PTT oil slick spreads to Koh Samet beachfront

[bangkoksimon]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=501702649907000&set=a.177730088970926.44730.177571372320131&type=1&theater

[moe666]

No need to read any more just continued regurgitation of the same no nothing Thai bashing

[ginjag]

No need to read any more just continued regurgitation of the same no nothing Thai bashing

You get confused a bit with the Thai bashing thing.

yes there were some angry comments, but don't you forget it was played down initially as though it was nothing, little photo bits about SPECKS here and there. Anger comes from not being informed -afraid of telling the enormity of it why ??? better to know and be aware,

And you speak of Thai bashing. Give updated info from the onset and not be in denial---then no one would BASH.

[dunque]

Really lovely beaches there ruin by pure incompetence, just bury your heads in the sand TIT

Good of you to sign your post...

[Thai at Heart]

No need to read any more just continued regurgitation of the same no nothing Thai bashing

You get confused a bit with the Thai bashing thing.

yes there were some angry comments, but don't you forget it was played down initially as though it was nothing, little photo bits about SPECKS here and there. Anger comes from not being informed -afraid of telling the enormity of it why ??? better to know and be aware,

And you speak of Thai bashing. Give updated info from the onset and not be in denial---then no one would BASH.

The other paper only this morning had a headline that the spill was "safe".

Only to be followed by, it his koh samet. Why apparently misinform?

[ginjag]

1 or 2 specks here !!!!!!!!! get your silk shirt off and wipe some of the oil up.

[ginjag]

No need to read any more just continued regurgitation of the same no nothing Thai bashing

You get confused a bit with the Thai bashing thing.

yes there were some angry comments, but don't you forget it was played down initially as though it was nothing, little photo bits about SPECKS here and there. Anger comes from not being informed -afraid of telling the enormity of it why ??? better to know and be aware,

And you speak of Thai bashing. Give updated info from the onset and not be in denial---then no one would BASH.

The other paper only this morning had a headline that the spill was "safe".

Only to be followed by, it his koh samet. Why apparently misinform?

This why we get annoyed, these persons in responsible positions think it's not important to inform---mentality near zero. Also not informing is a curtain of time to help others to cover up anything. my thinking is they are afraid to say something for fear of treading on some ones toes.

[Thai at Heart]

No need to read any more just continued regurgitation of the same no nothing Thai bashing

You get confused a bit with the Thai bashing thing.

yes there were some angry comments, but don't you forget it was played down initially as though it was nothing, little photo bits about SPECKS here and there. Anger comes from not being informed -afraid of telling the enormity of it why ??? better to know and be aware,

And you speak of Thai bashing. Give updated info from the onset and not be in denial---then no one would BASH.

The other paper only this morning had a headline that the spill was "safe".

Only to be followed by, it his koh samet. Why apparently misinform?

This why we get annoyed, these persons in responsible positions think it's not important to inform---mentality near zero. Also not informing is a curtain of time to help others to cover up anything. my thinking is they are afraid to say something for fear of treading on some ones toes.

That is one aspect I never understand. Why lie, when the lie gets caught 24 hours later.

[khunken]

No need to read any more just continued regurgitation of the same no nothing Thai bashing

You get confused a bit with the Thai bashing thing.

yes there were some angry comments, but don't you forget it was played down initially as though it was nothing, little photo bits about SPECKS here and there. Anger comes from not being informed -afraid of telling the enormity of it why ??? better to know and be aware,

And you speak of Thai bashing. Give updated info from the onset and not be in denial---then no one would BASH.

Agree 100%

Maybe the leakage was competently handled and maybe it was not. The total BS from PTT & some 'authorities' about it being 'under control' deserves all the bashing they've received. Plus Mr Cook's initial post was just as bad although he has tried to squirm out of his uninformed post.

Someone in charge must have known that Ko Samet was under threat. The position of the slick plus wind direction must have been obvious. Also, I strongly suspect that the amount of oil that leaked was, probably deliberately, underestimated.

[kannot]

It was not a question of if that would ever happen but when it will happen. Now it happened sooner than later...

