Local officials paid a visit to the family of a 13-year-old girl at Mitsamphan village in Nong Bunmak district, Nakhon Ratchasima, on Tuesday. The ordeal began when the girl collapsed after she and another 13-year-old boy were paid to chug alcohol from bottles during a jubilant ordination ceremony at a local temple on Sunday. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)
NAKHON RATCHASIMA – In a bizarre and troubling incident, a 13-year-old girl was paid 1,000 baht to guzzle alcohol at an ordination ceremony, leading to her collapsing into a coma and an urgent trip to the hospital. She was rushed into intensive care and, after tense moments, was eventually declared to be in stable condition.
Authorities have launched an investigation to track down the man who recruited the girl and her friend, also 13, to consume alcohol at the event. Both kids were paid 1,000 baht each and urged to down a half-bottle of hard liquor during the Sunday afternoon ceremony at a temple in Nong Bunmak district.
The girl lost consciousness and was immediately taken to Nong Bunmak Hospital. Given the severity of her condition, she was later transferred to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, where she was treated in the intensive care unit.
A local resident managed to capture video footage of the incident, which shows a throng of middle-aged men forming a circle and cheering on the children as they lifted their bottles and guzzled the alcohol.
On Monday, 72-year-old Oui Krapheenok, a local resident of Mitsamphan village in tambon Nong Takai, lodged a formal complaint with the Nong Bunmak police. She reported that her granddaughter and a boy were hired by an unidentified man to drink the alcohol.
According to Krapheenok, her granddaughter had attended the ordination ceremony with the simple hope of collecting coins that are traditionally thrown into the crowd by the relatives of the newly ordained. The girl had altruistic intentions: she wanted the money to help support her family, which consists of 13 members, Oui said.
A source reported that the girl did regain consciousness by Tuesday but remained unable to speak and experienced dizziness, a side effect of the emergency treatment. Doctors had transferred her from the ICU to a general medical ward.
On that Tuesday, Picharn Trapakwaen, chief of Nong Bunmak district, led a delegation of social welfare and public health officials on a visit to the girl’s family in Mitsamphan village. During their visit, they discovered the family’s financial struggles, which had driven the girl to accept the risky offer in the first place.
Picharn emphasized that the girl was still receiving medical care. The poverty she faced had compelled her to grab the opportunity, hoping it would provide some much-needed relief for her family, said the district chief.
He assured that the girl’s medical expenses would be covered, and further assistance would be provided for her education and to support her struggling family.
Police revealed they had identified the man who paid the two children to drink alcohol and stated he would face legal consequences. His actions breached the Child Protection Act, which prohibits coercing, persuading, or enticing children into inappropriate behavior and hiring children for any activity that jeopardizes their well-being. His reckless behavior had resulted in causing harm to others, making him legally accountable for his actions.
This is so tragic! How can anyone think it’s okay to pay kids to drink alcohol?
It’s a cultural thing. These ceremonies sometimes get out of hand.
Cultural or not, it’s still child abuse! We need stricter laws to protect kids.
I agree with Lisa. Culture shouldn’t be an excuse for endangering children. This is absolutely unacceptable!
Exactly! Children deserve protection everywhere, regardless of traditions.
The man who paid these kids should be jailed for life. This is pure evil.
This incident highlights the need for better financial support and education for impoverished families. Poverty should never force a child into such dangerous situations.
True, but let’s not forget the individual responsibility of those involved. It’s still a choice made by adults to exploit these kids.
Both the systemic issue of poverty and personal accountability should be addressed. One doesn’t negate the other.
Where were the parents? Shouldn’t they be held accountable too?
Blaming the parents isn’t always the answer. They might be struggling themselves and unaware of what happened until it was too late.
Maybe, but parents should be more vigilant about where their kids are and what they’re doing.
This shows how deeply the problem of child exploitation runs in some areas. It’s horrifying to think what else might be happening in these communities.
What kind of sick person involves children in an adult celebration in such a dangerous way? That’s just outrageous.
Totally agree. Those men should be ashamed of themselves. This is beyond irresponsible.
While this incident is horrifying, let’s use it as a call to action to improve child protection laws and social awareness. Change has to start somewhere.
The physiological damage to the girl might be long-lasting. Alcohol poisoning at a young age can really mess up their bodies and brains.
So sad. This will probably haunt her for the rest of her life, even if she fully recovers.
I’m glad the authorities are stepping in to support her family. But it’s heartbreaking that she had to go through this to get noticed.
This incident is just one of many that illustrates how badly we need reforms on how we handle poverty and child care.
This story is just gut-wrenching. No child should have to suffer like this because of the mistakes of adults.
I’m really angry about this whole situation. Those men cheering them on should also face punishment. They’re just as guilty.
Incidents like this make me question our entire value system. What are we teaching our kids if adults behave like this?
It’s a symptom of deeper societal issues. Only a systemic change can prevent such occurrences in the future.
Exactly. Band-aid solutions won’t work. We need to address the root causes.
While the man who paid the kids is clearly in the wrong, everyone involved should examine why these situations are allowed to happen in the first place.
Incredibly sad. Social services need to step in and prevent such tragic situations. Prevention is better than cure.
I’m glad the girl is in stable condition now, but what a traumatic experience, both physically and mentally.
Very true, Rajiv. But I hope this experience opens up more support for families in similar situations.
A horrible act of irresponsibility. I pray for the girl’s full recovery and hope justice is served swiftly.
Justice must be served, and hopefully, this will set an example to prevent future tragedies like this.
This is a complex issue combining child welfare, legal oversight, and cultural practices. Fixing it will require coordinated efforts on multiple fronts.
I agree, Andy. Simple solutions won’t work here. We need multi-faceted approaches.