KOH LARN, THAILAND – A suspected motor oil film has spread more than a kilometre along Koh Larn’s beaches. Bathers came out of the water with oil-smeared bodies and had to clean themselves quickly.
Pattaya City Hall is now investigating the incident. Operators of beach loungers and speedboats spotted the floating, unusual substance on the sea — it looked like motor oil. The waves pushed it onto the west coast of Koh Larn.
Oil film stretches over more than a kilometre
The affected beaches are Tien Beach and Samae-San Beach in the Moo 7 area. Small oil clumps lay scattered across the entire stretch of coastline.
Beachgoers say the dirty slick covered a long section of shoreline. The exact spread remains under assessment.
Swimmers come out smeared
Several tourists went into the sea despite the oil film. When they came back to land, their bodies were covered in the greasy substance.
The bathers had to wash themselves off quickly. There were no reports of health complaints or allergic reactions to the oil film at first.
Operators document the pollution
The operators of sunbeds and speedboats recorded the pollution with photos. The images show a larger film that the waves pushed onto the beach.
The pictures also show the substance in small clumps along the shore. The exact origin of the oil film was not immediately known.
Pattaya sends staff to investigate
Poramet Ngampichet, Pattaya’s mayor, has been informed of the incident. According to his initial information, staff from the city administration were to check the facts on site.