Ministry of Justice compensates Beer House at Lat Phrao fire victims

Thairath•Society•21h ago

Reader Briefing

The Ministry of Justice provided initial compensation to heirs of victims from the Beer House at Lat Phrao fire and discussed establishing a new crime victim fund.

•Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruthapol Naowarat presided over the compensation ceremony on July 20, 2026.
•14 heirs received 300,000 baht each, totaling 4.2 million baht, with 31 total cases processed for over 9.3 million baht.
•The Rights and Liberties Protection Department and Mahidol University held a workshop to study the feasibility of a revolving fund for crime victims.

Overview

•On July 20, 2026, Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruthapol Naowarat presided over a ceremony at the Ministry of Justice to provide compensation to heirs of victims of the Beer House at Lat Phrao fire.
•The Ministry of Justice paid 300,000 baht each to 14 heirs present at the event, totaling 4.2 million baht, while other recipients will receive transfers directly to bank accounts.
•The Rights and Liberties Protection Department reported that over 24 years, the state has assisted 148,428 victims and innocent defendants with over 8,260 million baht.
•The Rights and Liberties Protection Department and Mahidol University organized a workshop in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, to discuss establishing a revolving fund for crime victims to reduce reliance on the national budget.
•Triyarit Temhiwong stated that compensation is provided to those who died and had no part in the crime, noting that recent reports indicate total deaths have increased to 34.
•The Rights and Liberties Protection Department has sent officials to Ratchaburi to gather facts regarding the death of the husband of Benyaphorn Phanphet following a medical diagnosis dispute at San Camillo Hospital.
•The Rights and Liberties Protection Department is monitoring the case of Lung Piak, where seven police officers from Aran Yakhat Station are scheduled for indictment on July 22.

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Key Quotes

Triyarit Temhiwong

"Providing remedy is a form of human rights assistance."

การช่วยเหลือเยียวยาก็คือการช่วยเหลือทางสิทธิมนุษยชน

Key Entities

Person

Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruthapol Naowarat(พล.ต.ท.รุทธพล เนาวรัตน์)

Minister of Justice who presided over the compensation ceremony.

Triyarit Temhiwong(นายไตรยฤทธิ์ เตมหิวงศ์)

Director-General of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department.

Theerayut Kaewsing(นายธีรยุทธ แก้วสิงห์)

Deputy Director-General and spokesperson of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department.

Benyaphorn Phanphet(น.ส.เบญญาภรณ์ พานเพชร)

Also known as Kru Sai, whose husband died after treatment at San Camillo Hospital.

Lung Piak(ลุงเปี๊ยก)

A victim in a case involving alleged enforced disappearance and torture by police officers.

Organization

Ministry of Justice(กระทรวงยุติธรรม)ℹ️

The government ministry responsible for providing compensation to the victims.

Rights and Liberties Protection Department(กรมคุ้มครองสิทธิและเสรีภาพ)ℹ️

The department managing the compensation process and exploring the creation of a crime victim fund.

Mahidol University(มหาวิทยาลัยมหิดล)ℹ️

Partner organization that co-organized the workshop on the crime victim fund.

San Camillo Hospital(โรงพยาบาลซานคามิลโล)

The hospital where the husband of Benyaphorn Phanphet received treatment before passing away.

Aran Yakhat Police Station(สภ.อรัญประเทศ)

The police station where the seven officers accused in the Lung Piak case serve.

Place

Beer House at Lat Phrao(โรงเบียร์ ณ ลาดพร้าว)

The entertainment venue where a fire occurred resulting in multiple deaths.

Best Western Plus Wanda Grand Hotel(โรงแรมเบสท์ เวสเทิร์น พลัส แวนด้า แกรนด์)

The location in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi where the crime victim fund workshop was held.

Law

Compensation for Victims and Remuneration and Expenses for Defendants in Criminal Cases Act 2001(พ.ร.บ.ค่าตอบแทนผู้เสียหายและค่าทดแทนและค่าใช้จ่ายแก่จำเลยในคดีอาญา พ.ศ. 2544)

The law used to provide financial remedy to victims and innocent defendants in criminal cases.

Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act(พ.ร.บ.อุ้มหายฯ)

The law used to prosecute officers in the case of Lung Piak.

Policy

Draft Crime Victim Assistance Fund Act(ร่าง พ.ร.บ.กองทุนช่วยเหลือเหยื่อในคดีอาญาฯ)

A proposed policy to create a revolving fund for crime victims using diverse funding sources.