The Koh Samet oil spill disaster may seem huge today, but it is only the third biggest oil spill ever recorded in Thai waters, according to the Thai Marine Knowledge Hub (MKH).
The government’s Marine Department defines a major oil spill as a disaster that releases over 20,000 liters of oil into the sea. The current spill, caused by an offshore PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC) pipeline leak, is believed to have poured more than 50 tons or 50,000 liters of crude oil into the Gulf of Thailand.
Below are details from the country’s nine other biggest spills:
9. December 9, 2007
Around 20,000 liters of crude and fuel oil covered the Songkhla sea, six miles from mainland, after a Worldwide Transport Co vessel overturned.
8. November 20, 2005
A pipeline disjointed from a Thai Oil Pcl vessel while transferring crude oil at a port in Chonburi’s Si Racha district. More than 20,000 liters of oil was leaked out.
7. May 4, 2006
More than 20,000 liters of fuel oil leaked out of the CP34 oil vessel at a port of Alliance Refining Co in Rayong’s Maptaphut district.
6. May 22, 2001
More than 30,000 liters of crude oil gushed out to the Rayong sea after a 16-inch brakeaway coupling of a pipeline near Maptaphut Port disconnected from the Tokachi vessel. The company responsible for the incident was Alliance Refining Co.
5. October 6, 2007
More than 34,800 liters of Saraline 185V oil leaked out of a storage tank at the Trident-16 offshore mobile drilling unit of Chevron Thailand.
4. June 15, 2008
More than 40,000 liters of fuel oil leaked out of a North Korean merchant vessel, Chol Han Vong Chong Nyon Ho, at a port of Asian Marine Service Plc in Samut Prakan’s Phra Samut Chedi district.
3. September 4, 2011
An oil vessel, Sor Chockthaworn 6, overturned in Phuket, four miles east of Racha Yai Island, due to high waves and weather disturbance. The mishap released 40,000 liters of diesel B5 oil into the Andaman Sea.
2. December 17, 2002
The Kota Wijaya and the Sky Ace vessels collided at the entrance of Laem Chabang Port in the South of Sichang Island in Chonburi. The accident caused more than 210,000 liters of fuel oil pour into the sea.
1. January 15, 2002
The Eastern Fortitude vessel of Panama crashed into rocks near Juang Island off Chonburi’s Sattahip district, releasing 234,000 liters of fuel oil into the Gulf of Thailand.
Photo: Greenpeace
