"Australian mining company Kingsgate seeks compensation over Thai goldmine closure", 04 April 2017

...Kingsgate Consolidated will seek compensation from Thailand's military Government over the closure of a goldmine last year.

The company said efforts to negotiate had been snubbed by Thai officials and alleged the shutdown breached a free trade agreement designed to protect Australian investors.

"Over the past 11 months, Kingsgate has made sustained, good faith efforts to engage with the Thai Government," Kingsgate's Chief Executive Officer Greg Foulis said.

"Regrettably, Kingsgate has now reached a position where it believes that the only option to resolve the situation is to exercise its rights as a protected Australian investor under TAFTA (Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement)."

The Chatree goldmine, 280 kilometres north of Bangkok, was closed on December 31, with the Thai government saying debate about environmental impacts was causing conflict in the community.

The Australian company rejected the claim, saying extensive testing has shown levels of the naturally-occurring toxins to be similar to other provinces in Thailand.

...Kingsgate formally notified the military Government it wishes to start consultations, required by the free trade agreement...

After that, international arbitration is possible, the company said.