Do they have the right equipment to deal with this? As this is Thailand I guess they never ever expected this to happen and are not prepared...

Of course they have the right equipment its called "Bullsh*t" and they got it in spades here

[freedom4life]

That should of never of reached any shoreline. period!! I visited Koh Samet several times...this should of never, never of happened. Periiiiiiiiiooooooooood!!!

Edited July 29, 2013 by freedom4life

[craigt3365]

Wifey's cousin on the beach taking photos. Really sad.

[cloudhopper]

That is one aspect I never understand. Why lie, when the lie gets caught 24 hours later.

The lie is an integral part of a face-based culture, and its public acknowledgement is taboo.

[yougivemebaby]

Wifey's cousin on the beach taking photos. Really sad.

An absolute nightmare. I'm completely shocked.

[DocN]

Let's count down together, shall we?

12 hours, 9 minutes 34 seconds until TAT comes out and says, the spill will not affect tourism (on Samed)

12 hours, 9 minutes 33 seconds until TAT comes out and says, the spill will not affect tourism (on Samed)

12 hours, 9 minutes 32 seconds until TAT comes out and says, the spill will not affect tourism (on Samed)

12 hours, 9 minutes 31 seconds until TAT comes out and says, the spill will not affect tourism (on Samed)

...

[wilcopops]

I have seen a industrial accident in every country that has any industry, the Thai response is as good as any countries. the beaches can be cleaned, the wild life will survive. Mother nature little friends microbes will eat the oil in the ocean, and in a short time this will all be a memory, as long as the response teams keep working and get the resources needed.

and it's a wonderful world.....apart from the fact that you seem completely misinformed firstly about the clean up effects and secondly about the effects of the oil and the dispersants.

Edited July 29, 2013 by wilcopops

[ginjag]

No need to read any more just continued regurgitation of the same no nothing Thai bashing

You get confused a bit with the Thai bashing thing.

yes there were some angry comments, but don't you forget it was played down initially as though it was nothing, little photo bits about SPECKS here and there. Anger comes from not being informed -afraid of telling the enormity of it why ??? better to know and be aware,

And you speak of Thai bashing. Give updated info from the onset and not be in denial---then no one would BASH.

Agree 100%

Maybe the leakage was competently handled and maybe it was not. The total BS from PTT & some 'authorities' about it being 'under control' deserves all the bashing they've received. Plus Mr Cook's initial post was just as bad although he has tried to squirm out of his uninformed post.

Someone in charge must have known that Ko Samet was under threat. The position of the slick plus wind direction must have been obvious. Also, I strongly suspect that the amount of oil that leaked was, probably deliberately, underestimated.

Sure in what you said, my thoughts all along. Problem some posters are obsessed with any that is said against Thailand, that's stupid, bashing is about persons in positions that cannot do their work properly, like here playing things down, when in fact it is catastrophic. All you said is true. what a shame the top people have no gumption -and are selected through family and friends.

Thinks we may hear much more than Samet--hope not. wildlife -business-holidays ruined, tragic.

I wonder when the pipe started leaking ???? A poster mentioned oil on Koh Lahn----its a long way off but a leaky pipe over a period of time not reported ?????

[laban]

UPDATE:

PTTGC rushes to clean up oil slick at Samet island

By English News

BANGKOK, July 29 - PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC) has rushed to clean up the oil slick that washed up on Samet island in the eastern province of Rayong, tainting the beach at Phrao Bay with crude oil leak from a PTTGC transmission pipe.

Porntep Butniphant, Executive Vice President for Refinery and Shared Facilities, said the company mobilised workers and asked for help from the army to send 400 soldiers to help urgently clean up the beach at Phrao Bay after the crude oil slick covered about one kilometre of beach.

It is expected the cleanup operation would be finished today, he said.

Mr Porntep said initial investigation found that the oil slick slipped from the bottom of the booms that used for containing the oil spill so that the spill was washed up into the shore last night.

He said some 5,000 litres of crude oil floated into shore even though the company workers used two tiers of booms to contain the slick.

The PTTGC executive said company staff used the booms to contain crude oil at the mouth of Phrao Bay to limit the affected area and used skimmers to transfer the oil into holding tanks.

