The Lawyers Council of Thailand expects to start filing lawsuits free of charge for victims of the firework warehouse explosion in Narathiwat from next week.
Wichien Chubthaisong, president of the council, said about 50 volunteer lawyers were gathering documents from victims to prepare for their lawsuits against a couple who owned the warehouse and seven companies that smuggled fireworks and illegally kept the merchandise there near the border with Malaysia.
The assistance was intended to cover the cases of 11 people killed in the warehouse blast near the Muno market in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on July 29 as well as 389 injured people, 649 damaged houses and three devastated schools. Damage caused was about 240 million baht.
"The information is complete. Some lawsuits should be filed next week," Mr Wichien said.
The couple who owned the illegal warehouse were identified as Piyanuch Puengwirawat and her husband Sompong Nakul, both 42. They surrendered to police early last month.
Among the victims, Hilwanee Yuso said she was grateful to the Lawyers Council of Thailand for helping locals, who would be otherwise unable to sue on their own.