A state of emergency was declared on Saturday in eastern Thailand – a large oil slick was partially removed from one of the sandy beaches, and now it is moving rapidly towards the popular resort island of Samet, located 80 km from Pattaya. The environmental threat was reported by the Thai media with reference to the governor of Rayong province Chan Yamsenga.
It is estimated that about 20-50 tons of oil leaked from a submarine hose used to load tankers at a marina owned by Star Petroleum Refining Co. on Tuesday night. According to the company’s press, the leak was stopped for several hours, but attempts to prevent an oil slick on Mae Ramphueng Beach in Rayong Province, southeast of Bangkok, failed, and oil hit the sand on Saturday morning. Most of the spot remains in the sea, and experts fear it could hit Samet, a popular tourist island that is just beginning to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, like the rest of the country.
What is used?
The planes dropped chemicals to disperse the oil and set up floating boom barriers to catch it so that the “black gold” could then be removed from the surface. According to the head of the resort province, on Saturday the affected beach was declared a disaster zone and was closed to merchants and businesses. About 200 Navy employees and 150 culprits assisted in the cleanup with oil recovery and collection equipment, while two excavators dug a trench to capture the oil.
The threat of an oil spill could cause irreparable damage to the island’s tourism and ecology. Samet is part of the national park, and to preserve its natural uniqueness, from November 1, 2018 it is forbidden to import plastic bags and foam.
The Thai branch of the environmental group Greenpeace said the spill was the second involving Star Petroleum. The first incident involving her occurred in 1997. The Greens have demanded that the oil company report the accident, pay for seawater treatment and publish a full report on the economic, social and environmental consequences of the oil leak.
Reference: Samet – a small but popular resort island in the Gulf of Siam, belongs to the province of Rayong. There is one small settlement, the village of Nadan. Almost all the main beaches of the island for the convenience of tourists are bungalow hotels. Travelers go here to relax to see almost untouched nature. In addition, it is a favorite weekend destination of the Thais themselves, especially the people of Bangkok.
The coastal zone is largely dependent on tourists. The island of Samet was no less economically affected by the Kovid pandemic than other resorts, and now the environmental disaster will significantly delay the recovery of the tropical island’s economy.