2 Questions On Swimming In Pattaya/Jomtien Ocean

[SoiGirlHunter]

Well i like to swim at night and i have been warned by some thais not to swim because this time of year there are jellyfish in the water ????????????????

Second is it me or has the water gotten cleaner over the last month or so? I hardly see any trash floating around.

thx

sgh

[raro]

not sure whether it is jelly fish season, but don't try finding out the hard way! It is VERY nasty!

Cleaner water probably caused by less tourists?

[lonewolf99]

I hate to spoil anyones fun . But..

Swimming at night is maybe romantic? but dangerous. Heaven forbid if you get into dificulty - how will any one see you ? There are no life gaurds here.

See the other post on Pattaya forum about broken glass on the beach - it is hard to see clear glass in sand in the day time let alone at night.

Not so long ago 3 Russian men went swimming at night on Jomtien beach . Only 2 came back.

Not sure about the Jelly fish here - but any sting is painful.

The stray dogs like to use the beach as a toilet - not easy to see their mess at night.

Have I put you off yet ? If not ....Sanook :jap:

[AdmiralKen]

Our boat went out today to Koh Sak (next to Koh Larn) and I have been told that the water was full of them (jellyfish), including lots of small ones.

I personnaly saw lots around Koh Larn on Sunday and had to advise our customers on board to stop swimming for their safety.

I wouldn't swim at any of the mainland beaches for ANYTHING. Fortunately I dont have to.

Ken

Edited July 14, 2010 by 2slicesshort

[SoiGirlHunter]

OK thanks folks! i will stick to pools

so is the jellyfish seasonal? certain months to avoid the water?

take care

sgh

[johnlexo]

Our boat went out today to Koh Sak (next to Koh Larn) and I have been told that the water was full of them (jellyfish), including lots of small ones.

I personnaly saw lots around Koh Larn on Sunday and had to advise our customers on board to stop swimming for their safety.

I wouldn't swim at any of the mainland beaches for ANYTHING. Fortunately I dont have to.

Ken

Yes, last few days more and more jellyfish, small and large, also on Jomtien beaches. The water very cloudy (sewage?) First time in many months i got a swimmers ear (infection) that will keep me from swimming for a while. The broken glass issue has been around for years. Not only here, but also on Samui and even more on Samet/Ao Pai! Have seen some nasty injuries. Even more terrible if it happens to kids on their vacation. Lots of people collecting glass pieces. Once I asked a local guy from a resort on A Pai Beach, why there was so much broken glass. No flaming intended...: "So falang cut foot!" I never asked anybody again...!

[Neole]

I swam in pattaya beach around a month back at around 6 pm and was ok. The next day we swam in Jomtien around 7 pm and felt itching all over our bodies. Spotted a jellyfish floating next to me and got out of the water immediately. Havent swam at the beach since!

However I have swam at similar times at pattaya beach many times over the years without a problem. Not sure if its Jomtien specific as it was the first time I swam at Jomtien. But pattaya beach has been filthy of late so even without the jelly fish I cant get myself to swim there now.

[soihok]

I have stopped my kids going in the sea at Jomtien, well to stay within a metre from the beach anyway and I always stay around them, looking whats in the water as it can be trash, jellyfish, used pampers, etc, etc.

A few years ago my daughter (5) got stung by a jellyfish on her hand while playing in the sea there, it did'nt look like much at the time and I got some things from a chemist over the road to sort it out. Bad move, should have gone to hospital or urinated on it straight away. This wouldn't have impressed the wifes family though.

Some time later in the day there was a Scotsman who came up the beach and had taken the full fury of one across the side of his upper body and across his chest and it was s big sting. He was in pain.

Anyway, the daughter is scarred for life on the back of her hand. I dread to think how that poor Scots guy is.

Edited July 14, 2010 by soihok

[Crypt36]

I don't know about jellyfish season but I haven't seen alot of dead jellyfish laying around so I'm sure you'll be fine in the water. We all swim in Holland and there's jelly fish 100 fold compared to over here... I spot maybe 1 dead jellyfish a day on the beach here so there's not many.

Never swim when you're drunk period. Further more Pattaya doesn't have dangerous drifts or waves like a french ocean has so swimming at night is just fine. The beach is clean except for all the glass so wear shoes.

The water appears rather clean to me but I did smell like oil on 2 occasions but I do visit the beach every day.

Edited July 15, 2010 by Crypt36

[kopite]

I have stopped my kids going in the sea at Jomtien, well to stay within a metre from the beach anyway and I always stay around them, looking whats in the water as it can be trash, jellyfish, used pampers, etc, etc.

A few years ago my daughter (5) got stung by a jellyfish on her hand while playing in the sea there, it did'nt look like much at the time and I got some things from a chemist over the road to sort it out. Bad move, should have gone to hospital or urinated on it straight away. This wouldn't have impressed the wifes family though.

Some time later in the day there was a Scotsman who came up the beach and had taken the full fury of one across the side of his upper body and across his chest and it was s big sting. He was in pain.

Anyway, the daughter is scarred for life on the back of her hand. I dread to think how that poor Scots guy is.

same with our niece, i wasnt there, if i was i would have poured vinegar or urinated on the "wound", instead some thai fella just ripped the jellyfish off. result, a nasty scar.

also, in pattaya and jomtien waters, the itching that occurs is by algae, and not by jellyfish. divers in this area are well accustomed to it, especially when gassing off.

[raro]

We all swim in Holland and there's jelly fish 100 fold compared to over here... I spot maybe 1 dead jellyfish a day on the beach here so there's not many.

your jellyfish in Holland do not sting the way they do around here. I saw the scar on the leg of a friend of mine, looked like burned with a hot iron rod - after two years!

