webfact Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 No payouts to boat victims' families because officials may have pocketed premiums By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter - Police investigators on Wednesday inspect the boat salvaged from Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya province. AYUTTHAYA — Officials might have stolen the premiums for a missing insurance policy meant to compensate the families of those who died in a recent boat accident, the Marine Department said Friday. The department’s director said only embezzlement or a clerical error could explain what happened to the policy paid for by the owner of the boat which capsized and caused 28 Muslim pilgrims to die Sunday. The investigation was announced Thursday along with a review of such policies nationwide. Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2016/09/23/no-payout-boat-victims-families-officials-may-pocketed-premiums/ -- © Copyright Khaosod English 2016-09-23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkidlad Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 If true, absolutely disgusting. About time it's actively taught in schools just how abhorrent corruption is. Also, teach every single scenario where something would be defined as stealing. Before people say it happens in other countries, don't! Nothing ever changed or got better by making immoral or criminal actions a competition where only the worst case deserves scrutiny or punishment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inaktive Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 sadly normal in Thailand ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesbrock Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Another 'oh for crying out loud' story. They come way too frequently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinneil Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Embezzlement or clerical error !!!! Clerical error !!! Out and out thieving, sadly just an everyday occurrence here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingalfred Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 What a surprise..not . The hub of "don't give a <deleted> about anyone" Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoboKay Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Hardly 'news' in Thailand's context, it'd be news if the investigations were concise and insurance paid out prompt towards the victims families. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NongKhaiKid Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Great thought isn't it for everyone who pays money into a govt dept that it can mean absolutely nothing ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfsailor Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 If found that someone at the marine department office pocketed the money, then it will be very hard for the victims' families to get their payout themselves. May I suggest that Thai Pattana Insurance pays out, even there was no insurance as a sign of good will and great PR, and that they file a lawsuit against Nonthaburi Marine Dept. officials to claim the paid money. They'll have a much greater chance of beating the system in court. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenBravo Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Something not quite right here. Once you have paid the insurance premium, you then get sent a policy. If the boat owner did not have a policy, he would have known there was no insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatOngo Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 The ongoing saga of low life grubs in positions of authority......disgraceful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 The picture now shows the boat has been repaired with some plastic sheeting, some old plywood and a few nails. Looks ready to sail again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattaya28 Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 The government should compensate for these deaths. Will they get to the bottom of where the insurance policy money went to ? If a clerical error, then surely the insurance should pay out. Or just more stuff swept under the bulging rug ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratcatcher Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Hawk said: The picture now shows the boat has been repaired with some plastic sheeting, some old plywood and a few nails. Looks ready to sail again. It looks like a temporary patch job using marine plywood in order to float the vessel to a shipyard where proper hull repairs can be made. OTOH, they may be better off to tow it out to sea and sink it for an artificial reef. That is now called a death boat. Edited September 23, 2016 by ratcatcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bung Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 No need to link it. It's right on this page in the OP. Try having a closer look at the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike324 Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Sounds like the captain is taking part of the blaming by selling his assets to compensate the victims, while the government officials just got a paid vacation .... hopefully both will be charged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaltsc Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 (edited) "Officials might have stolen the premiums for a missing insurance policy meant to compensate the families of those who died in a recent boat accident, the Marine Department said Friday." In most countries not overrun with such corruption, the owner of the boat would still be responsible for the payout to the families. All his assets would be seized and sold off to pay families. It is then his responsibility to sue the officials for the money they embezzled. If he paid the premium he should have a signed receipt from the official who received the payment. Then he is off the hook and the official's employer is responsible. If he had paid and never demanded a receipt, tough luck for his stupidity. It appears that in some countries, two negatives cancel out each other. The boat owner could be irresponsible (or lies about paying insurance premiums) and not carry insurance. Then he points out that the money he purports to have paid is missing. Thus, no one is responsible and the families of the victims suffer further tragedy. Edited September 23, 2016 by jaltsc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DM07 Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 No insurance? Who'd have thunk...?! I think, mai pen rai translates as "I don't give a flying @#$%!