Elderly woman awarded 207 million baht in damages for theft from her bank accounts
Bangkok’s Phra Khanong Civil Court on Thursday ordered a Thai commercial bank and four of its employees, including a deputy branch manager, as well as a daughter of the plaintiff to pay her 207 million baht in compensation for stealing 250 million baht from her bank accounts while she was bedridden.
Huai Sriwirat, 83, filed her case with the court in November 2019, accusing the bank, four of its employees, and her second child – Mawadee Sriwirat – of falsifying documents to transfer money from her bank accounts.
In December, the Phra Khanong Criminal Court sentenced Mawadee to 20 years in prison and fined her 123 million baht for falsifying documents to steal more than 250 million baht from her mother.
Mawadee, 56, was found guilty of colluding to falsify documents to siphon money from Huai’s bank accounts. While her mother was seriously ill, Mawadee changed the conditions of withdrawing money from Huai’s accounts at two bank branches with the help of bank staff, according to the lawsuit.
Instead of requiring a signature, Mawadee and her accomplices changed the process so that only a thumbprint was required. This allowed Mawadee to withdraw more than 250 million baht from Huai’s bank accounts, which she did in scores of small transactions.
The criminal court found Mawadee guilty of falsifying documents and 84 counts of theft. The court also ordered her to repay 123 million baht to her mother – the plaintiff in the case.
Regarding the civil case, Huai’s lawyer Ananchai Chaiyadech said that the Phra Khanong Civil Court on Thursday ordered the bank in question to pay 44.6 million baht in damages, plus a maximum interest of 7.5% per year, to the plaintiff.
Other defendants were ordered to pay compensation ranging from 34.8 million baht to 117 million baht, according to the lawyer.
