Urge investigation into questionable funeral assistance program
Residents of Maha Sarakham, Thailand, have lodged over a hundred complaints with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), demanding an investigation into the Wapi Pathum Funeral Welfare Association and the Wapi Pathum Welfare Fund. The allegations center on the organizations' default on funeral payouts totaling approximately 1.4 billion baht, suspected to be a Ponzi scheme.
The associations reportedly required members to continue payments through their heirs to qualify for the promised 400,000 baht funeral benefit after a member's death. Thousands of families, despite making ongoing payments, claim they have received nothing, leaving them distraught and without resolution, despite filing police complaints.
The Region 4 Prosecutor's Office declined to make an indictment, citing insufficient evidence. On Thursday, representatives of the petitioners, including Siri Ekchote from Legal & Environmental Protection Association (LEPA) and Buncha Chansuwan, honorary adviser to the Senate Legal and Justice Committee, presented their complaint to DSI director-general Pol Maj Yutthana Praedam.
Buncha Chansuwan, 44, noted three categories of victims. The first group consists of deceased members who made payments but never received their funeral benefits, totaling over 1 billion baht. The second group comprises members who ceased payments in 2023 due to doubts about the scheme's integrity, leading to mass deregistrations when payments were halted in October of that same year. The third group contains active members still paying but unexpectedly cut off when the association stopped accepting and issuing payments.
"There's no transparency, and those allegedly responsible continue to live lavishly," Mr. Buncha lamented, highlighting the discrepancies in the association's finances. In 2022, with 40,000 members contributing, the association collected over 200 million baht but only paid out 53 million baht, leaving over 100 million baht unaccounted for.
Recruitment methods were also questionable, with social media promotions and visits to rural funerals used, along with promises of 400,000 baht benefits at any age or health status. Incentives and commissions were given for bringing in new members, further suggesting a Ponzi scheme structure. Recently, it has been suggested that to claim a payout, families must first enroll a new member, reinforcing these suspicions.
The petitioners have submitted extensive documentation and evidence to the DSI, requesting the case be classified as a special case due to its scale and complexity—beyond the capabilities of the local police force. Legal and governmental bodies, such as LEPA and the Senate Legal and Justice Committee, have actively supported the call for a thorough investigation.
The ongoing investigation by the DSI will be essential in uncovering the full extent of wrongdoing and ensuring justice for the victims.
The ongoing controversy surrounding the Wapi Pathum Funeral Welfare Association and the Wapi Pathum Welfare Fund has extended into the realm of business, finance, and general-news, as residents of Maha Sarakham, Thailand, have presented a comprehensive case to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). The case, which involves suspected Ponzi schemes and unpaid funeral payouts totaling approximately 1.4 billion baht, also incites concerns in the crime-and-justice sector, given the distress of thousands of families who have made ongoing payments but received nothing.
