Oil spill on Hua Hin beach

[thaimat]

Hua Hin beach hit by 10km long oil slick

HUA HIN: -- An oil slick stretching about ten kilometers long hit the beach of Hua Hin emitting foul smell and driving away local and foreign tourists from the beach.

The presence of the oil slick prompted Hua Hin mayor Nopporn Wutthikul to seek help from the Navy to find out if the problem was caused by oil spills from commercial freighters or large fishing boats or any of those vessels sank in the sea off Hua Hin causing the oil spills.

In the meantime, specimens of the oil slick were sent to the environment office for tests.

Hua Hin district officer Sutthipong Klai-udom said it was initially suspected that the oil was deliberately dumped into the sea by a vessel dealing in contraband goods.

He nevertheless advised tourists not to venture into the sea for 1-2 days until the situation has returned to normal.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/hua-hin-beach-hit-by-10km-long-oil-slick

-- Thai PBS 2015-10-28

"for 1-2 days until the situation has returned to normal." The belief here that these highly toxic spills clean themselves up is astounding. Another stretch of sea/beach here that is now really really harmful to your health. Can see those quality tourists lining up soon to come swim in that sludge!

[csabo]

Maybe its flight MH370. Checked everywhere else.

[csabo]

Hua Hin beach starting to look a little better this afternoon...

HHbeach.png

Well if they are going that far south maybe they should run up the steps with a broom and sweep up the monkey <deleted> while they are at it.

[Stargeezr]

I like the Hua Hin area of Thailand and I think this is a terrible thing to happen here, just as it is any where in a coastal area

that has a population of people living nearby. I hope this does kill off a lot of the jelly fish. I have never swam in this part of

the ocean because of the constant waves. I will be more inclined to head south to beaches further south of Pranburi

until the situation is improved in the Hua Hin area. I still plan to visit and stay at Hua Hin for a week or so this Winter

because of the good food, and the warm temperatures, and because I have friends that live there for part or all of

the year. I have always enjoyed the friendly people who live in this area. If I wish to go for a good swim, I go to Phuket to Kata, Karon, or other beaches that have calmer waters

than the areas of Hua Hin, to Chumphon as the seas there are mostly in the wind.

Geezer

[Thian]

There are plenty of machines to do this job

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=beach+cleaning+machine&rlz=1C1CHWL_nlTH663TH663&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CCIQsARqFQoTCO7knIi85sgCFQWqpgodVXMI5g

But the Thai like to do it by hand.

[kiwikeith]

Instead of the Navy looking or sunken ships, not very visable unless oil slick coming up from ocean floor, they should be checking shipping movements around the time.

This is heavy fuel oil or Bunker oil, I know as i am ex seaman it sticks like sheet to a blanket it is very hard to remove from skin, it has to be heated before it can be used in ships engines.

Ships are supposed to pump their bilge water ashore when in port, but cheap flagged vessels dump it at sea to avoid costs.

Balast water is different.

Bilge water can be pumped into a holding tank ready for discharge at port, this looks like a ship with leaky old engines has dumped into the gulf and it has washed ashore with the rubbish during the storm.

[timber]

As important as the beaches are at Hua Hin, Cha Am, and the rest of that coast are to the tourist industry,

and the frequency and chance of oil spills are, no matter what the size. It is surprising that there isn't a

system for spill booms that can be used with little delay available on that section of coast. Doesn't take a

rocket scientist to make a spill boom. The hotels and government have big bucks to avoid this type of thing,

or minimize the impact.

[Mr Creosote]

Interesting article does not say anything about where it came from, however being an ex seaman I would say its bunker oil, heavy fuel oil, discharged from some ships bilge.

Confused here. Why would bunker fuel be in a ships bilge system?

Oil leakage from main engine and generators , oil heaters ect into the bilge builds up after a while but it's supposed to be pumped ashore while in port.

Thanks, however my understanding is that any ship-board drainage system where bunker oil can possibly drain (i.e. engine room, bunkering stations), would be a closed system. Therefore, it would not have an outlet line going overboard. Yes? I propose that another possibility would be from a ship-to-ship bunkering process that went wrong.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Peoples Front of Judea

[kiwikeith]

As important as the beaches are at Hua Hin, Cha Am, and the rest of that coast are to the tourist industry,

and the frequency and chance of oil spills are, no matter what the size. It is surprising that there isn't a

system for spill booms that can be used with little delay available on that section of coast. Doesn't take a

rocket scientist to make a spill boom. The hotels and government have big bucks to avoid this type of thing,

or minimize the impact.

The introduction of fines up to 100 million dollars for oil spills might deter dubious foreign flagged scumbag ships operators from discharging their scum at sea.

Sattelite images and ships movements might tell who did this, oil analysis might tell the origin of the oil.

If ships are discharging filthy bilge water into the gulf or just outside when they leave Thailand, ships movements/ sattelites should be monitered and ships should be given warning notices that have to be put up on display around the ship advising of heavy penalties.

Not to hard to do for the Jaunta, Introduce laws and print stickers, these measures are strictly in place in most western countries, and strict laws and penalties also for anything that goes over the side while in port, including rubbish.

[roo860]

Hua hin lost it's sparkle for me 25 years ago. First lived there for a while from 81-83. Had to go back about a year ago it looked devastated to me. It's like a coastal village on the Mediterranean now, so many Europeans. Most interesting buildings made place for big impersonal hotels. Could walk on the beach from hua hin to khao takiap, now lots of fences and dirt. It's called progress....

Too true mate, place is ruined, just go out of town, unfinished housing etc, wouldn't set foot back in the place, was a big fan of HH 16 years ago.