As for the oil slick at the beach, he said, workmen used shovels to remove oil soaked sand.

Mr Porntep said PTTGC would eventually rehabilitate the beach to prevent any damage to the eco-system.

Sand and sea water samples will be collected for further examination.

The oil slick developed Saturday morning when approximately 50 tonnes (50,000 litres) of crude oil leaked from a pipeline, spilling into the sea off Rayong, some 20 kilometres southeast of the Map Ta Phut industrial estate.

The clean up operation at the leak point is already complete and PTTGC has assured the public that there would be no further damage to the environment. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-07-29

Looking at the pictures, and PTT saying the clean up of the beach will be finished by today - I am looking forward to the pictures of Ao Prao all cleaned up tomorrow.

By the way, Koh Samet is a National Park which has always be mismanaged and corrupt - maybe the Thai National Parks will focus on the island and clean up the park wardens ways!

[deepcell]

Wonderful, it is the power of money! Now tell them to recovery the whole area. All the time we see this sort of thing happen all around the world, and always there are no guilty ... only big companies behind the wall.. and a lot of bla bla bla.. another bull**** that with end up in caviar!

[PoodMaiDai]

If this pic is from Samed then the situation seems to be really bad. Anyway this pic can actually be done anywhere and does not proof anything.

A a pic with the oil in the background and the beachfront clearly visible would tell a better story...

[ratcatcher]

That is one aspect I never understand. Why lie, when the lie gets caught 24 hours later.

The lie is an integral part of a face-based culture, and its public acknowledgement is taboo.

Spot on!

Rather than come out first time with "Bangkok, we have a problem, a major problem!", they prevaricate and waffle while thinking up how to tell the nbext lie.

This same mentality has been seen with the rice pledging and the thousands of tonnes of spoiled rice. "Oh, no pompem, we can do government to government and no-one will know"

This attitude reminds me of the famous words uttered by Strother martin in that classic Cool Hand luke, "What we have here is a failure to communicate".

Meanwhile TAT with their typical 20/50 vision will engage in some slick advertising saying oil is well in Amazing Thailand.

[ginjag]

UPDATE:

PTTGC rushes to clean up oil slick at Samet island

By English News

BANGKOK, July 29 - PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC) has rushed to clean up the oil slick that washed up on Samet island in the eastern province of Rayong, tainting the beach at Phrao Bay with crude oil leak from a PTTGC transmission pipe.

Porntep Butniphant, Executive Vice President for Refinery and Shared Facilities, said the company mobilised workers and asked for help from the army to send 400 soldiers to help urgently clean up the beach at Phrao Bay after the crude oil slick covered about one kilometre of beach.

It is expected the cleanup operation would be finished today, he said.

Mr Porntep said initial investigation found that the oil slick slipped from the bottom of the booms that used for containing the oil spill so that the spill was washed up into the shore last night.

He said some 5,000 litres of crude oil floated into shore even though the company workers used two tiers of booms to contain the slick.

The PTTGC executive said company staff used the booms to contain crude oil at the mouth of Phrao Bay to limit the affected area and used skimmers to transfer the oil into holding tanks.

As for the oil slick at the beach, he said, workmen used shovels to remove oil soaked sand.

Mr Porntep said PTTGC would eventually rehabilitate the beach to prevent any damage to the eco-system.

Sand and sea water samples will be collected for further examination.

The oil slick developed Saturday morning when approximately 50 tonnes (50,000 litres) of crude oil leaked from a pipeline, spilling into the sea off Rayong, some 20 kilometres southeast of the Map Ta Phut industrial estate.

The clean up operation at the leak point is already complete and PTTGC has assured the public that there would be no further damage to the environment. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-07-29

Looking at the pictures, and PTT saying the clean up of the beach will be finished by today - I am looking forward to the pictures of Ao Prao all cleaned up tomorrow.

By the way, Koh Samet is a National Park which has always be mismanaged and corrupt - maybe the Thai National Parks will focus on the island and clean up the park wardens ways!

