CHON BURI: Tourists are staying away from Jomtien beach after foul black wastewater poured out into the sea, polluting one of Pattaya's most popular attractions.
The black water gushed from a stormwater culvert and spread along about a kilometre of beach and out into the sea, immediately in front of many hotels, on Sunday.
Visitors were unhappy and complained about the authorities' slow response to the incident.
What the tourists could do was to move away from the beach and go elsewhere.
Their complaints mounted as videos of the foul muck were posted on Facebook by user Anond Seelaphausidh.
Pattaya city spokesman Pol Maj Gen Phinit Manirat said on Sunday the discharged wastewater was in an area overseen by Na Jomtien municipality, but local officials in the province must solve the problem together because "it's the same sea".
Officials have been sent to inspect the area.
The black water appeared as Pattaya was hit by three days of heavy rain, which was thought to have washed accumulated waste out to sea.
It was unclear whether seaside resorts were also to be blamed for releasing wastewater into the sea.