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Aussie woman zaps back to life after electrifying encounter with deadly jellyfish near Koh Pha Ngan


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We’re getting WAY off topic here, but I understand “‘sentience” as having some element of self awareness or consciousness. Current AI is all “weak AI”, ie having zero self awareness, even if it can effortlessly defeat the human world chess or Go champion, or even pass the Turing test. Strong AI is AI that’s self aware and so consequently should have the same legal rights as humans We’re nowhere near there yet, although a few would disagree. 

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6 hours ago, LosLobo said:

The monsoon season or the 'wet' in FNQ is typically from November to May.

The monsoon season in Thailand varies depending on the coast.

 

On the west coast of Thailand, including areas like Phuket and Krabi, the monsoon season typically lasts from May to October.

 

However, the east coast of Thailand, including islands like Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, experiences its monsoon season a bit differently. 

These areas begin their monsoon season later in the year, experiencing heavy rainfall from October to December.

 

 

  

Not exactly - there are 2 monsoons in Thailand - the Southwest from the Indian ocean and the Northeast from China.

The Northeast starts around November and brings about nationally the cool dry season.

It is not clear how the 2 monsoons would affect the life cycle of regional box-jellies. They appear in almost all waters on both sides of Thailand.

On Samui archipelago th Northeast picks up moisture from the Gulf of Siam and drops it on those islands and parts of the South - it usually clears up around end of December to the beginning of Jan. They still have the normal "wet" season from May onwards, it's just that the isles are sheltered from the worst by the Kra isthmus.

There has been little research into the local box-jelly natural history and assumptions are made that it was similar to the Queensland species which spawns in estuaries between October and June on that side of the tropics.

However the numbers of incidents in Thailand are too low to suggest a "season".

Furthermore, AFAIA, there has as yet been no confirmed source of the box-jellies (Irukandji have a differing life cycle, too) - If they spawn in estuaries, which ones do they spawn in? - Box-jellies are capable of swimming as fast as a human can but I can’t find information of where from or how they migrate in Thailand - are they spawning on the islands (there aren't that many estuaries) or are they migrating from the mainland?

It is also known that corals and other marine animals' life cycle may be affected by lunar cycles.

 

 

 

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13 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Yes I was wondering where they got it, in Oz it is on the beaches to use, but IMO here it would just get stolen. Golden shower being the alternative.

NEVER piss on a box-jelly sting - it is a dangerous myth.

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2 hours ago, NedR69 said:

Who carries bottles of vinegar to the beach?

THe beaches are meant to have vinegar stations  - but they are often neglected and fall into disuse

THe usually cycle after a stinger incident in Thailand is a bit of precautions after an incident and then everyone conveniently forgets about it.

Some resorts do these days put stinger nets up - anyone staying should check if they are still there.

TH original signs put up warning of jellies were just a joke - a jumble of hopeless images - basically local busnesses don't want to get a bad reputation for these life-threatening animals.

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41 minutes ago, kwilco said:

 

 

  

Not exactly - there are 2 monsoons in Thailand - the Southwest from the Indian ocean and the Northeast from China.

The Northeast starts around November and brings about nationally the cool dry season.

It is not clear how the 2 monsoons would affect the life cycle of regional box-jellies. They appear in almost all waters on both sides of Thailand.

On Samui archipelago th Northeast picks up moisture from the Gulf of Siam and drops it on those islands and parts of the South - it usually clears up around end of December to the beginning of Jan. They still have the normal "wet" season from May onwards, it's just that the isles are sheltered from the worst by the Kra isthmus.

There has been little research into the local box-jelly natural history and assumptions are made that it was similar to the Queensland species which spawns in estuaries between October and June on that side of the tropics.

However the numbers of incidents in Thailand are too low to suggest a "season".