I have visited on many occasions, tub tim-whitesand beaches mainly At first it was like paradise 30years ago, then the beaches white and clean BUT the mafia seemed to get control, rubbish tips were seen on the mountain roads, smells of burning plastic, Park wardens not doing much but collect toll money to enter the park,started to charge high price for tourist and low price for better off Thai customers. Pity it started to go downhill--business/money greed.

Have fond memories of hols there. The thick oil will never be cleaned up in a day as reported--that person wants certifying. what a shame...

[wilcopops]

UPDATE:

PTTGC rushes to clean up oil slick at Samet island

By English News

BANGKOK, July 29 - PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC) has rushed to clean up the oil slick that washed up on Samet island in the eastern province of Rayong, tainting the beach at Phrao Bay with crude oil leak from a PTTGC transmission pipe.

Porntep Butniphant, Executive Vice President for Refinery and Shared Facilities, said the company mobilised workers and asked for help from the army to send 400 soldiers to help urgently clean up the beach at Phrao Bay after the crude oil slick covered about one kilometre of beach.

It is expected the cleanup operation would be finished today, he said.

Mr Porntep said initial investigation found that the oil slick slipped from the bottom of the booms that used for containing the oil spill so that the spill was washed up into the shore last night.

He said some 5,000 litres of crude oil floated into shore even though the company workers used two tiers of booms to contain the slick.

The PTTGC executive said company staff used the booms to contain crude oil at the mouth of Phrao Bay to limit the affected area and used skimmers to transfer the oil into holding tanks.

As for the oil slick at the beach, he said, workmen used shovels to remove oil soaked sand.

Mr Porntep said PTTGC would eventually rehabilitate the beach to prevent any damage to the eco-system.

Sand and sea water samples will be collected for further examination.

The oil slick developed Saturday morning when approximately 50 tonnes (50,000 litres) of crude oil leaked from a pipeline, spilling into the sea off Rayong, some 20 kilometres southeast of the Map Ta Phut industrial estate.

The clean up operation at the leak point is already complete and PTTGC has assured the public that there would be no further damage to the environment. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-07-29

Looking at the pictures, and PTT saying the clean up of the beach will be finished by today - I am looking forward to the pictures of Ao Prao all cleaned up tomorrow.

By the way, Koh Samet is a National Park which has always be mismanaged and corrupt - maybe the Thai National Parks will focus on the island and clean up the park wardens ways!

THe local MP is saying 6 months to clearup - well he would exaggerate wouldn't he?

BUT.......

PTT would downplay it too - so the truth is some plae in-between - but I doubt if the MP has any real info yet on the long term environmental damage. Sea water, sea-bed coral and fish stocks.

Rayong has a big fishing fleet and seafood and fish arewa n important part of the local economy - how long will it be before we can eat seafood from that area again?

[BudRight]

That America or anyone else has an oil spill does not make it okay for Thailand to have one.

[Puschl]

RT@Tulip_Oum: 5,000 Litre of Crude Oil leak from PTT Global Chemical operation. Arial view Photo from @Thairath_News pic.twitter.com/u12GQq8YkV

The oil spill is about the same area as Koh Samet (13sqkm). To cover such an area with only one millimeter of crude oil would take 13 million liters (if I have done my numbers right). I'm not sure how thick this oil spill is but if it is crude oil and only a day old it's probably fair to say at least one millimeter. Looking at the pictures from the beach on koh Samet it looks much thicker.

So the 50,000 liters reported sounds much to small, compaired with 13,000,000 liters required to just cover the oil slick by 1 millimeter.

You've done your numbers right. I took the reverse approach: how thick would the official amount be? A liter is a cubic decimeter, and if you spread out 50 000 (or 70 000 as in other reports) liters evenly across 13.1 square kilometers, it will be ~3.8 (or ~5.3) micrometers high. By comparison, if you pour a teaspoon of oil into a pot with 25cm diameter, the oil will be about 100 micrometer thick.

[sandrabbit]

UPDATE:

PTTGC rushes to clean up oil slick at Samet island

By English News

BANGKOK, July 29 - PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC) has rushed to clean up the oil slick that washed up on Samet island in the eastern province of Rayong, tainting the beach at Phrao Bay with crude oil leak from a PTTGC transmission pipe.

