A boy was taken to the hospital with a spring from a trampoline stuck in his heel.

Taweerat Chaikeeree, 14, was bouncing near the edge of the trampoline when a spring hook was lodged in his Achilles tendon at a fairground in Songkhla province on April 27.

He was rushed to the Hat Yai Hospital and underwent surgery to remove the embedded metal coil. However, he still had trouble walking due to the injury and was given a cast to wear for three months.

Taweerat's mum, Niyaporn Chaikeeree, 32, has filed a complaint against Piyanuch Timseenual, the person in charge of the trampoline, at the Thung Lung Police Station on April 29.

She said: 'My son waited in pain from 8 pm to 10 am before he underwent surgery. He has school insurance, but we paid almost 10,000 THB (215 GBP) upfront for the operation.

'When we contacted Piyanuch for compensation, he claimed he did not have enough money, and only gave us 2,000 THB (43 GBP).

'At first, I had no intention of pursuing a legal case against him. But when he said my son was also to blame for playing on the trampoline, I changed my mind. I want him to take full responsibility for the incident.'

Piyanuch has declined to comment on the case, citing his busy schedule. He only said he paid 2,000 THB (43.30 GBP) to settle the case.

Meanwhile, Kamol Boondirek, chair of the Wat Thep Chumnum temple committee, which organised the fair on the grounds of the Buddhist temple, said the staff lacked safety expertise in inspecting the fairground attractions.

He said: 'Piyanuch claimed that the spring had been covered with plastic, and the victim's playing caused the spring to come loose. However, during our inspection, we found that the protective plastic covering was still intact.

'Operators would normally ensure their rides are safe because it would be worse for them if their customer is involved in an accident.

'The committee will have to inspect the rides more carefully in the future.'

The incident comes after another mishap at a fairground in Thailand.

On April 15, a schoolgirl Kanchaya Phoyen, 3, hung from a Ferris wheel gondola before plunging down the 25ft ride in Bangkok. She survived the fall and was rushed to the hospital for cuts and bruises.