BANGKOK — Three survivors of a deadly attack on a Thai cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz have taken legal action against the ship’s operator, filing a lawsuit Friday over alleged labor rights violations and wrongful termination.
The vessel, known as the Mayuree Naree, was struck by a projectile north of Oman on March 11. Three crew members died in the attack, while the remaining 20 were rescued and brought back to Thailand roughly a week afterward.
Former crew members Panithi Tumkaew, Noppadon Wongsuvan, and Surades Manpuen have named Precious Shipping Co., two of its affiliated companies, and the ship’s captain as defendants in the case.
According to their attorney, Kunpat Singhathong, the lawsuit claims the defendants put the crew’s lives at risk by choosing to navigate through the strait despite well-known security dangers in the area.
Kunpat explained that all three men were let go before finishing their nine-month employment contracts after the attack disabled the ship. Each received compensation equal to two months’ pay — an amount their lawyer says falls far short of what they deserve.
The reason the compensation is considered inadequate, Kunpat said, is that all three men have since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition that has left them unable to return to work as sailors for the foreseeable future.
