Thai court hears PTSD damages suit over Hormuz ship attack
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- Thailand's Labour Court accepted a petition from three Thai sailors seeking damages of at least 1 million baht (~US$30,000) each from companies and agencies linked to vessel owner Precious Shipping and its captain.
- Precious Shipping's Thai-flagged cargo vessel Mayuree Naree was struck by two projectiles on March 11 while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, killing three crew members and leading to the rescue of 20 others.
- The sailors' lawyer Kunpat Singhathong said all three plaintiffs have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and are unlikely to work as sailors again, and that they have so far received only two months' wages plus compensation for lost belongings.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards had warned that any vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz would be targeted after the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran began on February 28, and several other vessels were hit before the Mayuree Naree's passage.
- Plaintiff Panithi Tumkaew, a 43-year-old former crew member of 11 years, told Reuters he now takes sedatives to sleep and is unable to work, calling the compensation 'inadequate and not up to international standards.'
- Precious Shipping told the lawyer it had paid what the sailors were entitled to and would not take on additional responsibilities, having stated to the Stock Exchange of Thailand that the vessel had implemented enhanced security precautions.
Why it matters: The case tests whether Thailand's Labour Court will extend liability beyond contractually owed wages to the lasting psychological costs of sending sailors through a declared war zone. All three plaintiffs are diagnosed with PTSD, yet Precious Shipping argues it met its legal duties — leaving an 11-year veteran crew member on sedatives and unable to return to sea while the company refuses further compensation.
