Shocked tourists watched as a beach turned red from an oil spill in Phuket, Thailand.

Holidaymakers noticed the disgorge drifting onto the shore at Tang Khen Bay on March 3.

Theerasak Saksritawee, who was surveying for migrating dugongs at the time, said: 'The water smelled like oil, but we don't know where it came from.'

Officials believe the spill was around 200 litres, which was low and could be dispersed by spraying chemicals to accelerate the process.

The Phuket Port Security Control Center coordinated with the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center Region 3 to create an oil map to analyse its origin.

The centre also requested chemicals from PTT and Phuket Deep Sea Port to disperse the oil. Ten officers from the centre and HTMS Huahin were assigned to the cleaning operation.

The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources is currently assessing the damage to dugongs, turtles, and seagrass when the water level decreases.

In early February, six dugongs and six sea turtles were found during the survey operation, with some seagrass in perfect condition.

In 2023, Thailand faced oil spills scattered across its beaches.

Oil spills can have lasting impacts on ecosystems, with effects continuing for years or even decades.