judging from these satellite photo's,

and assuming the slick has moved a similar distance in the last 2 days as in the first 2 days,

the oil slick should be well past Koh Somet by now.

The East side remains unaffected and oil free, from what i can see.

Cant even notice it where I'm at.

I'll take a walk along the beach today the east side and update.

judging from these satellite photo's,

and assuming the slick has moved a similar distance in the last 2 days as in the first 2 days,

the oil slick should be well past Koh Somet by now.

The East side remains unaffected and oil free, from what i can see.

Cant even notice it where I'm at.

I'll take a walk along the beach today the east side and update.

Here is why..

Image is a Public Resource from VOA....

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-YJ477_THSPIL_G_20130730231737.jpg

Right now its heading toward the coast.

Damn !!! I had better rush down to Koh Chang and get in a quickie vacation

before the slick gets there...

Never nice to see, but at least the government has plenty of funds in the kitty to spend on the clean-up... I mean they've been charging foreigners 400 baht to get into the 'national marine park' for how many years?

200 baht not 400.

Depends who is manning the gate.

After working 30+ years in the environmental protection field back in the States, one thing I find interesting in this situation is that I have not heard or seen any Thai or foreign environmental group (or fishermen) screaming bloody murder about the effects on the marine and avian life that will result from this. You hear a lot of people complaining and worrying about the money to be lost from tourism but that's about it. If something like this would have happened in places like San Francisco Bay or California coast back home, there would be countless environmental groups, fishermen, birders, you-name-it screaming for the local, State, and Federal government and the company involved to react ASAP.

Agree, BUT here most persons dare not speak out to the authorities-different ball game, ask the wife if she complains in shops-water board-electric company-TOT-TAT-police you name it MOSCT will tell you, you CANNOT.

Many go as far as to say if you do maybe someone will kill you---FACT--ask locals, mums the word. So I for one, I'm not surprised.

After working 30+ years in the environmental protection field back in the States, one thing I find interesting in this situation is that I have not heard or seen any Thai or foreign environmental group (or fishermen) screaming bloody murder about the effects on the marine and avian life that will result from this. You hear a lot of people complaining and worrying about the money to be lost from tourism but that's about it. If something like this would have happened in places like San Francisco Bay or California coast back home, there would be countless environmental groups, fishermen, birders, you-name-it screaming for the local, State, and Federal government and the company involved to react ASAP.

Agree, BUT here most persons dare not speak out to the authorities-different ball game, ask the wife if she complains in shops-water board-electric company-TOT-TAT-police you name it MOSCT will tell you, you CANNOT.

Many go as far as to say if you do maybe someone will kill you---FACT--ask locals, mums the word. So I for one, I'm not surprised.

Yeah, I hear ya. I've been here long enough to learn to complain little and complain softly if I complain at all to any Thai authorities.

Quite the contrast...as a gov't employee back home responsible for environmental protection, I actually welcomed (and in some cases personally initiated) the environmental groups getting agitated so they would keep the heat on gov't agencies...and especially some recalcitrant politicians...to deal with the situation. Definitely a different world.

I did see in a thai.visa post today that Greenpeace spoke out and said the gov't is understating the environmental damage from the spill. And apparently some other conservationists have also expressed concerns....but apparently quite softly.

It's being reported by CNN as well. I saw it on TV this morning and it's on their website:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/30/travel/koh-samet-oil-spill/index.html?hpt=hp_t4

I went to Rayong last year but not to enjoy beautiful beaches, I and my G/F were driving around feeding beach dogs along beaches. I wish I could give them a better life. Those dogs have a short life span and some were not even a few month old that were killed by speeding cars. Born on road side and died on the road side.

No comment about ignorant and lame Thai petroleum company.

Sad for marine life.

+1

All about the foriegn tourists who might not come to the beach.

All about the beach and little about the marine life.

Aside from the already mentioned damage to the beaches,/ecosystem, loss of revenue and damage to the reputation of Thailand as a tourist destination, it calls into question the ability of the Thai government to respond to mobilize an effective cleanup effort.

For a country that has so much at stake in tourism, it appears to have an ineffective Coast Guard, maritime Hazmat response and command and control network in place.

Unfortunately, these spills will happen again and it will be a nightmare to watch the coastline disappear under a blanket of black sludge.