Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin has ordered an urgent investigation into the South Cha-am wastewater discharge, with detailed laboratory results still pending despite initial checks finding seawater readings within recreational standards.
Suchart instructed the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) to investigate after reports of wastewater entering the sea at South Cha-am Beach circulated on social media.
According to the department, the discharge occurred on 12 September while a contractor working for an external agency was replacing a pump at a wastewater pumping station.
The contractor installed a temporary pump and drained water from the system without notifying the works supervisor of the plan in advance, the department said.
The Wastewater Management Authority ordered pumping and work to stop after being alerted. It required a temporary wastewater management plan meeting sanitation and environmental requirements before work could be considered for resumption.
Cha-am Municipality also ordered the operation suspended and instructed its legal affairs team to pursue legal action over the discharge.
Initial checks after Cha-am wastewater discharge
Marine officials inspected North, Central and South Cha-am beaches alongside representatives from the municipality and the Wastewater Management Authority.
They reported normal seawater colour, no unusual odour and no aquatic animals found dead or gasping at the surface. No phytoplankton blooms were detected at the three monitoring sites.
Water temperatures ranged from 32.7–33.5°C, pH from 8.15–8.19, salinity from 19.5–27.7 parts per thousand and dissolved oxygen from 4.4–5.8 milligrams per litre.
The department said these readings met Thailand’s 2021 seawater quality standards for recreational waters. However, detailed laboratory analysis is needed before officials can reach a conclusion on the environmental impact.
Suchart instructed the department to continue monitoring water quality and following up on test results. He said relevant laws would be enforced if violations or damage to marine and coastal resources were found, with preventive measures introduced to avoid a repeat.
