CHAIYAPHUM: Provincial authorities will build a new house for an 86-year-old woman, her daughter and three girls who were left homeless when her drug addict grandson burned down her house in Chatturat district.
Chaiyaphum governor Kaisorn Kongchalard led officials to inspect the fire gutted house in tambon Nong Na Saeng in Muang district on Thursday evening.
The governor and his team met "Yai" Luan Choksiri, 86, and her 16-year-old granddaughter.
The old woman had been living in fear of being attacked by her crazed grandson, who had threatened her life, but officials assured her he was already safely in prison.
Her grandson torched the family home last Friday.
Mrs Luan and the four other members of her family, including the arsonist's mother, were reduced to living in a makeshift shelter beside the Chaiyaphum-Si Khiu Road in Ban Khok Phaeng Phuai village of tambon Laharn in Chatturat district. They earn a small income selling eggs from a flock of ducks they care for, and get water from a paddy field.
The governor inspected their shelter and said it was not safe for them to stay there. He promised a new house would be built for them.
He said that in the meantime they could stay in rooms in the provincial government compound. However, the old woman turned down the offer, saying she was too worried about her house.
Her daughter Nat Chokesiri, 58, then persuaded Grandma Luan to accept an offer to stay at a neighbour’s house while her home was being rebuilt, which was expected to take about seven days.
Last Friday, Mrs Nat’s drug addicted son, Prapat Phunthunthod, had threatened their lives and torched their house in tambon Nong Na Saeng of Muang district, leaving them with nowhere to stay.
Prapat, 37, was arrested and is being held in Chaiyaphum prison pending trial for arson.