An elderly man who had mistakenly been declared dead since 1997 has finally been issued a new national ID card.
Ong-art Boonyarit, 65, of Nakhon Sawan, said he was shocked when one day in late 2013 he went to the district office to have his ID extended, and was told by officials that they could not do that because was on official record as being dead.
He was told that on Nov 5, 1997, a morgue official submitted a request to Nonthaburi Municipality for a certificate of death for Ong-art Boonrit, a patient who died in Nonthaburi province.
The office was later informed that a funeral for Ong-art was held on Nov 6, 1997.
As a result, Mr Ong-art lost all the rights of a Thai citizen. This included state welfare benefits, and his monthly pension.
Mr Ong-art said he submitted a complaint to Nonthaburi Municipality but nothing happened.
This month, the local district chief went to Mr Ong-art's house.
Officials took information from his relatives and gathered official documents to confirm Mr Ong-art's identity.
On Monday, the provincial governor visited Mr Ong-art at his house and confirmed that the death certificate would be revoked, and a new ID would be issued to him on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Mr Ong-art was given a new ID, ending years of his living in misery.
