Creditor cancels THB1.5 debt after woman burns herself alive

[webfact]

Creditor cancels THB1.5 debt after woman burns herself alive
By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- A loan shark agreed to cancel the THB1.5 million debt of a Lopburi farmer after the despairing woman set herself on fire at a government office in Bangkok yesterday.

Sangwien Raksapetch, 52, remains hospitalized at Vajira Hospital where a doctor said today she cannot breathe on her own and cannot speak. However has shown awareness and has been responsive to the medical team respond to the doctor team by moving her muscles.

She's scheduled to have surgery this afternoon while her relatives have arrived in Bangkok.

According to Khaosod, Sangwien’s motive to commit self-immolation was an unfair loan contract. Sangwien reportedly secured a loan for THB400,000 but the creditor took advantage of her ignorance and pressured her into interest rate terms that saw her debt balloon to THB1.5 million.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2014/10/16/creditor-cancels-thb15-debt-after-woman-burns-herself-alive


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2014-10-16

[uptheos]

I doubt that it was merely the debt that forced such action, but rather threats about what will happen if they don't get their money!

[theguyfromanotherforum]

In Canada they would not forgive her a loan.

[Costas2008]

I doubt that it was merely the debt that forced such action, but rather threats about what will happen if they don't get their money!

Also I doubt that it was because of his good heart to cancel the loan but rather what will happen to him if he didn't take that action.

[TVGerry]

Scum probably got back most of the original amount already. How generous to forgive the interest after the poor lady immolated herself.

[webfact]

Help floods in for woman who set herself on fire
By Digital Content

BANGKOK, Oct 16 -- Concerned agencies hurriedly responded with help for the woman from Lop Buri who set herself afire at a public service centre in Bangkok yesterday.

An attending doctor said her condition is still severe.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Panadda Diskul said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered maximal assistance for Lopburi farmer Sangwian Raksaphet, a rice grower from Khok Samrong district who set herself on fire at the Government House public service centre yesterday after trying to seek relief from her debt problem.

Mr Panadda said that concerned officials in Lop Buri were trying to solve her debt problem. They explained that informal debts were the biggest problem among the complaints that the public has filed filed with the government.

More than 70 per cent of the problems were solved as the government treated them as important issues, the minister said.

Mr Panadda ordered staff of public service centers to step up security measures to prevent such incidents from recurring.

He said no one should copy the woman's reaction as government officials were helping troubled people as much as they could.

Social Development and Human Security Minister Adul Sangsingkeo said a ministry official visited Ms Sangwian and gave her some financial assistance. Relevant officials were taking care of the injured woman's mental condition and her family.

Vajira Hospital acting director Dr Pollert Phanthanakul said it was not certain that the woman will be recover because more than half of her body was burnt and the extent of the injuries is serious.

She also suffered from severe dehydration due to the blaze, he said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-10-16

[webfact]

Creditor agrees to forego debt for her debtor



BANGKOK: -- The creditor of a woman who set fire upon herself to dramatise her plight of being trapped in unorganized debt has agreed to forego the 1.5 million baht debt and to allow her debtor to make use of her farmland.

The debt settlement was made possible by the intervention of Lop Buri governor Thanakom Chongchira who today met with the creditor, Ms Thidarak Thep-arak, for about two hours to try to persuade her to settle the debt.

It was reported that Ms Thidarak was shocked when she learned that Mrs Sangwien Raksapetch set herself ablaze on Wednesday at the complaints centre in front of the Government House where she file a complaint of the unfair debt.

Mrs Sangwien claimed that she took several loans totaling 400,000 baht from Ms Thidarak using her land title deeds as a collateral. However when she failed to pay the interests, the creditor increased the debt to 1.5 million baht and denied her debtor to use her farmland.

Governor Thanakom later informed Mrs Sangwien’s husband, Mr Thongchai, about the debt settlement. He also offered an apology to him for the officials’ failure to settle the debt problem quick enough until Mrs Sangwien decided to set fire upon herself.

Mrs Sangwien suffers about 50 percent burns from her head and body and she is still being treated at the ICU of Wachira hospital. A doctor at the hospital said she was safe but her condition is yet to evaluated to determine whether some vital organs which were burned will still function or not.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/creditor-agrees-forego-debt-debtor/


-- Thai PBS 2014-10-16

[JOC]

Hope this poor woman sleeps in peacefully.

