Big clean-up on Koh Samet while local fishermen get compensation

[Lite Beer]

OIL SPILL
Big clean-up on Koh Samet while local fishermen get compensation
The Sunday Nation

Hundreds of local residents, volunteers and officials take part in a cleaning day

Rayong province hosted a "Big Cleaning Day" yesterday at Ao Phrao - the beach on Koh Samet hit by the recent oil leak, while Deputy Premier Plodprasop Suraswadi and PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) bosses presented some 400 small-scale fishermen affected by the spill with Bt30,000 compensation per head.

Plodprasop urged the firm to take special care of Samet, possibly by setting up a fund to promote its environment and tourism on the island, while also preventing any reoccurrence of the spill.

Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment Vichet Kasemthongsri presided over a rite at 8am to seek a blessing and apologise to supernatural beings at the island's Laungpu Dam and Chaomae Tabtim shrines.

He then launched and took part in the "Big Cleaning Day" activity at 11am to ensure for the last time that the beach is free from oil before it re-opens for visitors.

Many volunteers from the local area, various agencies and organisations, and students were involved in this.

Meanwhile, some 300 owners of souvenir shops at Nuantip Pier in Phe, on the mainland, lamented at the lack of tourists caused by the disaster. They urged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to visit the pier market and Samet to hear their woes and help bring tourists back.

Later, at 10.30am, 14 tour buses from Lak Si in Bangkok, stopped at the pier market to buy seafood.

A tour member, who asked not to be named, said a Pheu Thai Party MP from Bangkok led Lak Si residents to visit resorts at Klaeng district and Koh Samet's Ao Phrao.

He suggested PTTGC should have boats to skim oil from the water and buoys surrounding the petroleum pipe area to prevent any future oil leaks.

About 50 tonnes of oil spilled into the sea off Rayong province on Saturday July 27 from a leak in the pipeline operated by PTTGC. The oil slick reached Ao Phrao the next day.

Samet, which is about 150km southeast of Bangkok, is a popular weekend getaway for Thais and foreigners living in the capital.

Rayong provincial centre said that as of Friday some 1,127 people had registered with the authority as being affected by the oil spill. This includes 410 fishermen, 606 hotel and restaurant operators, a health business operator and 110 business people. The registration of 'victims' will continue till August 31.

-- The Nation 2013-08-11

[Chittychangchang]

Mayby the local residents of dozens of other tourist beach hot spots will follow suit and clean up their beaches returning the once clear waters.

CCC

[tominbkk]

What are they scooping up with those tiny little nets?

[lovetotravel]

Mayby the local residents of dozens of other tourist beach hot spots will follow suit and clean up their beaches returning the once clear waters.

CCC

And stop the practice of dumping raw sewage into the sea. It's done on Samet, normally at night.

[noitom]

30,000 per head is a big Thai reward. many Thais will be queuing up for this. Fat chance the 30,000 has of ending up in a legitimate small business pocketbook.

[noitom]

What are they scooping up with those tiny little nets?

It's a staged posed photo.

[Thai at Heart]

Mayby the local residents of dozens of other tourist beach hot spots will follow suit and clean up their beaches returning the once clear waters.

CCC

And stop the practice of dumping raw sewage into the sea. It's done on Samet, normally at night.

You don't say... No sewage systems, no water treatment.

[LuckyLew]

Here is half the problem ...

"Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment Vichet Kasemthongsri presided over a rite at 8am to seek a blessing and apologise to supernatural beings at the island's Laungpu Dam and Chaomae Tabtim shrines."

Maybe if the held PTT accountable it wold not re-occur

Did not read about rich PTT exces helping in cleanup

only raed about their photo op of handing out checks

[impulse]

What are they scooping up with those tiny little nets?

They look more like absorbent pads on the end of sticks.

The pads are an appropriate method of cleaning oil from the top of the water. Putting them on the end of a stick is actually a pretty good way to clean up more than you could reach by tossing them on the water and picking them up later, especially when you're going after that last bit of oil that defies mechanical methods of cleanup.

And it's a lot easier than bending over for hours at a time.

Say what you want, but I'm seeing a bunch of people giving up their time because they do care. I just wish they'd advertised the Cleanup Day somewhere that more foreigners would have known about it.

Edited August 11, 2013 by impulse

[tominbkk]

What are they scooping up with those tiny little nets?

They look more like absorbent pads on the end of sticks.

The pads are an appropriate method of cleaning oil from the top of the water. Putting them on the end of a stick is actually a pretty good way to clean up more than you could reach by tossing them on the water and picking them up later, especially when you're going after that last bit of oil that defies mechanical methods of cleanup.

And it's a lot easier than bending over for hours at a time.

Say what you want, but I'm seeing a bunch of people giving up their time because they do care.

I wasn't criticizing, just curious what they were doing. Thanks for the info..

[Thai at Heart]

Well, if they are blotting the tide line for oil today, presumably they will have to do it again tomorrow also.

[impulse]

What are they scooping up with those tiny little nets?

They look more like absorbent pads on the end of sticks.

The pads are an appropriate method of cleaning oil from the top of the water. Putting them on the end of a stick is actually a pretty good way to clean up more than you could reach by tossing them on the water and picking them up later, especially when you're going after that last bit of oil that defies mechanical methods of cleanup.

And it's a lot easier than bending over for hours at a time.

Say what you want, but I'm seeing a bunch of people giving up their time because they do care.

