RAYONG — Business owners on Koh Samet island are suing a
state-owned petroleum enterprise for the oil spill that polluted the resort
island's beaches last year.
More than 50,000 litres of crude oil leaked from pipeline
operated by PTT Global Chemical in July 2013 and blackened several beaches on
Koh Samet island, prompting many tourists to leave the area. Others cancelled
their trips to the island, resulting in a sharp drop in revenue for many businesses.
Pitsanu Khemaphan, president of the Restaurant and Hotel
Association on Koh Samet, arrived at Rayong Provincial Court with his lawyer
today to file a lawsuit against PTT Global Chemical for the incident, demanding
300 million baht in compensation.
The suit was co-filed by owners of Nimmanoradee Resort,
Samet Cabana World Resort, and Heaven Resort, who say their businesses were
severely affected by the oil spill. The case has been accepted by court
officials for further procedure.
According to Mr. Pitsanu, he and other business owners
decided to file the lawsuit after negotiations with PTT Global Chemical
regarding financial compensation broke down.
"We have been trying to settle for an agreement with
PTT, but we have not received any response," Mr. Pitsanu explained.
"So we have to band together and file the lawsuit to ask for damage
compensation."
He added that the statute of limitations on PTT Global
Chemical's alleged offence is due to expire by 28 July 2014.
Komkai Sanguannapaporn, Mr. Pitsanu's lawyer, said PTT
Global Chemical should be held responsible for business owners’ lost revenue,
as well as any environmental consequences the spill has caused.
"PTT Global Chemical is the cause of the oil spill that
was brought by waves to Koh Samet. It has damaged the beaches on Koh Samet and
driven tourists away," Ms. Komkai said.
Following the oil spill, room bookings at local hotels and
resorts on Koh Samet dropped as low as 15% of their full capacity, while health
officials warn that hazardous substances associated with the oil spill were
found in nearby waters.
An internal investigation blamed the incident on faulty designs in pipelines operated by PTT Global Chemical. The enterprise vowed
to improve its safety standards to prevent further incidents and launched a PR
blitz aimed at convincing the public to visit Koh Samet once again.
However, critics have accused the petroleum giant of using
its well-funded public relations mechanism to refurbish its tainted reputation
and cover up the full extent of the environmental damage caused by the
spill.
22 July 2014, Last update at 16:27:00 GMT
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