Report Sunburn Nightmare: British Teen’s Thailand Trip Derailed by Sun

[chilli42]

Why do so many people think that ultra violet light has anything to do with heat? Worst sunburn I ever had was while spring skiing.

[pacovl46]

9 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

Why do so many people think that ultra violet light has anything to do with heat? Worst sunburn I ever had was while spring skiing.

Because it is the UV light and snow reflects sunlight much more so than soil does! You can even get sunburned while sitting in the shade, if the surrounding buildings reflect the sunlight. Happened to me on a north facing hotel balcony in Pattaya once. 

[pacovl46]

Well, I guess she won’t be doing that anymore! Some lessons, although so obvious, need to be learned the hard way! 

[Wrwest]

I actually sympathize having once, with an ex, we spent almost a week inside recovering fro excessive sun in Florida. Growing up close to the New Jersey shore, we would lay out in the sun a good deal. I recall getting a good dark tan. Now at 78, just had another session getting the skin damage spots removed by laser ... again.

[Reddavy]

20 hours ago, quake said:

Bet she is going  to Uni next year. 

Already been. Has a diploma in idiocy 🤷🏼

[NobbyClarke]

500 baht to be snapped up as an influencer for a sun screen company!

In my day we were taught common sense. I doubt very much she swims in the English summer without sun screen 

This IMO was a well thought out scam

[Elkski]

Yes the sun is strong but I never had issues in Thailand by just doing the normal protective stuff.   I think the sun is a out the same at 5000' in cities such as Denver  12 today  and koh Samui Thailand.  

[MarkBR]

9 hours ago, save the frogs said:

actually, the article may seem silly but people forget to take precautions on vacation.

so it's a useful reminder.

and never underestimate the sun in thailand. while you're in it, you don't feel the sunburn right away. you only feel it afterwards. 

i got burned a while back. you don't even realize how much that sun is burning you until later on. 

 

 

Avoid the sun in Thailand & you can still get tanned.

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, MarkBR said:

Avoid the sun in Thailand & you can still get tanned.

 

There are quite a few rainy days.

Trying to get some sun without burning ... but who knows how much is enough? 

Maybe we need to test our blood Vitamin D levels , but I'm not really doing it and just playing it by ear.

 

[RMK54]

Come on! She's British, the epitome of white. The UK is statically overcast 78.7% of the time. When they do get a peek at the sun, it's still partially hidden by broken clouds. Koh Samui is at latitude 9.5° N and the UK 52° N. Given this perspective to the sun's rays is like selecting simmer on a gas stove compared to full on flame for boil or burn. Her skin is probably so white, the sun's rays were probably bending to be absorbed by her.

I have a son-in-law from Traverse City, Michigan, latitude 44° N, he is just like she is, a sun ray absorber. Now that he and my daughter live in Eastern North Carolina (35° N), she can cover him with a centimeter thick application of sunscreen and it just acts like a frying media on his skin. But, he knows that's how he is and seldom comes out without being covered with SPF clothing and a wide brimmed hat.

Me, for some reason, with Austrian/English bloodlines(or something like that), my skin is like my mothers and I brown from the rays coming through a window. I just don't burn. My dermatologist says I'm good to go!

So, after all this textual jabbering, I do feel sympathy for this young lady, but she had to know (or should have known) that she was susceptible to the intense rays of Koh Samui at 9.5° N. I bet she won't do that again!

[MarkyM3]

4 hours ago, RMK54 said:

Come on! She's British, the epitome of white. The UK is statically overcast 78.7% of the time. When they do get a peek at the sun, it's still partially hidden by broken clouds. Koh Samui is at latitude 9.5° N and the UK 52° N. Given this perspective to the sun's rays is like selecting simmer on a gas stove compared to full on flame for boil or burn. Her skin is probably so white, the sun's rays were probably bending to be absorbed by her.

I have a son-in-law from Traverse City, Michigan, latitude 44° N, he is just like she is, a sun ray absorber. Now that he and my daughter live in Eastern North Carolina (35° N), she can cover him with a centimeter thick application of sunscreen and it just acts like a frying media on his skin. But, he knows that's how he is and seldom comes out without being covered with SPF clothing and a wide brimmed hat.

Me, for some reason, with Austrian/English bloodlines(or something like that), my skin is like my mothers and I brown from the rays coming through a window. I just don't burn. My dermatologist says I'm good to go!

