A pipeline ruptured spilling thousands of litres of oil into the sea off the east coast of Thailand on Sunday.

A subsidiary of state-owned fuel giant PTT was pumping light crude from a tanker at the Single Buoy Mooring-2 in Chonburi province when the pipeline burst at around 9 pm on September 3.

The fuel gushed into the sea for around three minutes before the valve was closed.

In a statement, the company Thai Oil said buoys have now been deployed to contain the slick, in line with international standards.

It said: 'The company immediately took control of the situation at the scene of the accident by closing the valve of the oil pipe in question and placing additional buoys around the oil spill to prevent and limit the spread according to international standard procedures.

'As a result, there are no additional oil spills so far and no one has been injured in the incident. The company is in the process of inspecting the area to assess the situation around the site, as well as preparing chemicals and equipment, and carrying out oil spill removal. If there is any progress, we will inform you further.'

The Pollution Control Department said 50 to 70 cubic metres of oil had leaked into the sea. It has approved the use of 6,000 litres of chemical dispersant to break up the 5km-long slick.

Authorities using oil spill modelling system Oilmap said the drifting slick may reach the Koh Khang Khao islands in Chonburi's Ao Udom area, and possibly Won Napha beach between September 8 and 10

Worried locals feared the incident would affect the tourism industry, as the accident had occurred near popular tourist destinations.

Chonburi Governor Thawatchai Srithong conducted an inspection of the site on September 4. He said the oil spill was 'not substantial' and had spread quickly due to strong winds.

He said: 'Around 80 per cent of the spill has already been removed. There is no need to worry as the oil spill was relatively small and is being promptly addressed.'

He assured the public that the slick would not reach Pattaya Beach. Clean-up operations were ongoing on September 5, assisted by crew from the Thai Navy.

The Marine Department said it will be filing a lawsuit against Thai Oil, with the company saying it is ready to accept responsibility.

Water samples were being collected to assess the spill's environmental impact.