Thailand is ill-equipped to handle the Rayong oil spill, Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi admitted Tuesday.
He also said the government must set up a committee to handle the catastrophe.
Hundreds of experts and volunteers have laboured for almost two days to try to return the oil-drenched beach at Ao Phrao to normal. (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha)
Government spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi wrote on his Twitter account that Mr Plodprasop was speaking while in Mozambique Tuesday as part of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's delegation during her five-day, three-country trip to Africa. The delegation moved on to Tanzania later Tuesday.
Mr Plodprasop conceded that Thailand lacked sufficient equipment to deal with the situation and prevent the oil slick from reaching the shore.
Mr Plodprasop said authorities should seek help from Singapore, which has proper equipment to contain oil slicks.
The environment and the tourism and fishing industries are most at risk from the oil spill, he said, and priority must be placed on protecting them.
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The deputy premier said PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC) would be "paying every baht" to cover the cost of damages, according to Mr Teerat's tweet.
Also speaking from Mozambique, Ms Yingluck said PTTGC would cover the cost of damages caused by the spill, while the government would move to ensure the safety of locals and tourists.
Ms Yingluck said she has instructed agencies to seek assistance, if needed, from neighbouring countries which are equipped to handle such a crisis. (Story continued after the graphic)
Energy Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal Tuesday urged people affected by the oil spill to negotiate with PTTGC for compensation instead of suing.
"Negotiation is a better option," he said. "Lawsuits could take more than three years to run their course.
"Moreover, the company has admitted full responsibility."
Mr Pongsak was speaking as he inspected clean-up operations at Koh Samet's Ao Phrao beach.
He said he had ordered Rayong governor Wichit Chartpaisit to compile a list of people affected by the spill so they could receive speedy compensation.
Mr Pongsak said the clean-up of Ao Phrao would finish today, after which a rehabilitation process would get under way.
However, conservationist group Greenpeace warned that a lot more needed to be done.
"[PTTGC's] claim that 80% of the work is done is false," Greenpeace campaigner Ply Pirom said.
"There is a lot of oil still in the bay.
"It's very disappointing that this global company has no emergency plan to deal with the crisis."
PTTGC admitted that about 50,000 litres of crude oil leaked from an offshore pipeline feeding a refinery in the Map Ta Phut industrial estate on Saturday.
It was not until some of the oil washed up at Ao Phrao on Sunday night that serious concerns were raised about the real scale of the leak and how much it would affect the environment and tourism.
Thai Environmental Health Association secretary-general Sonthi Kotchawat said the authorities and PTTGC had acted too slowly.
He said this showed the existing emergency action plan for oil spills was insufficient.
"PTTGC has invested tens of millions of baht in clean-up equipment and training its staff," he said. "So, the question is why were they so slow to respond when the oil slick reached Samet?"
Mr Sonthi also raised questions about the effects the chemical dispersant being used to combat the slick will have on the marine environment.
He called on the Energy Ministry and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to investigate PTTGC over the oil spill and release the findings.
The cabinet Tuesday assigned the Energy Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, and the Transport Ministry to respond to the crisis.
Transport Minister Chadchat Sittipunt has been assigned to chair a committee to oversee the oil spill problem.
"We will review the current response and prevention plan to see if it is up to date,"he said.
Marine Department deputy chief Nat Japjai said Tuesday that measures were being implemented to prevent the spill from reaching the mainland.
He said seven boats with booms were deployed to prevent the slick from reaching Ban Pae and surveillance was stepped up at Koh Kudi.
Phuchong Saritdeechaikul, director of the 1st Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation centre, said the oil slick at Ao Phrao was being contained but noted that strong winds and high waves were hampering efforts.
