Oil Slick Washes Onto Ko Lanta Beach, Tourists Left Covered
An oil slick resembling engine oil has washed onto Ko Lanta beaches, coating over a kilometer of coastline and leaving swimmers covered in oily residue. Authorities have launched an investigation into the source of the contamination.
An oil slick resembling engine oil has washed ashore along Ko Lanta's beaches, coating a stretch of more than 1 kilometer. Tourists who went swimming came out covered in the oily residue, and the Pattaya City Mayor has ordered an investigation.
On August 9, 2026, beach operators and speedboat business owners documented an unusual substance floating in the sea that resembles engine oil being pushed ashore by waves. The slick affected both Tien Beach and Samesarn Beach on Ko Lanta's west side in Nakhon Lamphu subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province, spanning more than 1 kilometer of coastline.
Photographs reveal large masses of what appears to be engine oil washing onto the beach, leaving small fragments scattered along the entire shoreline. Multiple tourists who went swimming emerged from the water to find their bodies completely coated in the oily substance, forcing them to rush to wash themselves clean.
However, there have been no reports so far of tourists suffering adverse effects or allergic reactions from the oil slick. The Pattaya City Mayor, Pramesuan Gamphichit, has begun sending city officials to investigate the situation and determine the facts of the matter.
