The Thai Supreme Administrative Court on Thursday ordered the Industry Ministry to pay 122,580 dollars to a western community impacted by lead pollution, ending a nine-year legal battle.
The court upheld a 2008 verdict of a lower court but ruled the earlier payment of 743,226 baht (23,975 dollars) was too small for the 22 villagers in Thong Pha Phum in Kanchanaburi province, which lies on the Myanmar border, the Thai PBS TV reported.
The payment is to be made by the ministry's Pollution Control Department, which had appealed the original verdict.
The community brought a lawsuit against the department in 2004 for failing to prevent Lead Concentrate Co from polluting its creek.
Thursday's ruling increased the compensation to 5,572 dollars per plaintiff.
Human Rights Watch welcomed the verdict but questioned the adequacy of the settlement.
"If you go up against a government in this country, you have to be prepared to take on a 10-year legal battle, and then the compensation you get doesn't amount to much," said Phil Robertson, the rights group's regional representative.