Environment Minister Orders Probe After Wastewater Dumped at Cha-Am Beach

On September 14, Environment Minister Suchat Chomklin responded to reports shared on social media about wastewater being discharged into the sea at lower Cha-Am Beach in Cha-Am District, Phetchaburi Province. He instructed the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to urgently investigate the facts and closely monitor water quality and impacts on marine and coastal resources. If any violations or damage to resources are found, legal action will be taken strictly.

Dr. Pinsak Surasawadi, director of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, ordered the Marine and Coastal Resources Office 3 and the Upper Gulf of Thailand Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center to inspect the area jointly with Cha-Am Municipality and the Wastewater Management Organization. The incident occurred on September 12, 2569, when external contractors were replacing a wastewater pumping station's pump. During work, they installed a temporary wastewater pump and discharged water from the system without informing the work supervisor in advance. After being notified, the Wastewater Management Organization ordered the discharge to stop immediately and work to cease. The organization is now preparing temporary wastewater management measures that comply with sanitation and environmental standards before resuming operations. Cha-Am Municipality has suspended the work and assigned its legal affairs unit to pursue legal action regarding the seawater discharge.

For environmental impact assessment, staff inspected three beach stations: North Cha-Am, Central Cha-Am, and South Cha-Am. Seawater showed normal color with no unusual odors and no dead or floating aquatic animals were found. Preliminary water quality measurements showed water temperature between 32.7–33.5 degrees Celsius, pH between 8.15–8.19, salinity between 19.5–27.7 parts per thousand, and dissolved oxygen between 4.4–5.8 milligrams per liter—all within 2564 marine water quality standards for recreational use. No phytoplankton blooms were detected at any station. Final laboratory analysis results are pending to formally confirm any environmental impacts.

Suchat added that although preliminary measurements remain within standards and no aquatic life damage was found, he has ordered the department to monitor and continue analyzing results to assure the public and tourists using Cha-Am Beach. If any actions causing marine and coastal resource damage are confirmed, legal action and related measures will be strictly enforced, with appropriate preventive steps taken to prevent such incidents recurring.