Thailand deploys more assets as oil slick threatens beaches

By CHALIDA EKVITTHAYAVECHNUKUL.
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — An aircraft from a company specializing in recoveries from oil spills has arrived from Malaysia to join an urgent effort to clean up an oil slick before it could hit beaches in eastern Thailand. The C-130 joins other planes, ships and a helicopter deployed by the Thai navy to contain the damage from the Star Petroleum Refining Public Company’s oil that leaked Tuesday night from a mooring station in the Gulf of Thailand. A Thai navy spokesman says data suggested that prevailing winds could blow the oil slick to major beaches in Rayong province or Samet Island by Friday evening if not cleaned up before then. He says the plan calls for redirecting the oil slick that’s headed toward the beach to the open sea.