The four defendants in the 2010 tollway crash legal case must pay compensation of about 41 million baht by Aug 28 to the 25 people affected by the tragedy, which killed nine people and injured four others, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday.
The four are Orachorn "Praewa" Devahastin na Ayudhya, who on Dec 27, 2010 rear-ended a passenger van carrying students and staff from Thammasat University's Rangsit campus on the Don Muang Tollway, her parents and the person who lent her the car.
Orachorn, aka Rawinbhirom Arunvongse, was 16 at the time and not eligible to hold a licence.
The Supreme Court ordered Orachorn and her parents to jointly pay the 25 people 24.7 million baht subject to 7.5% annual interest, or approximately 41 million in total, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said.
If the payment isn't made by Aug 28, the ministry will provide funding to the victims to cover legal fees and other related expenses to recover the compensation, he said.
Tawatchai Thaikyo, deputy permanent secretary for justice and the ministry spokesman, has been assigned to coordinate the process when necessary, he said.
"If the four defendants fail to pay the compensation in time, a request will be submitted to the court to order the legal execution process and the Legal Execution Department will begin seizing defendants' assets," he said.
The minister, however, said he had learned that the defendants were selling land in order to pay the ordered compensation.
Kanchai "Noom" Kamnerdploy, host of the Hon Krasae talk show, meanwhile, revealed that after Orachorn's family said they wanted to sell land to pay the compensation on his show, a businessman whose name was withheld had offered to buy it for 50 million baht.
The sale will be completed today and the family will then pay the compensation to the victims as ordered by the court, according to Kanchai.