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob8891 Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Corruption and theft of the alleged premium notwithstanding, the fact that the boat was overloaded to twice its capacity would have negated any valid insurance, surely? How could the owner hope to make any claim? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 46 minutes ago, KarenBravo said: Something not quite right here. Once you have paid the insurance premium, you then get sent a policy. If the boat owner did not have a policy, he would have known there was no insurance. There is very little attention to detail paid here... When renewing my insurance and after paying I still hadn't received the Policy on renewal day. The insurance broker informed me "All will be fine"... I told her I can't drive my Car until I see a Policy, an hour later a messenger had delivered the Policy... This is an example of how relaxed people are here about these things... I also partnered in a Nightclub a few years ago... It was successful, busy... we had about 20 partners. One day the Glass window at the front was smashed.. Its OK we had insurance, until we found out that the Premium had been taken by one of the partners but the Policy was never renewed... We never saw that Partner again.... In this case, I suspect the Premium was never paid and the Owner is saving face... OR perhaps one of his staff pocketed the money instead of paying the premium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said: There is very little attention to detail paid here... When renewing my insurance and after paying I still hadn't received the Policy on renewal day. The insurance broker informed me "All will be fine"... I told her I can't drive my Car until I see a Policy, an hour later a messenger had delivered the Policy... This is an example of how relaxed people are here about these things... I also partnered in a Nightclub a few years ago... It was successful, busy... we had about 20 partners. One day the Glass window at the front was smashed.. Its OK we had insurance, until we found out that the Premium had been taken by one of the partners but the Policy was never renewed... We never saw that Partner again.... In this case, I suspect the Premium was never paid and the Owner is saving face... OR perhaps one of his staff pocketed the money instead of paying the premium. Maybe, but without insurance papers the operating license can not be renewed. So either somebody at the marine office pocketed the premiums, or somebody at the marine office overlooked the missing insurance papers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulse Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 (edited) 35 minutes ago, jaltsc said: "Officials might have stolen the premiums for a missing insurance policy meant to compensate the families of those who died in a recent boat accident, the Marine Department said Friday." In most countries not overrun with such corruption, the owner of the boat would still be responsible for the payout to the families. All his assets would be seized and sold off to pay families. It is then his responsibility to sue the officials for the money they embezzled. Unless, of course, he was incorporated as any prudent owner would be. He's still on the hook if his personal actions contributed to the tragedy, but not just because he's one of the shareholders in the corporation that owns the boat. Even if he's the only shareholder. Edit: I should point out that until recently, you couldn't be the only shareholder in a corporation in Thailand. There had to be multiple shareholders. But there was some talk of changing that law, and I don't know how far it went. In the USA, a person can own 100% of the shares and still enjoy limited liability. Edited September 23, 2016 by impulse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, KarenBravo said: Something not quite right here. Once you have paid the insurance premium, you then get sent a policy. If the boat owner did not have a policy, he would have known there was no insurance. Without policy he would not have been able to renew the yearly registration. My guess would be that the boat owner and government official split the difference. Edited September 23, 2016 by stevenl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulse Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 4 minutes ago, stevenl said: Without policy he would not have been able to renew the yearly registration. My guess would be that the boat owner and government official split the difference. That's probably as good as any guess, but I can't imagine he would have walked away without a receipt for the insurance payment- even if the insurance was purchased through the ministry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdgbb Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 4 hours ago, inaktive said: sadly normal in Thailand ... The circumstances of this insurance situation is definitely not normal in Thailand...unless you can give another example, of course? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdgbb Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 4 hours ago, HoboKay said: it'd be news if the investigations were concise and insurance paid out prompt towards the victims families. ...as frequently reported despite your derision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisY1 Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 So difficult to believe this latest scenario........if it is true, and the owner really did pay his due premium......then it's a real tragedy for Thailand that it's officials would stoop so so low... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilsonandson Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Sadness pure sadness. Children died on that boat and now their families have to suffer more. Repairing the boat? Is their anyone incharge of this country? The worst tragedy all year and like a few have already mentioned. No one cares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bung Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Now let me guess. Will this tragedy lead authorities to check other vessels insurance policies or implement some safety measures to prevent something like this from happening again? Nah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottocus Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Insensitive comment deleted by the guy who made it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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