Kalasin: A biological mother, who had long abandoned her responsibilities, reappeared to claim 550,000 baht intended for her deceased 22-year-old son’s funeral expenses, only to flee immediately after. The relatives of the deceased are now urging her to return for a promised 100-day merit-making ceremony.

According to Thai News Agency, the incident was highlighted on the Kalasin News page, which shared a post detailing how the young man was killed in an accident involving a drunk driver. The mother, absent for years, suddenly returned to claim the financial compensation meant for the funeral, leaving the boy’s grandmother, who raised him for two decades, without any support. The post called for the mother to fulfill her promise and assist in the merit-making ceremony for her son.

The news team visited the deceased’s residence in Village 9, Nadi Subdistrict, Yang Talat District, Kalasin Province. There, they spoke with the deceased’s older sister, who recounted the tragic day when her brother, returning from
work on his motorcycle, was fatally struck by a drunk driver. The sister expressed her dismay at their mother’s actions, noting that her brother had saved nearly 200,000 baht from his work, and an additional 550,000 baht was provided by the government as compensation. She emphasized that their grandmother, who had been their caregiver since childhood, deserved the financial support. Despite their attempts to contact their mother through various means, she remained unreachable.

Grandma Tem, who raised the young man from infancy, was seen clutching her grandson’s photograph, overwhelmed with grief. She shared her heartbreak over losing the grandson she had hoped would care for her in her later years. Tem expressed a deep desire for her daughter to return and use the claimed money to honor her grandson with the traditional merit-making ceremony, as she lacks the financial means to organize it herself.