Fourteen people representing fishing groups and small businesses in Rayong have filed a class action lawsuit against the owner of an underwater oil pipeline that caused a major oil spill in 2022, which they claim has ruined their livelihoods.
The plaintiffs represent a fishing community called Pak Nam, Ban Rao ("Pak Nam, Our Home"), small-scale fishermen and fishery workers in the area.
They were accompanied by Somchai Armeen, the chairman of a sub-panel on environmental cases at the Lawyers Council of Thailand, to the Civil Court on Thursday. There, they sought 4.2 million baht in compensation from Star Petroleum Refining Company (SPRC), the owner of the ruptured pipeline.
The incident, which saw at least 50,000 litres of crude oil leak into the Gulf of Thailand and Rayong's beaches on Jan 25, 2022, affected at least 2,600 fishermen, according to the province's Fisheries Office.
The office said that fish stocks in the area were severely hit, and the oil leakage rendered the rest of the fishermen's catch unsellable.
The office added since then, local fishermen haven't been able to make a living, as their regular catches have mostly disappeared from their usual fishing grounds off the Rayong coast.
Many have been forced to go further out to sea or cease fishing completely, it said.
Lamom Boonyong, president of the Pak Nam Ban Rao fishing community, said apart from the company in question, the members were also suing five other parties for breach of the environment protection law.
The plaintiffs represent various groups which have over 800 members. If the court rules in their favour, it would set a precedent that would enable the rest of the members to sue for compensation -- a move which could cost the company around 240 million baht.
The groups also called on the government to help to restore the local marine ecosystem.
The Civil Court will examine the suit on May 17.