Furthermore, AFAIA, there has as yet been no confirmed source of the box-jellies (Irukandji have a differing life cycle, too) - If they spawn in estuaries, which ones do they spawn in? - Box-jellies are capable of swimming as fast as a human can but I can’t find information of where from or how they migrate in Thailand - are they spawning on the islands (there aren't that many estuaries) or are they migrating from the mainland?

It is also known that corals and other marine animals' life cycle may be affected by lunar cycles.

 

 

 

You are right about lunar cycles. Many beaches in Hawaii post warning signs. Until now I never knew that box jellies elsewhere were so dangerous.

https://www.hawaii-aloha.com/blog/5-things-to-know-about-box-jellyfish-in-hawaii/

Edited by Hawaiian
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7 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

You are right about lunar cycles. Many beaches in Hawaii post warning signs. Until now I never knew that box jellies elsewhere were so dangerous.

https://www.hawaii-aloha.com/blog/5-things-to-know-about-box-jellyfish-in-hawaii/

I used to live in Queensland and they have been familiar with the main box-jellies for over a century there the first recorded death was 1883 - I'm surprised that the poor woman didn't realise they existed around Thailand.

In Thailand there is evidence of box-jellies going way back but for it to be a rweal problem, you need more people in the sea - 30 years ago the number of scantily clad  people in the sea was much lower and Thai people used to swim fully clothed.

 

Rember too that there are dozens of species of box-jellies so you can't attribute the same life cycle to each one.

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58 minutes ago, kwilco said:

THe beaches are meant to have vinegar stations  - but they are often neglected and fall into disuse

THe usually cycle after a stinger incident in Thailand is a bit of precautions after an incident and then everyone conveniently forgets about it.

Some resorts do these days put stinger nets up - anyone staying should check if they are still there.

TH original signs put up warning of jellies were just a joke - a jumble of hopeless images - basically local busnesses don't want to get a bad reputation for these life-threatening animals.

A few years ago, I was at Dontan beach (Jomtien) when a young child was sting by a Jellyfish.

We brought the boy to the emergency cabin on the beach and they called directly an ambulance.

While waiting for the ambulance, a 1st aid guy from the cabin prepared a mixture of plant leaves that were cultivated at the cabin and applied it on the Sting area.

The next day I meet the same tourists and apparently the boys life was saved by the mixture.

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29 minutes ago, Confuscious said:

A few years ago, I was at Dontan beach (Jomtien) when a young child was sting by a Jellyfish.

We brought the boy to the emergency cabin on the beach and they called directly an ambulance.

While waiting for the ambulance, a 1st aid guy from the cabin prepared a mixture of plant leaves that were cultivated at the cabin and applied it on the Sting area.

The next day I meet the same tourists and apparently the boys life was saved by the mixture.

THat is of course rubbish - you are just recalling some anecdote.

You don't know what jellyfish it was and although there is a folk medicimne habit of doing this, it hasn't been proven.

tHe main thing about a box-jelly sting is that the tentacles keep on stinging as bits of tentacle attach to the sking.

You shouldn’t touch or compress the sting. Additionally, avoid rinsing the area with fresh water, alcohol, or ice packs. The application of these substances can cause more toxins to come out and make the sting worse. so, if you rub with any poultice or try to remove them they ire more venom into the body and increase the chances of death - that is why it is recommended that you pour vinegar over the tentacles for about 30 seconds - it doesn't help with the pain but it it paralyses the 'cnidocytes" that release the stingings.

so rubbing anything on the tentacles is likely. to make the sting worse.

Treating a bluebottle sting is not the same as the box-jelly.

Edited by kwilco
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6 hours ago, NedR69 said:

Who carries bottles of vinegar to the beach?

Someone who is aware and prepared,not many I grant you and such a cheap and easy treatment really should be widely available at beaches. But TIT. 

I always have a dive bag containing my fins ,snorkel etc. so from now on I’m going to ensure a large bottle of vinegar is included.

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2 hours ago, kwilco said:

THat is of course rubbish - you are just recalling some anecdote.

