80% of residents affected by oil spill get payment

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BANGK, Oct 4 – About 80 per cent of those impacted by the oil spill in the sea off the eastern province of Rayong have been compensated, an executive of PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) said today.

Varit Namwong, PTTGC executive vice president, said the company has received 16,189 applications for rehabilitation assistance and over 80 per cent were paid.

He said the screening process has taken longer after some people made false claims for compensation, compelling officials to thoroughly check relevant documents.

PTTGC has adopted short-term, mid-term and long-term measures to closely watch and rehabilitate environment along the beaches, coastlines, sea and marine life, and cultivation of corals to revive the coral ecological system at Phrao Bay, he said. The bay was hardest hit by the oil spilling from a PTTGC pipeline.

The company will coordinate with the public and with private sectors in campaigning to promote tourism and social environment emphasising community participation, he said.