Compensation for victims of the New OAG building collapse nears one year, with hopes fading beneath the rubble. The Lawyers Council has provided initial compensation of 1 million baht per person but notes that after the case quieted down, locating relatives has been difficult because most deceased were migrant workers whose families do not live in Thailand.
Approaching the one-year anniversary of the New OAG building collapse, on 2 Mar 2026 GMT+7, a partial compensation payment was made to the last group of 13 relatives, each receiving 1 million baht. Most recipients are Myanmar nationals. The Lawyers Council coordinated this, with its president, Thanapon Kongchiang, presiding over the humanitarian compensation distribution to the deceased's heirs.
Malinee Watcharasin, Secretary of the Committee on Compensation Payments at the Lawyers Council, stated that following the New OAG building collapse on 28 March 2025, which is nearing its one-year anniversary, the council has assisted relatives of the missing. The disaster resulted in 96 deaths and 9 injuries, including 65 Thai workers, 35 Myanmar nationals, 3 Cambodians, and 1 Laotian.
Tracing relatives for initial compensation has been challenging because most victims were migrant workers from neighboring countries who had returned to their homelands after the collapse. The difficulty lies in verifying that the individuals claiming benefits are indeed legitimate relatives of the deceased.
This initial compensation of 1 million baht per relative is a humanitarian payment separate from legal compensation. If further legal claims arise, they can be pursued, and the Lawyers Council stands ready to mediate and assist in those legal proceedings.
The Lawyers Council team explained that locating the last group of relatives, mostly Myanmar nationals, has been difficult because many returned to their home country. Following this, legal proceedings will need to be followed up.
The ceremony was witnessed by representatives from relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection, special case investigators, the Ambassador of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to Thailand, and representatives from the ITD-CREC joint venture.
The Lawyers Council has continuously coordinated with heirs of the victims to ensure full compensation. The ITD-CREC joint venture has provided 1 million baht per deceased and 200,000 baht per injured person, with this payment being the final installment.
The Myanmar Ambassador expressed gratitude to all parties for the fair care and compensation provided to the victims, reflecting strong cooperation between Thailand and Myanmar. Meanwhile, a representative of the victims' relatives thanked all agencies involved for their assistance in obtaining this compensation.