I wasn't criticizing, just curious what they were doing. Thanks for the info..

My apologies, that last sentence wasn't aimed at your post. I've been following this tragedy closely and I've seen a of of negativity toward Thais in general. So I enjoy seeing some favorable press.

[impulse]

Well, if they are blotting the tide line for oil today, presumably they will have to do it again tomorrow also.

Probably for weeks.

But looking at the absorbent pads in the picture, they're not picking up much. Heavy oil would turn the pads black and even a light film of oil turns the pads grey. I'm seeing a bunch of white pads. That's good news.

But this isn't over.

Edited August 11, 2013 by impulse

[Thai at Heart]

Well, if they are blotting the tide line for oil today, presumably they will have to do it again tomorrow also.

Probably for weeks.

But looking at the absorbent pads in the picture, they're not picking up much. Heavy oil would turn the pads black and even a light film of oil turns the pads grey. I'm seeing a bunch of white pads. That's good news.

But this isn't over.

I agree. They were showing tiny tar balls a week ago on the mainland. Don't know if it's clean over there. The tar sticks to a few grains of sand and rolls on the sea bottom with tides and currents

[sandrabbit]

'Meanwhile, some 300 owners of souvenir shops at Nuantip Pier in Phe, on the mainland, lamented at the lack of tourists caused by the disaster. They urged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to visit the pier market and Samet to hear their woes and help bring tourists back.'

Ha ha ha, I'd be surprised if there were 300 souvenir shops in the whole of Ban Phe let alone on one pier. On Nuantip pier there's probably about 6 permanent shops lol.

That's right Yingluck come and spend some money in their shops!

[sandrabbit]

Mayby the local residents of dozens of other tourist beach hot spots will follow suit and clean up their beaches returning the once clear waters.

CCC

Some organisation came along the other day and did a cleanup on nearby Mae Rhumpung beach at 9am but didn't bag the rubbish just put it in little piles to be blown away again not that it matters as the beach is full today of the Bangkok litter throwing champions.

[SunsetT]

The environment can cope with some oil spillage. Dont get me wrong Im all for Big Oil being held to account and taken to task for their irresponsible lack of care for the environment and putting the dollar before the people that live in that environment. Their track record is appalling. But after spending a year in Southern California my conception of oil on the beach has changed. I came to realise that crude oil is actually perfectly natural and not a man made pollutant. It bubbles up from the seabed in SC and the Native Americans traditionally caulked their canoes with it there for centuries. There are always 'globs' of 'beach tar' on the beach there. Jonie Mitchell affectionately mentioned "beach tar on my feet" it in one of her songs. I forget which one now. Unlike before, I actually like the smell of oil and tar now as it reminds me of many happy walks on the beach at Isla Vista and Santa Barbara in Southern California, and I know now that it is a natural smell.

[stoli]

'Meanwhile, some 300 owners of souvenir shops at Nuantip Pier in Phe, on the mainland, lamented at the lack of tourists caused by the disaster. They urged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to visit the pier market and Samet to hear their woes and help bring tourists back.'

Ha ha ha, I'd be surprised if there were 300 souvenir shops in the whole of Ban Phe let alone on one pier. On Nuantip pier there's probably about 6 permanent shops lol.

That's right Yingluck come and spend some money in their shops!

I have lived in Ban Phe. There are hundreds of shops there selling to the tourists, and I am sure that they were all affected. So what if there are only 20 or so vendors on Nuantip Pier, the others are certainly just around the corner. On a side note, I hope the pictures are accurate. Looks like the cleanup is going well. Great job!

[Nisa]

Looks like the response to this crisis has been managed very well in terms of results. Within 2 weeks the oil is for the most part cleaned up and people whose livelihood were effected are already being compensated .. not to mention PTT taking public responsibility immediately even though it "may" turn out that the hose that failed, supplied by Goodyear, "might" have been defective. Good Job to all involved in the cleanup of what was another oil spill that could have been avoided but all in all Thailand has been fortunate to not see more problems like this with more than 200 oil facilities in the Gulf as pointed out in a CNN report .... http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/31/world/asia/thailand-beach-oil-spill

[siamjimi]

Another typical Thai photo opportunity staged to look as if they are really doing something. No doubt these participants are paid for this mass gathering.

This same purported clean-up crew should be where the real spill has effected the beaches and not on a pristine clean beach that has not a spot of oil. Not one spot of oil on their absorbent pads and not one oily pad in the garbage bin.

What a farce.

[impulse]

This same purported clean-up crew should be where the real spill has effected the beaches and not on a pristine clean beach that has not a spot of oil. Not one spot of oil on their absorbent pads and not one oily pad in the garbage bin.

Good luck finding one.

This is the beach that took the brunt of the spill.

Look at some news sources showing photos of the progress on the beach over the last 2 weeks.

If you know otherwise, post back with some evidence and your own photos.

[Nisa]

Another typical Thai photo opportunity staged to look as if they are really doing something. No doubt these participants are paid for this mass gathering.

This same purported clean-up crew should be where the real spill has effected the beaches and not on a pristine clean beach that has not a spot of oil. Not one spot of oil on their absorbent pads and not one oily pad in the garbage bin.

What a farce.

That is Ao Phrao, the beach affected by the oil, in the photo. Below is a photo at the height of the problem ...

http://pattayatoday.net/wp-content/uploads/cache/49513_NpAdvHover.jpg

Edited August 12, 2013 by Nisa