You don't know what jellyfish it was and although there is a folk medicimne habit of doing this, it hasn't been proven.

tHe main thing about a box-jelly sting is that the tentacles keep on stinging as bits of tentacle attach to the sking.

You shouldn’t touch or compress the sting. Additionally, avoid rinsing the area with fresh water, alcohol, or ice packs. The application of these substances can cause more toxins to come out and make the sting worse. so, if you rub with any poultice or try to remove them they ire more venom into the body and increase the chances of death - that is why it is recommended that you pour vinegar over the tentacles for about 30 seconds - it doesn't help with the pain but it it paralyses the 'cnidocytes" that release the stingings.

so rubbing anything on the tentacles is likely. to make the sting worse.

Treating a bluebottle sting is not the same as the box-jelly.

Some excellent informative posts Kwilco ,and as a diver agree totally with this especially. I’m going to include a bottle of vinegar in my dive bag from now on.

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15 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

Got stung by a jelly fish in Hua Hin.  I didn't see it, so have no idea what type it was but it also felt like an electric shock and I collapsed in the sea, as I was waist high. It hurt like hell for 24 hours and was then septic oozing pus for 3 months, eventually leaving a scar behind. I don't know if it was a box jelly or not but it might have been, even though I didn't pass out or feel it was life threatening.

 

Previous jelly fish stings just felt like an irritation in the sea that got worse over a few hours but very low intensity compared to the one in Hua Hin.  After the sting a lot of people told me about others who had been stung badly in Hua Hin. One guy's little girl got such a bad scar on her stomach she wouldn't wear a bikini when she grew up.  Another girl ended up with a scar on her face.

 

Anyway Thai waters are infested with various species of jelly fish, as well as sea lice, some of which are extremely dangerous. Better to use the swimming pool.

Totally agree . In all my years 20  years in coming / staying in Thailand  I have never swam in the sea because of hidden dangers including rip tides , pollution and aquatic life . Many tourists to Thailand who have had beach holidays in Europe think that the Thai sea in the same way as the Mediterranean which is almost non-tidal . I had the misfortune to witness a drowned  21 year old Irish guy being pulled up to the beach , from the sea , by fishermen on Koh Samui . 

               I once spoke to a Swiss swimming instructor also had worked as a life guard . He used to swim a long way off shore in Phuket .Until one day he met a pair of Barracudas . He now swims close to the shore . He mentioned rip tides and how to get away from them but also whirlpools which are rarer . Only way to survive them is to dive into the whirl to the seabed and then swim along the sea bed until you are out of the range of the whirl . But you have to be very fit and strong swimmer to do that .

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6 hours ago, Confuscious said:

 

This is just FOOLISH! - It just shows how little you understand about the whole topic.

You post one quote from a commercial (quack) web site that has absolutely nothing to do with the Box- Jelly which is one of the most venomous creatures on the planet. If you follow that site you would actually increase your chances of death.

If you rub anything on the tentacles stuck to the body you accelerate the injection of one of the most deadly venoms on the planet.

Bless them - even they don't claim protection against the Box-jelly venom - do you actually know what it does??? It's nothing to do with inflammation it gets in the bloodstream and destroys your internal functions you can't rub oil on your heart! - it causes cutaneous pain, inflammation and necrosis, hypertension followed by hypotension, cardiovascular collapse, and cardiac arrest. Do what do you think tea-tree oil will do for that?

Edited by kwilco
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On 1/22/2024 at 1:38 PM, harrycallahan said:

She's lucky they had vinegar handy, given the alternative treatment. 

 

And lucky they knew it is a remedy. I sure learned something today.

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On 1/22/2024 at 1:33 PM, crazykopite said:

A young 7 year old boy had the same encounter on the beach in Hadrin a year or two ago unfortunately he wasn’t as lucky and died of his injuries 

I was aware of that death as I lay writhing on the restaurant floor.  I speak Thai.  Thai onlookers were saying "Look at that farang - he will be dead in 5 minutes!!"

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