The Prime Minister showed concern for the Bonkai residents affected by the fire. He assigned the Labour Minister, Mr. Suchart Chomklin, to provide full support.
Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin spoke about the support for employees impacted by the fire in the Bonkai community, Pathumwan District, on June 21, 2022. He said that the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, and the Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the Ministry of Labour, are concerned about the people affected by the fire at the Bonkai community and have instructed the relevant agencies to help. The Ministry of Labour has assigned the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Thienrat Navamawat, and representatives from various departments under the Ministry of Labour to deliver consumer goods such as clothing, bedding, blankets, sanitary napkins, masks, rice, canned food, rice noodles, drinking water, and fruit juices supported by business establishment through representatives of social security networks in the area, to employees and people affected by the fire at the Bonkai community. The delivery aims to provide initial alleviation. The Department of Labour Protection and Welfare was instructed to send a letter to the Labor Protection and Welfare Office Area 1, asking for cooperation from organizations with employees affected by the fire to assist employees if employees are unable to go to work from an unforeseen incident. They asked employers to cooperate by providing affected employees a day off from work without considering it as a leave or a violation of the work regulations or the employer’s rules or orders. They also asked for cooperation from employers to pay employees wages, whereby employees must notify their employer accordingly.
The Labour Minister continued that he has instructed the Social Security Office to send officers to the area to inspect those who have suffered. If they are insured persons in the social security system, they shall be taken care of, providing medical benefits. Initially, the Bangkok Social Security Office Area 4 reported progress, with 107 people insured persons identified. Mr. Weerachai Ruenphaka, a community leader who is part of the social security network, said that there are approximately 70 Section 40 insured persons in the group of people suffering. One woman is still unconscious and injured, still in treatment at Chulalongkorn Hospital. The SSO will continue to visit and take care of medical expenses. For residents and insured persons affected by the disaster, the Pathumwan District Office has arranged a temporary rest area at the Bonkai Happy Center for All Ages for those in need. It is organizing the next steps to assist.
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Division of Public Relations
22 June 2022