Porntep Butniphant, Executive Vice President for Refinery and Shared Facilities, said the company mobilised workers and asked for help from the army to send 400 soldiers to help urgently clean up the beach at Phrao Bay after the crude oil slick covered about one kilometre of beach.

It is expected the cleanup operation would be finished today, he said.

Mr Porntep said initial investigation found that the oil slick slipped from the bottom of the booms that used for containing the oil spill so that the spill was washed up into the shore last night.

He said some 5,000 litres of crude oil floated into shore even though the company workers used two tiers of booms to contain the slick.

The PTTGC executive said company staff used the booms to contain crude oil at the mouth of Phrao Bay to limit the affected area and used skimmers to transfer the oil into holding tanks.

As for the oil slick at the beach, he said, workmen used shovels to remove oil soaked sand.

Mr Porntep said PTTGC would eventually rehabilitate the beach to prevent any damage to the eco-system.

Sand and sea water samples will be collected for further examination.

The oil slick developed Saturday morning when approximately 50 tonnes (50,000 litres) of crude oil leaked from a pipeline, spilling into the sea off Rayong, some 20 kilometres southeast of the Map Ta Phut industrial estate.

The clean up operation at the leak point is already complete and PTTGC has assured the public that there would be no further damage to the environment. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-07-29

Looking at the pictures, and PTT saying the clean up of the beach will be finished by today - I am looking forward to the pictures of Ao Prao all cleaned up tomorrow.

By the way, Koh Samet is a National Park which has always be mismanaged and corrupt - maybe the Thai National Parks will focus on the island and clean up the park wardens ways!

THe local MP is saying 6 months to clearup - well he would exaggerate wouldn't he?

BUT.......

PTT would downplay it too - so the truth is some plae in-between - but I doubt if the MP has any real info yet on the long term environmental damage. Sea water, sea-bed coral and fish stocks.

Rayong has a big fishing fleet and seafood and fish arewa n important part of the local economy - how long will it be before we can eat seafood from that area again?

you wouldn't necessarily want to eat the sea caught seafood here because of the pollution, you just have to dig down a little on the beach to see the results of previous pollution. in fact lonely planet doesn't recommend coming here for that very reason although I live here and have fallen in love with the place and when the sea isn't too rough you can see a lot of wildlife in the sea with you, especially the jellyfish we had last winter. we were lucky the oil slick went past us and hit Samet, people were swimming unaware of what had happened on Samet today.

[harleyd61]

yep there go's my week Koh Samed.......

[Thai at Heart]

I have seen a industrial accident in every country that has any industry, the Thai response is as good as any countries. the beaches can be cleaned, the wild life will survive. Mother nature little friends microbes will eat the oil in the ocean, and in a short time this will all be a memory, as long as the response teams keep working and get the resources needed.

and it's a wonderful world.....apart from the fact that you seem completely misinformed firstly about the clean up effects and secondly about the effects of the oil and the dispersants.

You are wrong. In warm seas like this, the microbial degradation of crude oil can be astonishingly quick.

Of course they need to clean up the bulk of the waste, but watch for 6 months time.

[TommyDee]

Over the Weekend, news was released of an oil leak in the Gulf of Thailand from a commercial crude oil transfer system operated by subsidiaries of PTT.

IN what is seen by many as a false economy on embarrassment, PTT appears to have informed the Thai Naval Authorities that the crude oil slick was under control, and figures of 90% clearance were used on Sunday (and as late as Monday morning) to allay any fear that the leaked oil might just hit land. And yet it has, it hit land as early as Sunday night on a beachy cove to the west of one of Thailand’s most beautiful and idyllic Islands, Ko Samet.

cont..http://www.pattaya103.com/oil-slick-ko-samet-thailand/

Edited July 29, 2013 by TommyDee

[oldsailor35]

Although some sheen and particles may hit beaches, this incident could have been far worse, but the companies in that area train together for this and were prepared. Anyone with industry experience knows this spill was managed swiftly and thoroughly.

I know nothing about this kind of disaster, but it did not appear to be managed very swiftly to me.