Thai crew of ship struck in Gulf sues operators

Three former crew members of a Thai cargo ship struck by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz filed a lawsuit on Friday against the vessel's operator and captain for labour violations.

The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was hit on March 11 while travelling through the Gulf waterway early in the US-Israeli war with Iran, leaving three Thai crewmen dead and requiring 20 others to be rescued.

Former crew members Panithi Tumkaew, Noppadon Wongsuvan and Suradech Manpuen were dismissed after the incident and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the attack, their lawyer Kunpat Singhathong said.

They filed a lawsuit at the Central Labour Court in Bangkok against the ship's owner, Precious Shipping, two affiliated companies -- Precious Flowers and Great Circle Shipping Agency -- and the vessel's captain, Sathaporn Hoksee. All of them are Thai.

The suit claims the companies acted negligently by ordering the ship to transit the strait during the conflict. 

The companies did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February prompted Tehran to respond by effectively closing the strait, a crucial artery for global oil supplies, and launching attacks on vessels.

Kunpat said his clients were paid compensation equivalent to two months' salary before being dismissed in April, despite having nine-month employment contracts that had not yet expired.

"Three of the crew members have since been diagnosed with PTSD, which doctors say will require more than a year of treatment," he said.

This had left them unable to continue working as seafarers or carry out their daily lives normally, he added.

Speaking to reporters outside the court, Panithi said his wife encouraged him to seek medical treatment after noticing changes in his behaviour. 

"I get startled when I hear loud noises," he said, adding that he had worked for Precious Shipping for more than a decade.

The court scheduled the first hearing for September 28.

pk/ar/lga

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