“They have promised to provide 100,000 baht in compensation for the migrant worker’s death... They also told us they will provide 11,873 baht worth of social welfare insurance proceeds,” said U Thein Naing.

The boiler exploded at a cloth-dying factory owned by Wongpasit Printing Co. Ltd. on August 17th due to overheating. A majority of the factory’s workers come from Burma. The explosion injured 18 Burmese workers and four Thai workers, while Ma Aye Khaing died on August 19th due to injuries sustained in the blast.

According to U Kyaw Thaung, director of the Myanmar Association in Thailand (MAT), a workers’ rights group which aims to help Burmese migrants working in Thailand, the amount of compensation provided to the victim’s family is insufficient.

“According to Thai labor law, 100,000 baht must be provided as compensation even to victims who get their fingers cut off at work. We have previously helped victims’ families receive about 600,000 baht in compensation for victims who have died on the job or from getting hit by a car. But in this case the compensation was only 100,000 baht, so the amount is relatively small,” said U Kyaw Thaung, who also indicated that the amount of compensation is inconsistent with Thai law.

“We are still contacting the victim’s family in order to give them the money,” said U Thein Naing. “We actually contacted the family, but we have to check whether the household documents are correct or not.”

Burma’s Labor Ministry will also provide 5,000 baht each to two Burmese migrant workers who sustained serious injuries, 3,000 baht each to four Burmese workers who sustained less serious injuries, and 2,000 baht each to the other injured workers, according to a report by the Burmese Embassy’s labor attaché that was submitted to Myanmar’s Labor Direction Department on August 17th.