So, after all this textual jabbering, I do feel sympathy for this young lady, but she had to know (or should have known) that she was susceptible to the intense rays of Koh Samui at 9.5° N. I bet she won't do that again!

Not sure where you got your stats from but different parts of the UK get very different weather. So that may be true for some places but not where I live (South East England i.e. near London, where this girl comes from). Following the driest spring on record, it's been wall to wall sunshine for weeks here, 33c last 2 weekends, it's completely clear skies as I type this. I returned from winter in Thailand in early May and have seen virtually no rain here. There's a water shortage brewing in some places already.  

 

So yeah, she should have known better but as you say, the sun in Samui is intense, even compared to Spain etc. It's easy to burn even with cream on in my experience. No pollution layer either to mask it.

 

As for the most vocal critics on this thread, I wonder if they knew it all at that age.....probably hadn't even been abroad or popped their cherry in some cases. 😄 

[chilli42]

18 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

Because it is the UV light and snow reflects sunlight much more so than soil does! You can even get sunburned while sitting in the shade, if the surrounding buildings reflect the sunlight. Happened to me on a north facing hotel balcony in Pattaya once. 

Indeed. She was in the water the whole time to stay cool. Water amplifies the effect of UV (as does snow) through reflection. That said, UV and UV reflection is not temperature dependent.

[pacovl46]

11 hours ago, chilli42 said:

Indeed. She was in the water the whole time to stay cool. Water amplifies the effect of UV (as does snow) through reflection. That said, UV and UV reflection is not temperature dependent.

Happened to one of my sisters as well when she came to visit me in Thailand. I warned her multiple times about baking in the sun, especially since she came in February, which is winter time in Germany. She wouldn't listen and paid the price big time because on the secone evening the skin on her belly started to peel in sheets. My response was, I hate to tell you, but I told you so and I don't want to her any moaning about it either! Some people just have to learn the hard way! 

[watchcat]

On 7/4/2025 at 2:19 AM, klauskunkel said:

go-fund-her

 

She's probably waiting for replies.

[watchcat]

On 7/4/2025 at 3:12 AM, lamyai3 said:

I got sunburnt too as a teenager,

 

But there's risk for skin canser when you get older...

[Quentin Zen]

snorkling.  others were wearing a t-shirt.  suckers!!!!!!!!

 

turned out I was the sucker.

 

aloe vera solved it, but that wasn't fun

[GinBoy2]

7 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

But there's risk for skin canser when you get older...

Yeah it doesn't happen overnight.

 

I was 55 when it raised it's ugly head for me.

 

One of the downsides of living in Thailand is the ability to buy practically any medication you want without a prescription.

 

I'd self 'diagnosed' eczema on my cheek and was buying stronger and stronger cortisone creams until one day after the creams were just making the lesion on my face more angry when I was in BKK I went to see an actual doctor in Brumrungrad who did a biopsy bingo, cancer.

 

Skin cancer creeps up on you over decades, not overnight

[watchcat]

14 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Yeah it doesn't happen overnight.

 

I was 55 when it raised it's ugly head for me.

 

One of the downsides of living in Thailand is the ability to buy practically any medication you want without a prescription.

 

I'd self 'diagnosed' eczema on my cheek and was buying stronger and stronger cortisone creams until one day after the creams were just making the lesion on my face more angry when I was in BKK I went to see an actual doctor in Brumrungrad who did a biopsy bingo, cancer.

 

Skin cancer creeps up on you over decades, not overnight

 

So true.

[SAFETY FIRST]

costly lesson, costing Emilia valuable time and a hospital visit amounting to approximately 500 Thai Baht

500 baht doesn't seem too costly. 

 

Nice photo.

Reminds me of Debbie does Dallas 

 

 

[GinBoy2]

This is what the aftermath looks like!

[Blueman1]

On 7/4/2025 at 1:14 PM, AhFarangJa said:

I would hazard a guess there is a very long queue to do just that....

He Said " Go-FUND" Her NOT What you think he said !!!

[AhFarangJa]

7 hours ago, Blueman1 said:

He Said " Go-FUND" Her NOT What you think he said !!!

Ah......Not Fundle then.........

[GinBoy2]

On 7/6/2025 at 5:17 PM, SAFETY FIRST said:

costly lesson, costing Emilia valuable time and a hospital visit amounting to approximately 500 Thai Baht

500 baht doesn't seem too costly. 

 

Nice photo.

Reminds me of Debbie does Dallas 

 

 

You're showing your age.

 

The kids will have no idea of how icon porn 'Debbie Does Dallas' was