SRi Racha, Chonburi: The owner of a green-mussel raft farm off Ao Udom Beach has appealed through the media after two oil tankers allegedly dragged their anchors in rough seas and damaged 14 cultivation lines, and has asked authorities to help bring the operators to account.
Mr. Songphon Yaemplap, 41, who farms mussels in front of Ao Udom Beach in Moo 1, said the incident occurred on September 11th, 2026. There were two vessels allegedly involved.
He said strong wind and waves caused the anchors to drag, shifting the ships into the mussel lines. Fourteen of about 40 lines were damaged. Each line was roughly 200 meters long. He said the loss has hit his family’s livelihood and farming costs hard.
After the incident, he tried to contact parties linked to both ships to negotiate compensation. He was initially told damages would be paid, but talks later stalled and scheduled meetings produced no settlement. Repeated attempts to reach ship representatives and people on board failed, and some contacts later became unreachable. He said the two vessels have also disputed responsibility, and no compensation has been paid.
He has filed a complaint with Pol. Lt. Col. Boonlai In-iam, an inquiry officer at Laem Chabang Police Station, asking police to trace those involved and bring them to negotiate damages.
He also contacted the Marine Department and the Department of Fisheries for information and guidance on identifying the shipowners or responsible parties. He said he ran into limits on documents and authority. Some information, he was told, requires supporting papers from relevant agencies. The Department of Fisheries informed him that the site is not in a permitted aquaculture zone, so it could not issue the documents he sought. That has hindered efforts to identify the other parties and pursue a claim.
Mr. Songphon and his family have asked the agencies concerned to help share information and find a way forward, saying documentary constraints currently prevent them from fully tracing the other side and pressing for compensation.