Jellyfish - November 2020

[Barnabe]

I’m guessing the jellyfish season has ended, it’s safe to swim now?

 

On a related note, if I wanted to buy a jellyfish protection suit and shoes, where could I do so in Hua Hin? I’m guessing a thin surfing suit would do?

[Aussiepeter]

Hi Barnabe - only a few years ago one young German backpacker lass in her early 20's died and another girl suffered horrendously, when they went for a swim, from memory at Samui. Chironex (sea-wasp) or box jellyfish stung both of them. Deadly creatures, well known down here in The great South Land of Oz. Unsafe to swim in the north here in rainy season. No warning signs in any international language in Thailand at the time. Probably still none either. LOS is all about $ and zilch about safety, so you are clever to ask. All you need is a layer of something to stop them. It does not need much. The stingers can get you on any unprotected skin. Rubber booties, a thin wetsuit or even just pantyhose will protect you ! Seriously ! I'd go for neoprene myself though. Don't forget your face - in 1972 I raced a young bloke to hospital on the Queensland Gold Coast, after he and I were surfing and he got severely stung across his face by "blue-bottles" or Portuguese Man-o-war jellyfish. Lastly, don't touch the tentacles either, without gloves ! Enjoy the ocean - I just hope you can find a bit of it in LOS that is not filthy and polluted. 

[Barnabe]

Thanks, but how is the situation right now? I usually avoid Hua Hin during the rainy season but would like to go there within the next few weeks.

[Tchooptip]

8 hours ago, Barnabe said:

Thanks, but how is the situation right now? I usually avoid Hua Hin during the rainy season but would like to go there within the next few weeks.

I am asking the same question for Samui, but since the Lamai beach is empty not many Thais to ask, the other years the many Thais working on the beach know about it, so I dare not go swimming now.

[pikao]

Unlike Australia, Thailand does not have a determined season for jellyfish. There seems to be a concentration of encounters around July/August but they are here all year. Camille Lemmens (Samui) is running an interesting website about the subject. I am importing "Stinger Suits" from Australia https://stingersuits.com/

If you are interested, please contact me and I can send you one/some

[theoldgit]

I walk along the beach in Hua Hin on most days, there are numerous jellyfish washed up on the beach every day, I can only assume there are plenty more in the sea.

There are a few people in the sea, and many of those are youngsters near the edge, I've seen no evidence of people being stung, that doesn't mean they're not.

[1FinickyOne]

15 hours ago, Aussiepeter said:

LOS is all about $ and zilch about safety,

Really? They have closed the entire country to tourists for safety against covid... foregoing the lucrative tourism business... which is all about safety and nothing about $$

15 hours ago, Aussiepeter said:

I just hope you can find a bit of it in LOS that is not filthy and polluted. 

But, maybe you are just one of those who likes to take shots at Thailand... 

[Mbolo]

Just for info.....I’ve been swimming daily in Hua Hin for many years in swimming trunks. Never been bitten/stung. 

[Brunolem]

57 minutes ago, Mbolo said:

Just for info.....I’ve been swimming daily in Hua Hin for many years in swimming trunks. Never been bitten/stung. 

Just a matter of luck/bad luck.

 

My son went swimming in Hua Hin only once and was badly stung.

 

Almost 10 years later, he still has the mark on his skin.

 

For us Hua Hin is now about walking on the beach and swimming in the pool next to the beach...

[Barnabe]

I've swam in Hua Hin many times and never got stung. But I always avoid the rainy season. Every year it varies, for example this year I was swimming there up until beginning of July and everything was fine, but the year before there were plenty of jellyfish in June and I couldn't swim.

 

My question is regarding the current situation, as it is, right now in early November 2020. If there's no jellyfish on the beach, it's usually a good indication everything is fine. But the rainy season was a bit late this year, so who knows...

[Tom89]

I just spent 1 week in Cha Am, right down the coast from HH. I didn't see any jellyfish there.

[BTB1977]

No

[3STTW]

This pic from south Jomtien beach just a couple of days ago, nasty blob of pain!

[Fairynuff]

There is no season for jellyfish, they’re always there, sometimes more than others. I speak from personal experience having been badly stung and had a particularly bad reaction. I now have some pretty bad scarring.

[hotchilli]

On 11/7/2020 at 7:25 PM, Barnabe said:

I’m guessing the jellyfish season has ended, it’s safe to swim now?

 

On a related note, if I wanted to buy a jellyfish protection suit and shoes, where could I do so in Hua Hin? I’m guessing a thin surfing suit would do?

The season is usually May through to October with August being the the one to watch.

You can buy suits via Lazada delivered to your home.