OIL SPILL IN GULF OF THAILAND

[corky]

There has been an oil spill in the Gulf of Thailand in a pipe line from one of the rigs. Bangkok Post says it's 50000 litres and The Nation says it's 70 tonnes of crude.

Reports are presently putting it only 20 km from Rayong and one or two km from Koh Samet.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/361925/oil-spill-nears-samet-island

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/All-out-bid-to-contain-spill-30211294.html

[Dodger]

Well, I can cross my routine excursion to Koh Samet off the list for my next adventure.

If they would have spilled that crap off the shore of Jomtien nobody would notice the difference.

[corky]

The slick has now landed at Koh Samet

http://www.mcot.net/site/content?id=51f5deb8150ba009530001a3

[corky]

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/new/2013/07/30/national/images/30211456-01_big.jpg

Disaster area declared as authorities fight to keep oil spill away from island's tourist strip
Authorities yesterday feared the entire tourist island of Koh Samet in Rayong would be affected by Saturday's oil spill.

The island's Ao Phrao (Phrao Bay) is being closed for three days to permit a cleanup of spilled crude oil that has washed ashore.

More at:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Black-day-for-Samet-30211456.html

[psd1315]

Damm, one of my fav. get aways when in the Pattaya area....
:sleepy4:

One Bangkok tour operator even launched an appeal for people to donate hair to make a boom to absorb the oil.

"An oil expert said hair can absorb spilled oil so we will collect hair to make a hair sausage," Thammtorn Junprasert said.

"I'm now contacting hotels for donation of old pillows stuffed with duck feathers."

[RatThai]

I stayed here last Autumn for a short break, if you look on Youtube and Google Images you can see the extent of the devastation. I suspect it will take years to recover not months. Koh Samet will be ruined by this oil spill, such a shame for the local economy which is dependent upon tourism. A friend told me that some of the hotels had received wholesale cancellations from tour groups and the like.

[bao-bao]

Koh Samet will be ruined by this oil spill, such a shame for the local economy which is dependent upon tourism. A friend told me that some of the hotels had received wholesale cancellations from tour groups and the like.
The island will suffer for a while - estimates are in the one year range to get it all cleaned up on the Western side, but RatThai may well be right that it's going to take longer than that. What I'm wondering is if anyone has read of the beaches on the Eastern side being fouled by the slick?

I stayed there this Spring on the opposite side of the island from Ao Phrao beach, and there were (as I recall) at least four long beaches on that side, and quite a variety of places to stay (photo below). As soon as the initial mess has passed my guess is that the ferries may again be running from Ban Phe to the Eastern side, even if the Western side is still a mess.

I'd say the worst of it will be borne by the fishing industry in the area, including the coral reefs that appear to be in harm's way.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z56/khunbaobao/AoPhai-KohSametSamedThailand_zps45b9077d.jpg (http://s192.photobucket.com/user/khunbaobao/media/AoPhai-KohSametSamedThailand_zps45b9077d.jpg.html)