An oily substance resembling engine oil washed ashore along more than one kilometre of Koh Larn’s coastline yesterday, leaving swimmers coated in the sticky residue. Officials are now investigating the cause and origin of the suspected oil spill.
Beach umbrella operators and speedboat operators first reported and photographed the film-like substance floating offshore around midday yesterday, August 9. Waves later carried the material onto Hat Tien and Hat Samae San, in Moo 7, Na Kluea subdistrict, Bang Lamung district.
Photos showed large sheets of the residue breaking up into smaller clumps as they washed onto the sand, stretching for more than a kilometre along the island’s western coastline. Tourists who had been swimming came out of the water with the substance smeared across their skin and rushed to wash it off.
There have been no reports so far of anyone suffering allergic reactions or other health effects from contact with the material. It also remains unclear whether the substance is oil or another type of pollutant.
Thailand News reported that Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said city officials were being sent to inspect the affected beaches. He said the investigation is expected to determine both the nature of the substance and where it came from, though no cause has been confirmed.
No beach closures or restrictions in Koh Larn have been announced, and authorities are expected to give further updates as the investigation continues.
In similar news, oil stains contaminated a stretch of Pattaya coastline in August 2024, spreading from Yinyom Beach to Dongtan Beach and affecting Jomtien Beach and the areas around Soi 7 and 8.
Pattaya City deployed more than 20 officers to clean the beaches after tourists reported oil residue that was difficult to wash off, with officials saying they were working to identify the source and prevent a repeat.
The story Mystery oil spill blankets Koh Larn’s coastline as seen on Thaiger News.
