Whale vomit worth millions found near Koh Samui

 

Caption:"Uak hai choke" - Puke brings luck!, Image: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reported on the case of a 44 year old Thai bar owner on Koh Samui who found a heavy lump of something strange washed up on rocks at Laem Kaki beach a year ago.

 

Thinking it might be something interesting he kept it in his house. Now experts are saying he is probably sitting on a small fortune.

 

The 10 kilogram lump of what looks like waxy fat could be worth 16 million baht.

 

That is if it is something called colloquially "whale vomit" or more scientifically "ambergris".

 

Thais know it as "amphan talay".

 

It is a substance produced inside sperm whales who are unable to properly digest fat from their main diet of squid, reported Thai Rath.

 

When it is ejected from the body it smells but in time after coming into contact with different environmental conditions it takes on a fragrant aroma.

 

It is highly prized and valuable especially in the fragrance and perfume industry because it can help to maintain the long lasting effect of perfume.

 

It can be worth more than a million baht a kilo. There have been several cases of people finding it in Thailand in recent years. 

 

Thai Rath quoted a number of experts on ambergris. One was Dr Sahaphop Dokkaew who said that ambergris is not soluble in sea water and can float to Thailand on currents from the pacific. 

 

It is produced in the bile ducts of sperm whales.

 

One 60 kilogram lump was found in 2016 floating in the sea by an Omani fisherman and was worth two million pounds sterling.

 

The Samui bar owner is now in the process of finding out if he is an "instant millionaire" as Thai Rath suggested in their headline. 
 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-03-06

 

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Beggars belief....found it on the beach and took it home a year ago.......

like the guy who found the rare pearl he is soon to be arrested for violating sperm whale vomit laws. 

29 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

like the guy who found the rare pearl he is soon to be arrested for violating sperm whale vomit laws. 

You just had to bring that up.

Makes me sick just thinking about it! ????

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

fragrant aroma.

Like Eau de Toilette Channel 5 ? ????

Perhaps I should walk Samui's beaches more often...????

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

like the guy who found the rare pearl he is soon to be arrested for violating sperm whale vomit laws. 

Guess Disney cut that scene from the Aquaman movie

5 hours ago, petermik said:

Beggars belief....found it on the beach and took it home a year ago.......

Do i need a work permit to become a full time beach comer?

Had it been found in Pukehet then the headline could've been 

" Puke thrown up on Pukehet beach " ..

6 hours ago, petermik said:

Beggars belief....found it on the beach and took it home a year ago.......

 

...to make soup? 

1 hour ago, Justgrazing said:

Had it been found in Pukehet then the headline could've been 

" Puke thrown up on Pukehet beach " ..

Nah,...Phuket New "HUB" of Ambergris !!! (Whale Vomit)

I found some vomit on sir 4.

Hm,  not sure if it was from a whale or from a monkey?

14 hours ago, bluesofa said:

You just had to bring that up.

He didn't bring it up...the whale did.

Ambergris or fatberg?

 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/fatbergs-fat-cities-sewers-wet-wipes-science

 

Does it smell anything like rancid fried chicken grease?

 

22 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Whale vomit worth millions found near Koh Samui

Thais can turn anything into gold.

Worth throwing a couple of dozen out of date  Big Macs at whales?