PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet has ordered an urgent inspection after an oil-like substance washed ashore along more than one kilometre of beaches on Koh Larn, prompting concerns over pollution and tourist safety.

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The residue was reported on the afternoon of August 9 at Hat Tien and Hat Samae San, on the western side of the island in Moo 7, Na Kluea, Bang Lamung district. Local umbrella-and-sunbed operators and passenger boat businesses photographed the material floating offshore before waves carried it onto the beaches.
Photographs show what appeared to be large sheets of engine-oil residue breaking up into smaller clumps along the shoreline. The material was spread across the sand for a combined distance of more than one kilometre, raising concerns among local businesses and visitors alike.

Thai and foreign tourists who had gone swimming reportedly found their bodies covered in the oily substance after coming out of the water and rushed to wash themselves, according to local reports. The incident has raised alarm over potential health risks and environmental damage to the island’s pristine beaches, which are a major draw for tourists visiting from nearby Pattaya.

Mayor Poramet said Pattaya City’s administrative officials were being sent to inspect the affected areas and establish the facts. The investigation is expected to determine both the nature of the substance and its possible source, though no cause has yet been confirmed, and it remains unclear whether the material is oil or another pollutant.

Koh Larn is a popular day-trip destination from Pattaya, with visitors commonly travelling there by passenger boat from Bali Hai Pier. The island’s beaches are among the most frequented in the region, and any prolonged contamination could have significant economic repercussions for local tourism operators.

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Authorities had not announced beach closures or restrictions at this time, but officials are expected to provide further updates as the investigation progresses. Environmental agencies may also be called upon to assist in identifying the substance and assessing the extent of any ecological impact. The incident underscores the ongoing vulnerability of Thailand’s coastal areas to marine pollution and the need for robust monitoring and enforcement measures to protect both the environment and the tourism industry.

-Thailand News (TN)