The Thailand Consumers Council (TCC), with support from the Law Council of Thailand (LCT), is considering civil and administrative lawsuits against all agencies and individuals responsible for the construction projects on the Rama 2 Road, demanding 4.5 billion baht in compensation for those killed and disabled in construction accidents.
TCC Secretary-General Saree Aongsomwang said yesterday that more than 2,500 accidents related to the construction work have been reported since last year, resulting in 144 fatalities and more than 1,400 people being disabled.
She said that the families of those killed should receive an average of 7.7 million baht each, while the disabled should each receive 10,000 baht per month for 20 years.
Those to be held accountable, by being sued for compensation, encompass subcontractors and contractors, all the way up to the transport minister.
LCT President Wichian Chubthaisong said that the council will form a working group, to gather evidence to support legal action in the Civil and Administrative courts, adding that he expects the first suit to be filed within a month.
Vice president of the Thailand Development and Research Institute, Sumet Ongkittikul, is reported to have said that a comprehensive investigation should be launched, to determine the cause or causes of the repeated accidents, which may shed light on whether the accidents stem from structural deficiencies, the qualifications of the contractors, the construction procedures, the quality of construction supervision or any combination of these.
