Residents still in the dark on BMA compensation plan
Residents whose homes were damaged by the collapse of an elevated road project on Luang Phaeng Road in Bangkok’s Lat Krabang district on July 10 are urging the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to speed up the distribution of compensation and other financial aid.
The 600-metre section of the On Nut-Lat Krabang elevated road project, stretching from Lotus’s Lat Krabang to Jorakay Noi Police Station, collapsed on July 10, killing two people and injuring 12 others.
One of the affected residents, Apisit Laosinat, told the Bangkok Post that a crane at the construction site crashed on the three-storey shophouse where he lives with ten of his relatives. While the building sustained serious damage, no one was injured as no one was on the top floor when the crane collapsed, he said.
“My father and I were repairing motorbikes when the crane hit our roof. My brother said that the crane was blocked by a pole in front of the shophouse, but there were bits from the crane which came through the walls,” Mr Apisit said.
As a result, Mr Apisit said his family have had to temporarily move out of the shophouse, which they have been renting for 40 years.
“We were lucky that no one was hurt in the incident. But who can guarantee that there won’t be another collapse?” he said.
Mr Apisit said as of Tuesday, no one had reached out to his family or other affected residents to inform them about the compensation that they are entitled to from the contractor and the BMA.
To date, he added, he has only received 50,000 baht from the contractor, which he said was meant to cover emergency expenses, such as baby diapers and formula.
The contractor told them that they must consult their insurance company before the company can offer full compensation.
Sarut Kreutaweechote, 81, Mr Apisit’s neighbour, told the Bangkok Post that officials told him to immediately vacate his shophouse after the incident.
Officials gave me a budget of 3,500 baht to rent an apartment. Where can I find an apartment that cheap?: Sarut Kreutaweechai. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
However, he moved back in despite the risk of further accidents because he couldn’t afford to live in a hotel.
“Officials gave me a budget of 3,500 baht to rent an apartment. Where can I find an apartment that cheap?” said Mr Sarut.
He revealed that local residents in Lat Krabang district have repeatedly voiced their opposition to the flyover, as they believed it wouldn’t resolve chronic traffic congestion in the area.
Instead, he said, locals would rather see Lat Krabang Road widened to accommodate more traffic.
“The construction site is a major source of pollution. Sometimes, they would work on the project in the middle of the night, which is a nuisance,” Mr Sarut said.
Wisanu Subsompon, a deputy Bangkok governor, said the project must be finished by December next year. As such, the contractor has been ordered to fix the project’s foundations to prevent similar accidents from happening.
“If the flyover construction is not completed by next December, the contractor will be fined according to the contract,” he added.