Appeal court permits class action in CPF blackchin tilapia dispute
CPF says the order concerns only the form of proceedings and does not determine liability or damages, while the civil case will proceed before the court of first instance.
- An appeals court has permitted a lawsuit against Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) concerning blackchin tilapia to proceed as a class action.
- The court's decision is a procedural step and does not find CPF liable or require it to pay damages at this stage.
- The class action represents aquaculture farmers and small-scale fishers in Samut Songkhram province.
- The plaintiffs are seeking more than THB2.486 billion in compensation for alleged lost income.
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF) has notified the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) that the Court of Appeal has issued an order allowing the blackchin tilapia case to proceed as a class action.
The company stressed that the court had not ruled it liable or required it to pay damages.
CPF said it was ready to take part in the proceedings and present the relevant facts, evidence and points of law to the court, while any financial impact would depend on the outcome of the case.
CPF said it learnt on Monday (September 14, 2026) of the Court of Appeal’s order in a civil case brought by Panya Tokthong and nine others against the company concerning blackchin tilapia.
The court ordered that the case could proceed as a class action under the criteria and scope it specified.
However, the order concerns only the form in which the case will proceed.
The court has not yet ruled on the substance of the case, including whether the company is liable as alleged or must pay the damages sought by the plaintiffs.
The proceedings must now continue before the court of first instance.
“The company respects the court’s order and the judicial process and is ready to take part in the proceedings. It will present the relevant facts, evidence and points of law to the court for consideration of the issues in dispute,” CPF said.
The amount of damages sought is the sum claimed by the plaintiffs and must be proven through the legal process.
Any financial impact on the company will depend on the facts, the scope of the class, the outcome of the court’s consideration of the substantive issues and any relevant judgment or order.
As the dispute is now before the court, the company is unable to predict the outcome or comment in a way that could affect the judicial process.
The class action covers two groups of claimants: aquaculture farmers and small-scale fishers in Samut Songkhram province.
They are claiming more than THB2.486 billion in compensation for lost income over seven years, from 2017 to 2024.
