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Shippers seek B300 million for losses
NAREERAT WIRIYAPONG
Transport operators are planning to sue the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) and its union next week, demanding they compensate businesses for losses of up to 300 million baht caused by the closure of Bangkok's port last week.
Thongyu Khongkant, secretary of the Land Transport Federation of Thailand, said the civil lawsuit would target as its first defendant the PAT labour union, which was on strike for three days last week.
The PAT and the state agency's board of directors are the second and third defendants, respectively.
''The decision was based on the actual damage caused to our business by the strike,'' said Mr Thongyu. ''The figure is our extra expense for fuel for transporting cargoes from Bangkok to Laem Chabang.''
The strike, which lasted until late Friday, forced 4,000 containers normally exported and imported through the port in Klong Toey to be moved to Laem Chabang Port in Chon Buri, about 120 kilometres southeast of Bangkok.
Shippers are estimated to have paid an additional 2,000 baht for each container because of the shift.
Mr Thongyu, who is also the president of the Imports-Exports Transport Association, said the federation also planned to file a complaint to the Office of Consumer Protection Board against the PAT union.
''The PAT's business is a basic infrastructure service, port-related activities in this case. It cannot just suspend services without appropriate reasons,'' he said.
Meanwhile, the train strike continues this week with 58 services being suspended in the South. Since late last month, trains leaving from Bangkok have stopped at Prachuap Khiri Khan. Normal services beyond there to Hat Yai, Chumphon and Thung Song in Surat Thani remain suspended.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is losing three million baht each day from the strike, said SRT spokesman Pairat Rojarearnngam.
''We have continued talks with the union but so far the prospect doesn't look good,'' he said.
Thanarak Phongphatar, head of the Federation of Thai Industries' southern chapter, said exporters of rubber and palm oil had been hit by the train strike, being forced to shift to truck and sea transport and to shoulder the additional cost.
Sea transport is available on two routes, leaving Songkhla and Surat Thani to Laem Chabang for export.
''The sea transport's capacity was very limited before the strike. The strike is putting us [exporters] in an even more difficult situation as we seek extra capacity for the ships to serve these extra demands,'' he said.
According to the FTI's Logistics Industry Club, rail transport accounts for only 2% of cargo movements in the South.
''But the much larger impacts are seen in the collapse of tourism-related industry,'' said Tanit Sorat, an FTI vice-chairman and head of the logistics club.
Industrial operators, especially small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) that supply tourism-related businesses, have been suffering from massive cancellations of hotel and tour bookings in the South.
''Malaysians, Thailand's top foreign tourists, are gone. Thailand is no longer a safe place for them to visit,'' Mr Tanit said.
He added that the FTI would hold a meeting of its 39 industrial groups today to discuss the impact each sector has suffered.
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