The force of the explosion tore metal pilings from the fence around Erawan Shrine, transforming them into deadly projectiles. Waraporn Changtam was struck from behind, her head impaled.
Waraporn was crossing the street when the bomb went off. She had just taken a group of friends from Hong Kong to Erawan Shrine, a famous attraction for Chinese visitors, and the group was on the way to dinner at nearby CentralWorld.
In the panic that followed the blast, her friends began to run. But as her boyfriend turned around, he saw Waraporn collapse to the ground. In a state of shock, he could do little other than wait for the rescue teams to arrive before calling Waraporn’s family to deliver the news.
“Who will give us that warm smile to ease our pain?” said Waraporn’s sister, Wasinee Changtam, as she wiped tears from her cheeks. “Who will support us and say everything will be OK? This is it. No more happiness in our family.
“[Waraporn] is the breadwinner of the family. She is the one who keeps our family going … Without her, our lives will be much more difficult. She died so young.”
Waraporn was the youngest of six children in her family. She was always the smartest, said Ms Wasinee, but was never able to pursue a higher education because of her family’s difficult financial situation. As soon as she graduated from a vocational school, Waraporn found a job and had been supporting the family since.
She eventually saved enough money to purchase a massage parlour in Pattaya, where she would later meet her boyfriend, from Hong Kong.
Despite her success, she remained committed to her family back in Nonthaburi.
“[She] came home very often. It’s almost like she never left,” said Ms Wasinee, 51. “Even when she had a house in Pattaya and a condominium in Bangkok, she still managed to be part of the family.”
Compounding the family’s grief is the uncertain financial situation they now find themselves in. Waraporn’s mother is 76 years old and, battling numerous chronic diseases, needs constant medical care. Her father is 79 and also in poor health.
The money Waraporn was able to provide ensured her parents were able to maintain a good quality of life while paying medical expenses of close to 100,000 baht a month.
Now, with Waraporn gone, it’s not clear how those bills will be paid.
Families of the bombing victims are entitled to 100,000 baht in compensation from the government, and an additional 90,000 baht for funeral services offered by Their Majesties the King and Queen. But that will barely begin to make up for the loss of Waraporn’s steady financial support.
The last time Waraporn was with her whole family was on Mother’s Day, which they spent together in Nonthaburi enjoying a home-cooked meal.
With no indication of what was to come just days later, there was no chance for proper goodbyes.
Waraporn was due to take her mother on a dinner cruise on Tuesday, the day after the bombing.
What the family say they want most now is for police to return Waraporn’s possessions. Her boyfriend said he saw an officer take the victim’s gold necklace, iPhone 6 and the contents of her handbag, which he said would be used as part of the investigation.
“We just want some piece of [her] to keep as a reminder. At least we got her Louis Vuitton bag which she loved so much. I will put that in the coffin and cremate it with her,” said Ms Wasinee.
“This is the most horrible nightmare.
“I wish it was just a really bad dream, but it’s a reality that we have to live with for whatever life we have left.
“I don’t know when or if we can get over this sorrow.”
