The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reported yesterday (Feb 26) that large amounts of oil slick had reached Patok Bay and surrounding areas on Koh Racha Yai, following the shipwreck earlier this month.
According to the DMCR’s Racha Islands Protected Area Management Centre in Phuket, thick oil slicks were found spreading in front of The Racha Hotel at Patok Bay (Plub Pla Bay), one of the island’s main tourist beaches. Tar balls were also discovered scattered along the sand and rocks at Ao Tue, Ao Hla and Ao Siam.
Officials said westerly winds had continued to push the oil into the heart of Koh Racha’s tourism zone.
The state news agency MCOT reported today (Feb 27) that fuel oil from the sunken Panamanian cargo ship had also reached Koh Kaew Phisadan and Koh Racha beaches.
On the mainland, Rawai Municipality confirmed that oil clumps were found on Yanui Beach in Rawai yesterday. Municipal workers, in cooperation with the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, were deployed to urgently collect the oil deposits from the sand.
LEAK-SEALING OPERATIONS UNDERWAY
Late yesterday, the Incident Command Center overseeing the response ordered urgent action to seal leaks from underwater oil pipelines on the sunken vessel, identified as the main source of the continuing spill.
Vice Admiral Veerudom Muangchin, Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 (Thai-MECC 3) and commander of the Incident Command Center, instructed the vessel’s insurance company to urgently plug leaks in the ship’s hull to halt the oil flow at its source.
HTMS Hua Hin was dispatched from the 3rd Naval Area Command pier to the operational area west of Koh Kaew Noi. Special operations personnel and divers from the Phang Nga Naval Base were deployed to support the insurance company’s team if required, alongside an underwater medicine unit and a decompression chamber to ensure diver safety.
An underwater survey team used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to inspect vent pipes on the hull before divers placed containment bags over a leaking oil vent pipe on the starboard side. Officials reported that the starboard leak was successfully sealed, with no further oil observed escaping from that point.
However, initial assessments suggest the main leak may instead be on the port side of the vessel. Further ROV inspections are scheduled, with divers to be redeployed if another leak is confirmed.
Authorities said sealing the source of the leak is critical, as continued discharge from the wreck has hampered efforts to control and remove oil slicks at the surface.
MULTI-AGENCY RESPONSE
The Incident Command Center said agencies under Thai-MECC, the Royal Thai Navy Region 3, Phuket Province and other local and national bodies have integrated personnel and equipment in a coordinated response.
Ships deployed for containment and clean-up operations include HTMS Hua Hin, HTMS Man Nok, HTMS Pun Yee, Patrol Boat 272, Patrol Boat 114 and MSCR 4012. Aircraft, including helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and drones, have been used to monitor the spread of the slick.
Expert support has also been sought from specialist organisations, including the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF), while physical and geographical data such as wind patterns, currents and oil slick movement forecasts have been used to guide operations.
Despite these efforts, officials acknowledged that the spill has not yet been fully controlled. Strong winds, high waves and unpredictable underwater currents have made it difficult to contain the slick. Diving operations were initially hampered by depths exceeding 60 metres, requiring specialised equipment and personnel arranged by the insurance company.
Logistical challenges have also slowed the delivery of essential containment equipment, including oil booms and anchoring systems needed to protect coastlines and island beaches.
ENVIRONMENTAL FALLOUT
The DMCR warned that oil spills pose a serious threat to marine ecosystems beyond the visible contamination of beaches.
When oil breaks down, toxins can enter the marine food chain, damage coral reefs and impact rare and protected marine species. Officials are coordinating with research centres to closely monitor potential effects on coral reefs and marine life around the Racha Islands and other affected areas.
Shoreline clean-up teams have been placed on standby and are being deployed immediately where oil reaches beaches.
Authorities have urged businesses, including hotels and beachfront operators, to assist in removing oil deposits as quickly as possible to reduce long-term environmental damage and protect Phuket’s tourism image.
The Incident Command Center expressed confidence that if remaining leaks are successfully sealed, the volume of oil escaping from the wreck will gradually decrease, allowing surface slicks to subside and clean-up efforts to become more effective.
Members of the public who detect oil slicks or require maritime assistance have been advised to contact Maritime Security Command Region 3 via its 24-hour hotline at 1465.