Bangkok: –The seven-year-old boy has been moved from Ayutthaya to receive burn treatment at Police General Hospital in the capital and police will pay for medical expenses not covered by the universal health care.

The boy has sustained burn caused by empty and sealed paint can explosion.

The burn covers 80 per cent of his body. And he has to be treated in sterilised room which is not available in Ayutthaya.

Based on statements given to police by family members, the victim was playing with the paint can alone at the back of his Ayutthaya home.

His older brother, 10, was sleeping in an upstairs room and his grandparents who were child minders were at a nearby house. The parents were at work.

The family members assumed that the victim might be beating the paint can as his imaginary drum when the explosion occurred.

After the explosion, the grandparents and neighbours took the victim to the provincial hospital.

The victim was found to have lost consciousness, swollen face, bleeding in the eyes and burn injuries.

His clothes were torn to pieces and fragments of the paint can scattered at the scene.

Ayutthaya hospital spokeswoman Bang-ornPongopas said the provincial hospital provided emergency treatments and arranged for the transfer to one of the Bangkok hospitals with burn treatment facilities.

The transfer process took two days because a number of hospitals claimed to have no bed available. The treatments for severe burns are not covered in the universal healthcare scheme.

After hearing about the incident, national police chief General Somyos Pumpanmuang intervened and ordered Police General Hospital to admit the victim.

Police spokesman Lt General PrawutThavornsiri has agreed to donate his money for specialised burn treatments.

The transfer process took two days because a number of hospitals claimed to have no bed available. The treatments for severe burns are not covered in the universal healthcare scheme.

The statement above really troubles me.

Poor child. I didn't know an empty paint can would explode if it was beaten on. A spray paint can certainly will. I wonder if they had been burning trash and the boy threw the can in the fire?

Poor boy. Burns are one of the most painful injuries and horrible, long recovery.... only to be left disfigured and crippled. Death may have been more merciful.