Weather helps keep oil spill off Thai beaches

Favorable wind and sea conditions kept an oil slick away from beaches in eastern Thailand on Sunday. Emergency workers were seen on Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong removing sand contaminated by oil which had washed ashore the previous day. 

Some 20-50 tons of oil was estimated to have leaked Tuesday night in the Gulf of Thailand from an undersea hose at an offshore mooring point of the Star Petroleum Refining Co. used to load tankers.

Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister, Thai Natural Resources and Environment said "I am very confident that for one we will be able to prevent the majority of the oil spill to ruin our natural resources, especially the corals. Of course some of the corals will be damaged but the majority of it we will be able to save and we will try to minimize the effects on the people."

The provincial governor declared the stricken beach a disaster area on Saturday, closing it down until further notice.