SURAT THANI – Seatran Ferry resumed its Don Sak-Koh Samui ferry service at 3pm on Wednesday after reaching a military-brokered deal with local fishermen.
Coastal fishermen block a road to the Seatran ferry pier in Don Sak district, Surat Thani, for the second day on Wednesday to demand compensation from the operator for a dredging project they claim hurts their livelihoods. (Photo by Supapong Chaolan).
The ferry operator suspended the service on Tuesday after a group of fishermen blocked the road to its pier, demanding compensation for damage to their nets as a result of a dredging project.
Seatran Ferry on Wednesday agreed to pay the Don Sak fishermen, ending the blockade that had hurt its business.
Major Gen Teerachat Jinda-ngern, commander of Surat Thani military district, and Pol Col Pornsak Nuannoo, deputy commissioner of the southern province, called in Wanna Tanpaibul, managing director of Seatran Ferry and representatives of the Don Sak fishermen for talks.
Seatran Ferry resumes its service on Wednesday after reaching a military-brokered deal with local fishermen. (Photo by Supapong Chaolan)
Seatran agreed to pay by Aug 9 a total of 710,000 to 51 fishermen who have yet to be compensated.
The protesters agreed to unblock the road and Seatran resumed the service at 3pm on Wednesday.
The blockade forced commuters and tourists to use boats run by nearby Raja Ferry. Seatran normally runs 14 trips at the top of each hour to the resort island from Don Sak district.
The firm was forced to cancel its services when about 500 angry fishermen continued their blockade of the road leading to Don Sak pier over non-payment for damage caused by a port-dredging project the company began earlier this year.
The dispute stems from Seatran's navigation-improvement project that saw mud dredged from the Don Sak channel and dumped elsewhere. That angered fishermen who claimed Seatran damaged the marine ecosystem and their livelihoods. A total of 67 small-scale fishermen demanded 780,255 baht in compensation at a June protest that killed further dredging.
Provincial officials brokered talks on July 18, leading to a promise by Seatran to pay damages within 20 days. But when no payments were made, fishermen resumed their blockade on Tuesday.