BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai court on Tuesday ruled that the operator of a major gold mine in northern Thailand is responsible for environmental damage and health impacts on nearby villagers, in a long-awaited verdict that could set a precedent for climate litigation in the country.The case stems from a 2016 class action lawsuit filed by hundreds of villagers in Phichit province, who accused the Australian-owned Chatree Gold Mine of causing toxic contamination through its operations. The Bangkok Civil Court found the company liable and ordered compensation for affected residents.The ruling could shape whether communities view the courts as “a pathway or a dead end,” said Emilie Palamy Pradichit of the Bangkok-based human rights group Manushya Foundation that has been supporting the villagers in the lawsuit.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis decision could set a positive precedent for future climate cases in Thailand and establishes a new benchmark for environmental law in Southeast Asia, legal analysts say. These types of “polluter pays” cases are becoming more common across the region, mirroring a global trend of increasing climate litigation.The verdict is a “clarion call for many of the cases that are currently taking place” in other Southeast Asian nations, like the Philippines and Indonesia, said Jameela Joy Reyes with the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.Courts often look to rulings in other jurisdictions to guide decisions, even if those precedents aren’t binding, according to Reyes, who said this is especially true in new legal fie …