As for the officialdoms nice words: Yet another kneejerk-reaction after the horse has bolted!

[Pattaya28]

I do not believe at all that the debt has been written off.

If it was, which I doubt, it would start a new "get-out" for people in debt.

All this is for "show".

Squeezing vulnerable people in debt will always continue, especially in Thailand.

[h90]

Scum probably got back most of the original amount already. How generous to forgive the interest after the poor lady immolated herself.

Scum? If I give you a credit we together grown up sign a contract. Which has a high interest rate because the risk of not getting the money back is high. Later you don't pay your part and I am the scum??????

No one forced her into borrowing the money. And 400.000 are surely not because she was starving and need some pork to eat together with her rice.

If you are a small farmer 400.000 is a lot money.

[ldnguy]

In Canada they would not forgive her a loan.

In Canada the loan shark would be in jail and the loan would be declared void because it's illegal to be a loan shark there.

[Bluespunk]

"A loan shark agreed to cancel the THB1.5 million debt of a Lopburi farmer after the despairing woman set herself on fire at a government office in Bangkok yesterday."

Lets hope this doesn't set a precedent for getting out of clutches of loan shark scum.

Who's paying the hospital bills?

[ukrules]

I was under the impression that money lending is a crime.

Lets see how long the illegal money lender goes to prison for

[ratcatcher]

I was under the impression that money lending is a crime.

Lets see how long the illegal money lender goes to prison for

"I was under the impression that money lending is a crime."

I believe usury is a crime. Banks lend money legally most of the time.

[Brit_Doggie]

Nice to hear but it still is a crime many thais borrow money because they have too not that they wan't to.

[ukrules]

I was under the impression that money lending is a crime.

Lets see how long the illegal money lender goes to prison for

"I was under the impression that money lending is a crime."

I believe usury is a crime. Banks lend money legally most of the time.

Banks probably have some kind of license which this 'money lender' would almost cetainly not have had.

[slapout]

The money lender holds the title to the land and loaned 400,000 (when was monies loaned)? for it. The loan shark is not charged, she will probably sell the property in a few months after things have settled down

Of course the good governor (wonder when he was given authority to overlook illegal loan sharks)? arranged this agreement for foregoing 1.5 million debt, no mention of foregoing the orginal debt amount, title deeds, length of farm use agreement, etc. The lady will have to make a unpresidented recovery to farm the land, even if she has the funds to put in income producing crops.

Forgive my doubts in the good terms/intentions of those involved, if the future shows me to be wromg i will aploigize for thinking ill of a loan shark and a civil employee.

[Bluespunk]

The money lender holds the title to the land and loaned 400,000 (when was monies loaned)? for it. The loan shark is not charged, she will probably sell the property in a few months after things have settled down

Of course the good governor (wonder when he was given authority to overlook illegal loan sharks)? arranged this agreement for foregoing 1.5 million debt, no mention of foregoing the orginal debt amount, title deeds, length of farm use agreement, etc. The lady will have to make a unpresidented recovery to farm the land, even if she has the funds to put in income producing crops.

Forgive my doubts in the good terms/intentions of those involved, if the future shows me to be wromg i will aploigize for thinking ill of a loan shark and a civil employee.

The loan shark has agreed to renounce any claim to the land deeds as well as cancel the debt.

From the OP if follow link

"Officials since intervened to help. Thidarak Theparak, who provided Sangwien the loan, reportedly agreed to cancel the debt after authorities and Lopburi officials discussed it with her. Sangwien will also maintain possession of her land and its title."

Mind this is from coconuts.....

Edited October 16, 2014 by Bluespunk

[Suriya4]

Final she got her wish.

[hansgruber]

Fire extinguishers in all government foyers. One under every chair in the waiting room.

Sent from my LG-D858

[ldnguy]

I bet the loan shark was told in no uncertain terms what to do.

[Thaiwine]

The lady was heard to say "why couldn't you help me" before she set fire to herself

A few hours later it's all sorted

Indeed why did they not help her prior to this?

I feel so much for her, what a terrible thing to feel you have to do

[Thaimaishoe]

Different people different takes... I would have imolated the lender.

[Tywais]

I was under the impression that money lending is a crime.

