Malaysian Tourists With Burn Injuries In Bangkok Face Long Recovery, Mounting Expenses
By Kenny Teng Khoon Hock
BANGKOK, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- The families of two Malaysian tourists set ablaze here on August 7 fear their medical expenses could exceed insurance coverage.
Gan Kin In, 80, said he and his wife, Kek Ley Lan, expressed gratitude to the Malaysian and Thai governments, along with other relevant agencies, for their assistance following the incident involving their daughter and her boyfriend.
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'We have been in Bangkok for the past week. The Malaysian government, through the Embassy, has given us constant support, while the Thai side, through the Tourist Police and the Tourism and Sports Ministry, has provided transportation and accommodation,' he told Bernama on Friday.
The two Malaysians, Gan Xiao Zhen, 27, and her boyfriend Ong Yik Leong, 26, were attacked by an unemployed man who allegedly doused them with thinner before setting them alight near a shopping mall on Ratchadamri Road at about 10 pm on Aug 7.
However, Kin In said they were worried about the medical expenses, which had already reached around 150,000 baht after just over a week of treatment at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.
He said the Thai government had agreed to provide total compensation of up to 550,000 baht per person.
'We are worried that the total amount of compensation may not be enough to cover the total medical costs here, as the charges are quite high,' he said.
Kin In, a retiree, added that doctors were not optimistic about allowing the victims to be transferred back to Malaysia anytime soon.
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