Oil spill cleanup underway after cargo ship sinks near PhuketThe Panama-flagged SEALLOYD ARC cargo ship is seen sinking in the Andaman Sea near Phuket's coastline on Saturday evening. (Photo: supplied/ Achadthaya Chuenniran)PHUKET - Marine authorities are rushing to remove the oil spill from the Andaman Sea after the sinking of the Panama‑flagged cargo ship about 3 miles off Laem Phromthep on Saturday while en route from Malaysia to Bangladesh. Sixteen crew members of SEALLOYD ARC were rescued and brought to safety in the evening when the ship took on water and sank as it passed south of the island's viewing spot. SEALLOYD ARC was carrying 297 containers, 14 of them containing hazardous materials, according to the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC) Region 3. An aerial survey detected an oil spill stretching westward, about 4.5 miles long and one mile wide, but there was no oil slick reported along Phuket's coastline so far, the centre said.

Source: Bangkok Post February 08, 2026 11:33 UTC