PHUKET: A man whose wife remains in care at a major Phuket hospital has rejected the hospital's offer of compensation in a dispute that leaves him still fearing for the future of his motherless young family.

Pariporn Boonnark suffered complications after giving birth by caesarian section to Google, the couple's third son, on March 18. She is not expected to emerge from her vegetative state.

Her husband Atib, 47, now has to raise Google, Gad, aged two-and-a-half, and Guy, 14.

All three sons were born at Bangkok Hospital Phuket in Phuket City, one of the island's four private hospitals.

Khun Pariporn suffered a serious setback after the childbirth operation and appears unlikely to recover. Khun Atib blames the hospital and a doctor.

Khun Atib and his wife believed that the quality of care at Bangkok Hospital Phuket warranted the extra expense.

'We walked in to the hospital on March 18 a happy couple,'' he told Phuketwan back in April. ''I could never imagine this happening. But who will help to take care of my boys now?''

Khun Atib said last week that as compensation, Bangkok Hospital Phuket recently offered him one million baht, once his wife leaves the hospital. But he said he was unable to accept the offer.

''One million baht may seem like a considerable sum at first,'' he said. ''But my wife remains in a coma and will need constant nursing.

''I will have to care for my three sons fulltime. My wife and I always wanted the best for them, and we hoped to put them through university.''

Khun Atib and his wife ran a Phuket market stall but the stall has been closed because of his wife's vegetative state and the need for him to care for his sons.

Khun Atib says he is now contemplating legal action.