"Ministry of Justice" has provided 3 million baht in compensation to the heirs of 10 monks killed by an 11-year-old driving a pickup truck, while the child's family has apologized publicly through the media.
On 17 July 2026, the Ministry of Justice, through the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection, in cooperation with Mukdahan Province and the Mukdahan Justice Office, held a ceremony to present financial aid to victims of crime under the project "Protecting People, Protecting Rights: Building a Life of Justice."
This follows the incident where an 11-year-old drove a pickup truck that struck monks on a pilgrimage, resulting in 10 deaths in Mukdahan Province. Present at the event were Police Colonel Ittikorn Jirattananon, Secretary to the Minister of Justice; Mr. Trairith Temhiwong, Director-General of the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection; Mr. Worayan Boonnaratch, Governor of Mukdahan Province; and the heirs of the deceased monks.
Each family received 300,000 baht, totaling 3 million baht. This compensation was granted under the Victim Compensation and Reimbursement of Expenses for Defendants in Criminal Cases Act of 2001 (including the second amendment of 2016), along with the provision of rights and liberties protection services aligned with international standards to local residents comprehensively.
After receiving the compensation, Mrs. Benjathip, 54, mother of Oi Saengsin, a well-known singer and former wife of Phra Kham, one of the monks who died in the accident, said she has never met the child’s family since the incident. She expressed a wish for them to come forward, talk, and take responsibility for what happened. She still has doubts about the child driving the vehicle and other related issues.
Subsequently, reporters visited the family of the 11-year-old, finding them living together with the child’s grandfather, grandmother, and mother. The family expressed their apologies to the families of the monks and the deceased monks themselves.
However, the legal proceedings remain at the investigation stage, and no charges have yet been filed against the child or the child’s family.