Pathum Thani Province – The Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office and the Child Welfare Home, together with the Thanakrit team, rushed to assist a braised pork leg vendor caring for a disabled child and a husband with mental illness, who was threatened by informal loan sharks after owing debts to more than 10 lenders.
The case arose after villagers requested help for a vendor supporting her 16-year-old daughter, who suffers from polio and severe brain disabilities, appearing physically smaller than her age like a young child. Her husband also has mental illness. Due to poor economic conditions, her business struggled, forcing her to borrow money from informal lenders at exorbitant interest rates to buy milk, diapers, and invest in her sales. Unable to repay principal and interest to creditors, she borrowed from other lenders, causing debts to compound with principal and interest. She resorted to borrowing from yet another informal lender, resulting in debts from over 10 sources. This led to loan sharks demanding repayment and threatening to seize even the remaining television, as previously reported.
On 16 August 2026, Dr. Pratchaya Sonsiri and the Thanakrit team, together with Pathum Thani Provincial Social Development Office, officials from the Child Welfare Home of the Department of Children and Youth, Pathum Thani Province, and community health volunteers, visited to assess living conditions and provide assistance to the braised pork leg vendor. They found her residing in a rented room in Soi Khlong Luang 7 (Boonkhum), Khlong Nueng Subdistrict, Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani Province.
Officials from the Pathum Thani Provincial Social Development Office reviewed information about her living conditions and the threats from the loan shark gang. Initially, they found that the loan sharks had ceased harassing or threatening her because the Thanakrit team had contacted each creditor by phone to negotiate a halt to all outstanding debts.
Currently, only two months’ rent and utility bills totaling over 6,000 baht remain unpaid, which she is gradually repaying to the landlord. Regarding financial aid for starting a business to generate family income, the Pathum Thani Social Development Office is seeking ways to provide support.
Meanwhile, the Child Welfare Home is assisting with care for the 16-year-old daughter, who is severely underweight due to inadequate nutrition at home. They are evaluating whether she needs to be admitted for medical treatment and supervised care to improve her health and nutrition, including thorough medical examination and assessment to determine if continuous medical supervision is necessary.
As for the husband with mental illness, it is known that he has been treated at Pathum Thani Hospital and takes medication at home with improved condition. Officials from the Office of Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Vulnerable Groups (OPRVG) and community health volunteers in Khlong Luang District will continue to monitor and check on his condition periodically.
Ms. Oh, 49, the braised pork leg vendor, tearfully said the ordeal has been a hard lesson, leaving her financially strained. Sometimes she could not afford milk for her child. Being pursued by informal creditors caused her to hide and suffer great stress. She expressed gratitude to all agencies that helped her revive her life and start anew. She promised not to borrow from informal lenders again as it destroyed her family. She had to flee and faced family problems. Going forward, she plans to manage money carefully and rebuild her life.
Dr. Pratchaya Sonsiri and the Thanakrit team revealed they coordinated with Pathum Thani Provincial Social Development Office and Child Welfare Home officials to provide assistance to the family. Initially, they plan to offer financial support for the family to resume the braised pork leg business normally.
Regarding the informal loan sharks demanding repayment, the team contacted all creditors to request cancellation of all outstanding debts. All creditors showed understanding and forgave the debts. Dr. Pratchaya emphasized to Ms. Oh the importance of avoiding further borrowing from informal lenders to allow the family to start fresh and improve their living conditions.