Lets see how long the illegal money lender goes to prison for

Thai law states creditors may only ask for a maximum of 15 per cent interest per year, and must register their businesses for tax purposes. Failure to do so may result in jail, a B1,000 fine, or both. - See more at: http://www.thephuketnews.com/swimming-with-sharks-loan-sharks-are-common-and-so-are-their-victims-28354.php#sthash.24ebmWKY.dpuf

Some charge that much or more per month. And more info here - http://www.refworld.org/docid/52ab0f4b4.html

[Basil B]

In Canada they would not forgive her a loan.

But Thailand is not Canada...

loan shacking is a terrible business, I hope they put the loan shark out of business by locking him up for a few years.

[Thaddeus]

I bet the loan shark was told in no uncertain terms what to do.

You can be pretty sure that this shark had already got the principle of the loan back anyway, hence the magnanimous gesture.

He should be the one to burn, along with the other sharks who do nothing but prey on victims who have no other options.

[webfact]

SELF-IMMOLATION
Loan shark 'ready to write off' debt of woman who set herself ablaze
Chatchawan Kaewkrajai,
Kittipong Maneerit
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- After direct intervention by provincial authorities, a loan shark has agreed to write off the debt of a woman who set herself ablaze on Wednesday over her debt woes.

Lop Buri Governor Thanakom Jongjira, accompanied by the provincial police chief and a senior military officer, yesterday negotiated with the loan shark on behalf of Sangvien Raksapetch, 52, now in hospital with serious burns.

Her condition is now stable but it remains unclear whether she will ever recover fully.

"She has burns over half of her body. At this point, we can't say whether all her organs will function normally after the wounds heal," Dr Ponlert Phanthanakul of Vajira Hospital said yesterday.

He said the medical team, for example, would have to check her eyesight and other bodily functions further.

Sangvien poured fuel over herself and set it ablaze with a lighter during her visit to a government call centre that responds to people's complaints.

The centre is just across from Government House in Bangkok.

Hailing from Lop Buri province, Sangvien had told several officials that as she was illiterate, she ended up signing on to a Bt1.5-million debt when in fact she had borrowed only about Bt400,000.

Help pours in

The call centre's officials said Sangvien was talking to an assistant district chief of her home town over the phone inside the centre when she suddenly set herself on fire.

Her tragic case made headlines, and various agencies have rushed to help her.

Thanakom yesterday vowed to ensure Sangvien's debt was written off once she was released from hospital. He said the loan shark had agreed to cancel the debts so as to allow her to recuperate without worry.

"The moneylenders say they will count this as merit-making," Thanakom said after talking to the lenders for more than an hour.

PM's Office Minister ML Panadda Diskul disclosed that Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-Ocha, who is now in Italy, had also inquired about Sangvien's condition.

Panadda said out-of-system debt was the most widely reported problem at the government's call centres and the Interior Ministry's Damrongdhama centres.

"We are trying to help," he said.

Meanwhile, National Legislative Assembly member Somchai Sawaengkarn said the Debt Collection Bill was being prepared in a way that would cover loans both in and outside the system.

"We will ensure justice to both moneylenders and borrowers," he said.

Bank of Thailand Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul also expressed concern at the "2014 BOT Symposium" held yesterday over the problem of loan-sharking, which had resulted in high household debts. He said the problem needed to be resolved at the core through job creation and improvement of wealth distribution.

"Measures such as lower interest rates and microfinance can improve borrowers' ability to repay their debt only in the short term," he said.

People should be provided with knowledge on savings and financial management, he added.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Loan-shark-ready-to-write-off-debt-of-woman-who-se-30245636.html


-- The Nation 2014-10-17

[ScubaPhuket]

Governments negotiating with 'Loan Sharks'???

What planet does this country live on?

[NongKhaiKid]

Governments negotiating with 'Loan Sharks'???

What planet does this country live on?

Negotiations, what about a proper investigation into his loansharking activities ?

However he's written off the debt as ' merit making ' so that's all good then.

[ScubaPhuket]

Governments negotiating with 'Loan Sharks'???

What planet does this country live on?

Negotiations, what about a proper investigation into his loansharking activities ?

However he's written off the debt as ' merit making ' so that's all good then.

Idd. You might be excused for thinking that a 'Loan Shark' may have been paying a cut to the local police for a long time in this perfect country.