissed off over this. If this was in North America she would be in a lot of trouble no matter what. This is my opinion but may not be yours.

I love Thailand but these types of stories really do make me feel disappointed with Thai laws and how things are run here.

The truth is the truth, This Woman is merely out to restore some lost face due to the outburst of anger from the public. The Big Last Name and the connections and money that come with it are what holds power here in Thailand. The remarks after the fatal crash of the vile spoilt vermin show her familys view of the underclass just a few ants squashed, no doubt they can't understand the outcry. Notice how this case has been mainly kept of the mainstream thai news tv. The total arrogance of the family in no doubt buying her that car and allowing her to drive without a licence again show the type of people they appear to be. The so called charges will be dropped there will be no investigation and she will have a new car bought for her and back on the road in no time. Without question she should be looking at 9 cases of manslaughter.

[bkktransfer]

BIg <deleted> Photo OP

What does 30 K do for a family with a dead son...Cant even cover the funeral expense.

Carefully orchestrated PR .

[metisdead]

The topic of this thread is:

Mother Of Girl Involved In Bangkok Tollway Accident Attends Funeral Of Victim

Posts not relating to that have been removed from view.

You can continue repeating the same opinion of the accident over and over to people who will never change their minds in this thread.

[scorecard]

"I am sorry for losing my son who was a good man. You still have your child who joins you for dinner, but I no longer have any," she said."

Send a signal.

Certainly does & it is a very fair comment.

Since others are so quick to pull 'poor offender' card & look for excuses on how much everything else is to blame, HERE we have a poor innocent victim (A victims mother). Just stop and take a look at that poor woman, she's lost her only son & is now left with nothing. Now there is someone that gets my deepest sympathy.

Very well said, I also offer my deepest sympathies to the mother of the young man who passed.

[waza]

I think the mother, Laddawan Dhephasdin na Ayudhya, attending the funeral was a good thing, not for her sake but for the greif stricken mother, Thawin Chaothiang, . As it gave her an opportunity to say how she felt and for that message to reach all of Thailand. What Thawin Chaothiang said was so heart wrenching and profound, that I feel that whatever the motive of Laddawan Dhephasdin na Ayudhya attending, that statement will haunt her forever. Hopefull it will be the rally cry of change.

Edited January 3, 2011 by waza

[TheJalapenoKid]

I see a glimmer of hope for the young lady who caused the accident. She has a mother who has a lot of courage and a fair amount of compassion.

Come on, I personally think it's all an act. She's just trying to save the family name and 30,000B compensation what a joke. I really do hope this underage teen driver gets what should be coming to her but I highly doubt she'll get in any trouble. Imagine if that was one of you Sons or Daughters who died in such a way and some lady was offering 30,000B compensation. I would through it back in her face.

Hit the nail well and truly on the head

[Nisa]

I see a glimmer of hope for the young lady who caused the accident. She has a mother who has a lot of courage and a fair amount of compassion.

Come on, I personally think it's all an act. She's just trying to save the family name and 30,000B compensation what a joke. I really do hope this underage teen driver gets what should be coming to her but I highly doubt she'll get in any trouble. Imagine if that was one of you Sons or Daughters who died in such a way and some lady was offering 30,000B compensation. I would through it back in her face.

Hit the nail well and truly on the head

Possibly IF the fact were true that the mother was only offering 30k compensation for the loss of a life but anybody who read this thread and the news report in the OP knows this is not the case nor the sole reason for her visit less than a week after the accident.

If one were to consider this news piece in a logic and unbiased fashion then they would not only put themselves in the shoes of the mother who was visited in the hospital but also the mother who did the visiting. One also needs to do it honestly and not pretend such things as 30k was offered as compensation for a life but rather a "token" offering as reported in this news article as well as the others covering her visiting most of the other victim families.

Edited January 3, 2011 by Nisa

[toybits]

The thing is that there is no guarantee that the silent majority will be better than the privileged few. The visit is just one way of maintaining status quo.

It seems that the silent majority can no longer take the abuse they get from the privileged few.

The silent majority are often hypocritical themselves as they are all part of the same hierarchy, just waiting, wishing, and hoping to move up a few notches so they can behave like those they resent (and I suspect it's not just a local trait).

[chuang]

Sad to say the driver's family are facing the devil and the deep blue sea...attending the victims' funeral they got dammed and if they don't they too got dammed..

[ChiangMaiFun]

I see a glimmer of hope for the young lady who caused the accident. She has a mother who has a lot of courage and a fair amount of compassion.

Come on, I personally think it's all an act. She's just trying to save the family name and 30,000B compensation what a joke. I really do hope this underage teen driver gets what should be coming to her but I highly doubt she'll get in any trouble. Imagine if that was one of you Sons or Daughters who died in such a way and some lady was offering 30,000B compensation. I would through it back in her face.

Hit the nail well and truly on the head

exactly

[neverdie]

Sad to say the driver's family are facing the devil and the deep blue sea...attending the victims' funeral they got dammed and if they don't they too got dammed..

True.

[ginjag]

Sad to say the driver's family are facing the devil and the deep blue sea...attending the victims' funeral they got dammed and if they don't they too got dammed..

True.

If it was 600 English pound, whatever her reason for attending, the token was an INSULT. better.give flowers.

