Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin expressed for the case of an explosion in a firework factory in Phichit. He instructed agencies under the Ministry of Labour to rush to the area to investigate and help families of the deceased and injured workers to receive legal benefits as soon as possible.
On February 6, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin spoke about the case of a firework factory (bird chasing) explosion in Phichit, causing death and injury among workers. He said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha and the Ministry of Labour under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan was concerned about the explosion. The Labour Minister urged agencies under the Ministry of Labour in the area to accelerate an investigation to assist all employees in receiving legal compensation benefits. The Phichit Provincial Labour Protection and Welfare Office officials investigated the cause of the explosion and found that the scene was located at No. 84 Moo 3, Nong Ya Sai. Sak Lek, Phichit. Mr. Prasert Phromviset owns the factory. An investigation of the factory showed that the contractor’s role is to fill balls with gunpowder. They are compensated depending on how much is produced each day, whereby the volumes depend on the raw materials and capacity that the contractors can manage. The contractors receive money from the employer, which is shared amongst them after finishing work. There is not a set time to start and finish work each day. The contractors can decide to come or not and are not supervised or punished. The Phichit Provincial Labour Protection and Welfare Office consider that such employment does not qualify as an employer and employee relationship under the Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541. However, three out of the four contractors who died in the explosion were previously insured and had outstanding pension funds. The Phichit Provincial Social Security Office has informed the three workers’ families about the rights and procedures for applying for compensation benefits.
Mr. Suchart continued that from the report of the Phichit Provincial Social Security Office in the event of a firework explosion at Nong Ya Sai, Sak Lek, Phichit, on February 5, 2021, the Phichit Social Security Office and the Phichit Provincial LabLabouror Protection and Welfare Office, went into the area to investigate the facts. A total of six people were killed; four were gunpowder workers, a 2-year-old boy who lived near the scene, and the mother of Mr. Prasert Phromwiset (employer), an 81-year-old woman who walked to the scene. Around ten houses near the area were damaged.
From speaking with Mr. Natee Kanha, an employee who did not go to work on the day of the incident, he knew that Mr. Prasert had begun producing and selling bird chasing fireworks for about one year. In total, there were three cases of deaths that had been insured and had the old-age pension owed with the Social Security Office as follows: 1) Mr. Sivakorn Phromviset, 25, with a total of 562.39 Baht. 2) Mr. Kriengkrai Thaocharoen, 31, with a total of 37,628.94 Baht, and 3) Mr. Pradit Meekham, 42, with a total of 71,327.86 Baht.
The Phichit Provincial Social Security Office has already informed the benefits to each of the deceased’s family. It will pay the old pension fund to the families on the day of the funeral.
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Division of Public Relations
6 February 2020
