No payouts to boat victims' families because officials may have pocketed premiums

[webfact]

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

[rkidlad]

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. 

[inaktive]

sadly normal in Thailand ...

[jamesbrock]

Another 'oh for crying out loud' story. They come way too frequently.

[colinneil]

Embezzlement or clerical error !!!! Clerical error !!! 

Out and out thieving, sadly just an everyday occurrence  here.

[kingalfred]

What a surprise..not . The hub of "don't give a <deleted> about anyone"


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[HoboKay]

Hardly 'news' in Thailand's context, it'd be news if the investigations were concise and insurance paid out prompt towards the victims families.

 

 

[NongKhaiKid]

Great thought isn't it for everyone who pays money into a govt dept that it can mean absolutely nothing ?

[Gulfsailor]

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. 

[KarenBravo]

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.

[PatOngo]

The ongoing saga of low life grubs in positions of authority......disgraceful!

[Hawk]

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.

[Pattaya28]

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 ?

[ratcatcher]

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. 

[Bung]

No need to link it.  It's right on this page in the OP.  Try having a closer look at the picture. 

[mike324]

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

[jaltsc]

 "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. 

[DM07]

No insurance? 

Who'd have thunk...?!

I think, mai pen rai translates as "I don't give a flying @#$%!"

[Rob8891]

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? 

[richard_smith237]

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. 

[stevenl]

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.

[impulse]

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.

 

[stevenl]

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.

[impulse]

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.

[gdgbb]

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?

 

[gdgbb]

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.

[ChrisY1]

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...

[Wilsonandson]

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.

[Bung]

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. 

[nottocus]

Insensitive comment deleted by the guy who made it.