Thai Seafarers Sue Shipping Firm Over Fatal Strait of Hormuz Attack
BANGKOK- Three former crew members of a Thai cargo vessel attacked in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year filed a lawsuit on Friday against the ship’s operator, alleging labor rights violations and unfair dismissal after surviving an incident that killed three colleagues.
The plaintiffs, former crew members Panithi Tumkaew, Noppadon Wongsuvan and Surades Manpuen, brought the case before Thailand’s Central Labour Court against Precious Shipping Co., two affiliated companies and the vessel’s captain. They argue the company exposed them to unnecessary danger by sending the vessel through the Strait of Hormuz despite known security risks and later terminated their employment before the completion of their contracts.
The case stems from the March 11 attack on the Thailand-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree, which was struck by a projectile north of Oman. Three crew members were killed, while the remaining 20 were rescued and returned to Thailand about a week later.
Lawyer Kunpat Singhathong said the three plaintiffs had been dismissed after the attack left the vessel inoperable, despite having signed nine-month employment contracts. He said they each received compensation equivalent to two months’ salary.
Kunpat argued the payments were insufficient because the three men have since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), preventing them from returning to work as seafarers.
“We tried to negotiate with the company, but it denied responsibility, so we believe the matter should be brought to the court,” Kunpat told reporters before filing the lawsuit.
He declined to disclose the exact amount of compensation being sought but said each plaintiff was seeking more than one million baht (about $30,000).
Panithi, who said he had worked for Precious Shipping for more than a decade, described the lasting psychological effects of the attack.
“When there are loud noises, I’ll get startled,” he said. “I can’t work now, and I have to take medication.”
Precious Shipping did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
Earlier this month, the remains of the three crew members killed in the attack were returned to Thailand. In a statement issued on July 3, Precious Shipping expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said it remained committed to providing assistance, care and support to those affected.
The legal action comes as tensions continue to disrupt maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz following the conflict that began on Feb. 28. On Thursday, the United States carried out new airstrikes against Iran, which responded by targeting U.S. allies in the Middle East, raising concerns over the stability of an interim arrangement aimed at easing the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, handling roughly one-fifth of global seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Continued insecurity in the waterway has disrupted energy supplies, particularly across Asia, and heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping.
The welfare of seafarers operating in the Arabian Gulf has become an increasing concern for countries such as Thailand, India and the Philippines, whose nationals make up a large share of international merchant shipping crews.
“This is not simply a matter of shipping statistics,” Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, said in a statement on Wednesday. “Behind the figures are seafarers, and in some cases their families, who continue to bear the human cost of this conflict.”
