PATTAYA: A tourist attraction that highlights spirituality, piety and the beauty of Thai architecture has blamed a faulty pump for the discharge of dirty wastewater that polluted a Pattaya beach.
The Sanctuary of Truth Museum on Monday denied it intentionally released the filthy water seen despoiling the beach in a video posted on Facebook.
Warakorn Wiriyahan, vice president of the Sanctuary of Truth, said on Monday the discharge seen in the video clip was due to a problem with its wastewater treatment system.
Heavy rain in Pattaya had overwhelmed the system. The water pumps installed to treat wastewater were faulty, she said. That had now been fixed.
A 54-second video clip was posted on a Facebook account by the name of Areesut Sinsupun on Saturday. It shows polluted water flowing out of a drainage pipe onto the beach and into the sea at Wong Prachan Bay in Pattaya.
The post drew harsh comments critical of the museum and urging authorities to take action.
The Sanctuary of Truth Museum in north Pattaya is a major attraction, and features Thai traditional shows. Its highlight is a huge wooden pavilion reflecting the beauty of ancient Thai architecture and the relationship between life and religion.
It claims to house the world’s largest and most beautiful woodcarving.
The Pattaya Municipality also shared the story on its official Facebook account. Many followers of the municipality social media cast doubt on the explanation given by the museum.
The blue pin shows the location of the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya. (Photo from Google Map)