Ship owner fined 50,000 baht for chemical fire at Laem Chabang port

The Port Authority of Thailand has slapped a 50,000 baht fine on the South Korean owner of a container ship which caught fire at the Laem Chabang deep-sea port on Saturday morning, causing a chemical fire and smoke blanketing surrounding communities.

Laem Chabang is just north of Pattaya fronting the Gulf of Thailand.

Meanwhile, Thai PBS reports that about 1,000 residents affected by the smoke have lodged a complaint with the Laem Chabang port administration demanding compensation from the ship’s owner.

Yutthana Mokkhao, the director of the Laem Chabang port says that, besides the 50,000 baht initial fine, the port administration was considering taking legal action against the South Korean shipping firm for its failure to declare the chemicals stored in the containers on board the freighter, KMTC Hong Kong.

The containers were found to contain calcium hypochlorite, widely used in the frozen food industry to kill germs. The chemical is not a threat to human health if used as intended.

SOURCE: Thai PBS