Photo via Facebook/ Herve Dejean

A video shared by French national Herve Dejean showed wastewater being discharged into the sea at Jomtien Beach, Pattaya, drawing attention and prompting a Thai government investigation. The footage, posted on February 2, displayed a yellow truck releasing dark liquid into a pond adjacent to the beach. Several ponds and hoses appeared to be channeling wastewater into the ocean, prompting confusion among beachgoers, and fueling concerns about environmental impacts.

This was not the first incident witnessed by Dejean; he previously observed a similar situation on September 20. The viral post drew over Thai netizens' attention, leading to a response from BM Jet Service's representative—the company owning the truck. The representative clarified that the truck was rented by another contractor, supposedly involved in a landscape project along the beach, and that BM Jet Service did not participate in the wastewater discharge.

Photo via Facebook/ Herve Dejean

In response to public outcry, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources launched a formal investigation. They discovered the project's contractor encountered a significant wastewater buildup in the drainage system, obstructing their work. Consequently, workers opted to pump the wastewater out and discharge it into the sea, which led authorities to halt the project immediately.

Additionally, the investigation has extended to environmental specialists who collected seawater samples for lab testing. Their objective is to evaluate the potential environmental damage and water pollution extent. Concurrently, Pattaya Mayor Porramate Ngampichate announced on Facebook that the city filed a formal complaint against the contractor responsible for the discharge incident, with local police set to take legal action, reported The Thaiger.

Key Takeaways

• A video captured wastewater being pumped into the sea at Pattaya's Jomtien Beach, leading to a government probe.

• BM Jet Service claims no involvement, stating their truck was rented by another contractor.

• Investigations halted project work, with potential legal actions underway by Pattaya authorities.

Related Stories

Thailand Advances Jomtien Beach Sand Replenishment Phase 2

Jomtien Beach Road: Controversy Over One-Way Changes

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2026-02-03

 

 

Busted! Unreal really, when you think about it, that some big yellow truck from some random company and project can just casually do this on a tourist beach with such nonchalance. Wonder who was get the envelopes to look the other way.

you just need to go to a beach, pretty much any mainland beach, to see the pollution, the water's grey for goodness sake, not to mention all the rubbish and plastic floating in it. come to thailand for the beaches? i think not.

It made the mainstream Thai news on Ch3 today.

Been reading about Pattaya hotels dumping waste in the sea for nigh up 30 years. No one cares.

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The representative clarified that the truck was rented by another contractor, supposedly involved in a landscape project along the beach, and that BM Jet Service did not participate in the wastewater discharge

Why would they rent the truck out ? Makes no sense.

24 minutes ago, blaze master said:

Why would they rent the truck out ? Makes no sense.

They rent out suck and pump trucks to construction companies that need something sucked and pumped because most construction companies don't have their own suck and pump trucks as they're not needed a lot.

About 12 years ago, I rented a backhoe to dig out old fish ponds and build new berms. Of course, I could have bought my own backhoe.

The beauty of living in Pattaya Jomtien never fails to impress.

The people

The nature

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A video shared by French national Herve Dejean showed wastewater being discharged into the sea at Jomtien Beach, Pattaya

Well done that Frenchman!

Hope he doesn't get sued for defamation.

I used to swim in jomtien...last time was in 2005. Sad as it really is a beautiful stretch of seaside

Why is there a dumping pit on a public beach? This does not make sense.

31 minutes ago, TedG said:

Why is there a dumping pit on a public beach? This does not make sense.

Why is the public swimming in a dumping pit? Said the pump truck operator.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

They rent out suck and pump trucks to construction companies that need something sucked and pumped because most construction companies don't have their own suck and pump trucks as they're not needed a lot.

About 12 years ago, I rented a backhoe to dig out old fish ponds and build new berms. Of course, I could have bought my own backhoe.

Apples oranges

6 hours ago, blaze master said:

Apples oranges

OK, your basement gets flooded. Do you get a suck and pump truck contractor to do the job, or do you buy your own?

Your septic tanks overflow in rainy season. Do you call out the local suck and pump contractor, or do you go on Lazada, looking to buy your own?

I'm not defending this act of environmental vandalism, just pointing out that people renting out specialised equipment is normal.

8 hours ago, TedG said:

Why is there a dumping pit on a public beach? This does not make sense.

These people really know how to screw a place up: All these "improvements" from Naklua to Jomtien are just these contractor- city unnecessary bs kickback projects .And why is there dumping at a public beach? Because they can get away with it. Try this in some seaside resort in Southern Italy or Albania

The outrage is not caused by the dumping but the bad publicity at being found out. Every breath we take is laced with carcinogens that the Thai Government permit by failing to make the police work. Ditto every death on the road; every failed safety check. There's never any accountability.

10 hours ago, Nurf said:

The beauty of living in Pattaya Jomtien never fails to impress.

The people

The nature

The litter.

The exotic diseases and skin infections.

looks no different to the discharges from the drains every time it rains.

Anybody who had a condo with a view over the sea in Jomtien would attest to how sewage was discharged into the open sea there, usually under the cover of dark... but sometimes they started early at sunset. The dark patch spread as one drank a sundowner beer.

For years there was a river of sewage to step over at the North Pattaya end of the Beach near the Dusit. Probably still flowing in a buried pipe around the bend!

Sadly, I suspect the French guy is in more trouble than anyone else in the story.

Except maybe the guy who forgot the rule about dumping only after dark, with time for it to dissipate before the sun comes up...

Pattaya is a large city and they have a fortune to work with when it comes to developing an effective sewer treatment facility, and there's absolutely no excuse whatsoever for any discharge to end up in the sea, that in and of itself is a total lack of responsibility and an absolute abomination.

15 hours ago, NanLaew said:

They rent out suck and pump trucks to construction companies that need something sucked and pumped because most construction companies don't have their own suck and pump trucks as they're not needed a lot.

About 12 years ago, I rented a backhoe to dig out old fish ponds and build new berms. Of course, I could have bought my own backhoe.

Surprising. When something needs to be sucked and pumped most people go to Soi 6 or walking st

1 minute ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Surprising. When something needs to be sucked and pumped most people go to Soi 6 or walking st

Guilty as charged, m'lud.

This problem has been known for years, it is nothing new.

Nothing to see here. Go fine some tourists for having a smoke on the beach.