After Akkarawat Muen-aram, 17, received no news about the police investigation into the death of his father nine months ago his aunt, Suthada Muen-aram, 50, decided the boy's life had been put on hold long enough.
Ms Suthada and Akkarawat arrived at the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) in Bangkok last week, hoping the agency could do what the local police in Ratchaburi has failed to -- bring them up to speed on the case.
Around 3am on May 6 last year, Prakob Muen-aram, 39, was driving a motorcycle on Phetkasem Road in tambon Sam Ruen of Muang district in Ratchaburi with a friend riding pillion. They were sideswiped by a petrol tanker, which knocked Prakob and the pillion rider off the motorcycle onto the road.
Prakob was killed by an oncoming vehicle while the pillion rider was left critically injured. The tanker driver fled.
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The youth and his aunt rushed to the scene and collected a piece of mudguard which they presumed had been knocked off the tanker during the incident. They handed it over to the provincial police, in the hope it could serve as evidence against the driver.
A CCTV camera at the scene had also captured footage of the accident, according to Ms Suthada.
However, after a seemingly endless wait for the investigation to make some headway, Ms Suthada contacted local police, only to be told the investigators had written two letters to the company which owns the petrol tanker but had received no reply.
So far, the family has received 100,000 baht in compensation from the driver of the car that ran over Prakob.
Unconvinced by the progress of the local investigation, Ms Suthada and Mr Akkarawat headed to Bangkok to petition the CSD. There, the family met Pol Lt Col Adisak Lamon, chief inspector of the Crime Suppression Division 5.
She told Bangkok Post that the lack of justice for his father was taking its toll on the young man.
"Nong Ta [Akkarawat's nickname] has taken the brunt of all this. Prakob was a single father and he was all the boy had.
"He is an orphan now. He has his studies but there's no one to take care of him financially," his aunt said.
Shortly after the matter was brought to the CSD's attention, Ratchaburi police arranged to meet the family and informed them that the head of the investigation team in charge of the case had been replaced.
Pol Lt Col Sonthaya Treepet, deputy superintendent of the Ratchaburi police, has taken over the investigation from Pol Lt Charoensap Phophra, a deputy chief inspector.
Ms Suthada said she also learned that the local police had finally contacted the company which owns the petrol tanker. She believes it is no coincidence the investigation has suddenly picked up pace after her visit to the CSD.
Ms Suthada said she and Akkarawat are scheduled to discuss the investigation with Ratchaburi police tomorrow.
Pol Lt Col Adisak, meanwhile, said the CSD has interviewed the family and asked Ratchaburi police for an update.
"That gave them a little stir," the CSD chief inspector said.
Pol Lt Col Sonthaya said the police have continued to press the petrol tanker's owners to give their side of the story.
Whether the previous investigation team will face disciplinary action is up to their superiors in the province, according to Pol Lt Col Sonthaya.