[473geo]

Sad to say the driver's family are facing the devil and the deep blue sea...attending the victims' funeral they got dammed and if they don't they too got dammed..

True.

If it was 600 English pound, whatever her reason for attending, the token was an INSULT. better.give flowers.

If you make no attempt to understand how the people in Thailand resolve these type of situations, your comments will always appear extreme and thoughtless

[scorecard]

I think the mother, Laddawan Dhephasdin na Ayudhya, attending the funeral was a good thing, not for her sake but for the greif stricken mother, Thawin Chaothiang, . As it gave her an opportunity to say how she felt and for that message to reach all of Thailand. What Thawin Chaothiang said was so heart wrenching and profound, that I feel that whatever the motive of Laddawan Dhephasdin na Ayudhya attending, that statement will haunt her forever. Hopefull it will be the rally cry of change.

Well said.

[geriatrickid]

I am disappointed by the ignorance of social customs from so many people that live in Thailand. Perhaps this may explain why they have troubles with Thais. It is expected that had it been an adult implicated, the adult would express remorse and apologize to the crash victims. Because the girl was a minor this responsibility fell upon the family. The mother took the lead because a girl was involved, and most likely because a senior person such as her husband could not undertake the task. The mother demonstrated sincerity and she did the right thing by offering money. That is the social custom. Showing remorse and regret doesn't absolve the girl of her guilt, but the visits are required. and yes, I believe that this woman really is publicly humiliated and shamed by her daughter's behaviour.

Edited January 3, 2011 by geriatrickid

[beechguy]

I am disappointed by the ignorance of social customs from so many people that live in Thailand. Perhaps this may explain why they have troubles with Thais. It is expected that had it been an adult implicated, the adult would express remorse and apologize to the crash victims. Because the girl was a minor this responsibility fell upon the family. The mother took the lead because a girl was involved, and most likely because a senior person such as her husband could not undertake the task. The mother demonstrated sincerity and she did the right thing by offering money. That is the social custom. Showing remorse and regret doesn't absolve the girl of her guilt, but the visits are required. and yes, I believe that this woman really is publicly humiliated and shamed by her daughter's behaviour.

I agree about the ignorance, good post.

[Nisa]

I am disappointed by the ignorance of social customs from so many people that live in Thailand. Perhaps this may explain why they have troubles with Thais. It is expected that had it been an adult implicated, the adult would express remorse and apologize to the crash victims. Because the girl was a minor this responsibility fell upon the family. The mother took the lead because a girl was involved, and most likely because a senior person such as her husband could not undertake the task. The mother demonstrated sincerity and she did the right thing by offering money. That is the social custom. Showing remorse and regret doesn't absolve the girl of her guilt, but the visits are required. and yes, I believe that this woman really is publicly humiliated and shamed by her daughter's behaviour.

Keep in mind too the girl has been in the hospital this entire time too (unless she was released the last day or two) and she did meet with 5 of the families at the hospital the other day when she apologized publicly. I assume this all took place at the hospital she was staying, because of the threats against her, and the fact she was in wheelchair.

[Nisa]

"still being treated at hospital and was suffering from widespread social condemnation."

Is this a medical condition?

It is now.

It is to those who cannot read properly

[katana]

The team of lawyers acting on behalf of the girl's family released a statement to the Thai media today (25/02/11) regarding the crash. The statement began by expressing sadness for those who lost loved ones. The main points were that the girl's car didn't hit the passenger van at all. The absence of paint marks on the car or van proves this. Rather, the girl's car, the Honda Civic, lost control and crashed into the barrier while taking evasive action to avoid the passenger van which had suddenly came into her lane.

They also asked for the public and the media to carefully consider the facts before rushing to judgement and hoped for the girl to be given fair treatment, saying she had been pronounced guilty in the media and internet despite the court not yet having passed judgement.

Rumours that the girl had gone abroad were untrue; she was still in Thailand practising the dharma and making merit for those who had died in the crash.

More here:

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/region/151642

[Valentine]

The team of lawyers acting on behalf of the girl's family released a statement to the Thai media today (25/02/11) regarding the crash. The statement began by expressing sadness for those who lost loved ones. The main points were that the girl's car didn't hit the passenger van at all. The absence of paint marks on the car or van proves this. Rather, the girl's car, the Honda Civic, lost control and crashed into the barrier while taking evasive action to avoid the passenger van which had suddenly came into her lane.

They also asked for the public and the media to carefully consider the facts before rushing to judgement and hoped for the girl to be given fair treatment, saying she had been pronounced guilty in the media and internet despite the court not yet having passed judgement.

Rumours that the girl had gone abroad were untrue; she was still in Thailand practising the dharma and making merit for those who had died in the crash.

More here:

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/region/151642

If this pans out to be true then it is symptomatic of the emotion generated by the media frenzy over this tragic event which has heaped guilt on a teenage girl who's only offence could be that she was driving without a Thai licence. BTW the media & the public rushed to judgement immediately after the accident.

[ginjag]

"still being treated at hospital and was suffering from widespread social condemnation."

Is this a medical condition?

It is now.

It is to those who cannot read properly .

What would peoples comments be had the girl attended the funeral and offered 30,000 bht 750 us dollars. I think different. Hasn't the girl herself got a bank balance. And if the father is not well. he could have attended the funeral even in a wheel chair also to say sorry and could have offered another 30k

Edited February 26, 2011 by ginjag