SONGKHLA: A large quantity of small porous stones have been washed ashore along the Gulf of Thailand in Songkhla and other southern provinces.
The greyish-green stones are tiny, spongy and lightweight, ranging from 0.3 - 3 centimetres in size. They were believed to be pumice stones from a volcanic eruption, but it was not known where they came from from.
Officials from Songkhla-based Regional Environment Office 16 and the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre for the lower Gulf of Thailand collected samples of the stones, which were sent to the Zone 4 Mineral Resources Office in Surat Thani province for examination.
The pumice was found along the shoreline at many spots, including Chalathat and Samila beaches and other popular tourist areas in Songkhla. It was also reported along the Gulf coastline in Narathiwat, Pattani and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces.
Officials saidit posed no threat to the environment or to marine life.
