Jellyfish on Thailand's beaches

In many places there are information boards and warning signs on the beaches. Especially in the coastal areas of the Andaman Sea (areas around Phuket, Koh Lanta, Krabi and Khao Lak) as well as the islands in the Gulf of Thailand (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan but also on the mainland coast around Hua Hin to Pattaya) It comes especially in the rainy season to large jellyfish populations. When the sea is churned, the jellyfish are driven by the current to the beach. Occasionally there are some dead specimens.

Some of the jellyfish species are rather harmless and cause "only" redness and itching or stinging pain. Other species like the "cube jellyfish" are deadly to the swimmer on a bite / touch! In October 2015 there was a disaster on Koh Samui with a German tourist who fell into a coma after a jellyfish bite and later died in hospital. Since then, there are reports of jellyfish sightings and jellyfish biting.

Once in contact with the tentacles (tentacles) of the jellyfish, it secretes a nettle poison, which discharges on the skin. Even the smallest contact with the nettles can cause hellish pain. The pain is accompanied by redness, blisters / blisters to dizziness, nausea and allergic shock reactions or even heart failure. Depending on jellyfish, e.g. Portuguese galere or jellyfish may be deadly bite!

Patients often suffer from itching and touch sensitivity months after a jellyfish injury by these jellyfish species, occasionally also with scarring.

On some popular beaches (including Phuket, Koh Chang, Koh Lanta) signs on the right behavior in a bite declared (multilingual). In addition, there are also first-aid kits with vinegar. In some cases, first aid kits are also available in the larger hotels near the beach.

Applying vinegar should neutralize the poison of the jellyfish. It is also important to keep calm, because not every kind of jellyfish is poisonous!

1. The wounds should be rinsed immediately with salt water (NEVER use fresh water, mineral water or alcohol!)
2. Affected areas of the skin should not be touched or moved unnecessarily
3. The affected areas of the skin should never be rubbed off with a towel, as even intact nettles can burst and thus give off even more poison!
4. If vinegar is present, the wounds can be rinsed off!
5. Helpers can sprinkle sand onto the skin area, allow it to dry slightly and then scrape off the nettles with a credit card, for example.
6. Depending on the general condition of the bitten, consult a doctor or hospital as allergic shock reactions may occur!
   Emergency telephone number for an ambulance: 1669

A doctor should be consulted whenever the bite indicates severe allergic reactions. It can be:

1. Dizziness / drowsiness, no longer responsive
2. if in the bitten already allergic reactions are known in advance (for example, allergy to insect venom, etc.)
3. for very large burns
4. with bad wound healing

The length of the welts on the skin, which was caused by the contact with the tentacles, provides information about the degree of poisoning.

At a

•      Total length of 2 to 4 meters in children and
•      a total length of more than 6 meters in adults

there is an acute danger to life.

Then the bitten person must go urgently to the ambulance!