Oil Residue Blankets Mae Ramphueng Beach, Tourism & Local Businesses Hit Hard

Picture courtesy of Anarin.

A stretch of Mae Ramphueng Beach in Rayong province has been severely affected by black oil residue, leaving a one-kilometre section coated in dark sludge. The contamination has forced tourists to abandon the area, with beach chairs left empty and nearby restaurants reporting a sharp drop in customers.

The black residue, suspected to be carbon-based oil sediment, is believed to be linked to a previous 2022 oil spill in the area. Locals say that the tar-like deposits have become a recurring issue, resurfacing periodically, especially during the rainy season.

Mr Narong Thuamcharoen 50, a local resident, said, “This black material is oil sediment from the 2022 spill. It has been coming back again and again, but this time it’s much worse. The beach is covered.”

Another local, Ms Sarita Aksornsri 49, voiced concerns over potential environmental impacts. “I worry about sea life ingesting this sediment. Could this be why marine animal populations seem to be declining?”

Local fisherman Mr Worawut Kongnarong 54, added that the origin and nature of the residue remain unclear. “Since the previous oil spill, we’ve seen these black clumps come ashore more often, some weighing as much as three kilograms. With the southwest monsoon, more will surely appear. It seems like the government has little control over industrial waste in the sea.”

He added grimly, “Whatever is dumped out there is now washing up. It’s killing the environment, and soon it’ll kill our livelihoods too. There might not be any small-scale fishing left if this continues.”

In response, officials from the Tambon Tapong Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (SAO) have deployed staff to clean the affected beach area. However, many locals are calling for stronger and more sustained government action to protect marine resources and prevent further ecological degradation.

Mae Ramphueng Beach, once a popular destination, now faces an uncertain future as environmental damage continues to mount.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-05-25.