[Neole]

also, in pattaya and jomtien waters, the itching that occurs is by algae, and not by jellyfish. divers in this area are well accustomed to it, especially when gassing off.

Oh yes the itching I experienced was quite different from jellyfish stings. Algae explains it.

[Utterlyuseful]

very many nasty j-fish stings in Pattaya(and deaths in other parts of country)......would be wary at night of unlit boaters and other nite critter marine life as well.....

[kopite]

also, in pattaya and jomtien waters, the itching that occurs is by algae, and not by jellyfish. divers in this area are well accustomed to it, especially when gassing off.

Oh yes the itching I experienced was quite different from jellyfish stings. Algae explains it.

not sure if your being sarcastic or not, but if you were stung by a jelly, it would of felt like...well a sting. rather than an itching

[Jingthing]

Thanks for the warning. I had thought dirty water was good enough reason not to go into the local drink.

[deejah]

not to scare anyone but a heads up and some info

feel free to reply to this

about 2 months ago i was swimming in a very isolated area on kho larn

i think i was stung on the leg by a ray of some sort

long branch or twig like thing with some kind of barb

felt like electricity when my leg came into contact

it bled and hurt just a little for a short time

a couple of days later my foot started to get numb

my foot has been half numb now for two months

not getting better but not getting worse

still not sure what stung me

you can see my post

i will not go in over my head anymore nor will i swim if i cant see in the water

i also notice scum on the water

scary

could be human excrement for all i know

much worse in pattaya than kho larn

also itch when coming out

i thought it was oil in/on the water

[deejah]

the thread about the MONSTER in the water

[Pdavies99]

Yes, jelly fish are around, I have seen many in deep waters.:jap:

No the water is still filthy, rather the tide at the moment is taking rubbish out to sea

g

not sure whether it is jelly fish season, but don't try finding out the hard way! It is VERY nasty!

Cleaner water probably caused by less tourists?

[naidraw66]

I don't know about jellyfish season but I haven't seen alot of dead jellyfish laying around so I'm sure you'll be fine in the water. We all swim in Holland and there's jelly fish 100 fold compared to over here... I spot maybe 1 dead jellyfish a day on the beach here so there's not many.

Never swim when you're drunk period. Further more Pattaya doesn't have dangerous drifts or waves like a french ocean has so swimming at night is just fine. The beach is clean except for all the glass so wear shoes.

The water appears rather clean to me but I did smell like oil on 2 occasions but I do visit the beach every day.

Not many "BOX" Jelly fish in Holland my friend . . . . .

jellyfish_stings.html

[jori]

Jellyfish season is almost upon us,lasts about 6 weeks or so,and then they vanish<br>

[smedly]

I have lived in pattaya for 5 years and been coming here for 8 and I have never once had a swim in the sea either in pattaya or jomtien day or night, the water is absolutly filthy, everything here and up the coast gets flushed right in there, I have gone swimming at Larn Island where the water is a little cleaner, they test the water all over europe and in the US and rate beaches and even close them if the water is poor, do any of you think the water off pattaya and jomtien would be passed for swimming in europe ? I don't think so, Larn Island might just make it.

[canopus1969]

Not really from Jomtien/Pattaya but this is the result of a jelly fish sting on my legs 2 days ago in Koh Chang - stings like hel_l !!

[Neole]

also, in pattaya and jomtien waters, the itching that occurs is by algae, and not by jellyfish. divers in this area are well accustomed to it, especially when gassing off.

Oh yes the itching I experienced was quite different from jellyfish stings. Algae explains it.

not sure if your being sarcastic or not, but if you were stung by a jelly, it would of felt like...well a sting. rather than an itching

Wasnt being sarcastic. Its just that we were itching like crazy and then seeing jellyfish so thought it could be some species of jellyfish that doesnt sting so bad. Algae is the better explanation which we hadnt thought of.

[frenchfarangjomtien]

Hi,

Can you find the giant jelly fish in Thailand ? Box jelly fish ?

Thanks.

[asiancup2007]

A picture is worth a thousand.......

[kopite]

Hi,

Can you find the giant jelly fish in Thailand ? Box jelly fish ?

Thanks.

yes, a box jellyfish was spotted in sattahip, by a well known, very experienced local diver. although very rare.

a tiger shark was also spotted a few years ago

[Aikido]

A picture is worth a thousand.......

when i lived in Patters we used to go to Bang saray beech its a lot cleaner than Pattaya or jomtiem or it was back then its probably just as bad now dont know as ive not been for a while but many people used to swim there,

its located just past Ban amphur traffic lights about 200 metres on the right theres also a beech farther up the road about 3 cliks up on the right also called Bang saray for some reason.

As these beeches are a bit father out youll need a bike or car to get there, its about 12 cliks from jomtiem.

[tuffy]

A picture is worth a thousand.......

That is absolutely disgusting, where is it?

[tropiccapricorn]

I have been living in Jomtien for some time and I see this strech of brown water along the beach

every day. Why the hel_l do they build condos, condos, condos all the time never adjusting the

infrastructure. Of course that wouldn't cash like condos but recently I read in a european

newspaper a warning about murky beaches in LOS. Maybe when that sinks in, it would generate

some negative cash when they find cleaner beaches wherever.

[ZZZ]

According to the Government's Beach Index, based on water samples and various other criteria, Pattaya and Jomtien beach rate 3 of 5 (moderate). The beaches on Koh Larn get a 4 (Good), the beaches on Koh Samet get 4's and 5's (very good). Bang Sare, south of Na Jomtien is getting a 3, the water is not that good down there as they are not connected to the treatment plant.

Data from some water samples collected 30 March 2010, I'm not sure about the exact locations for theses samples. There were a number of tests done, only the categories where high values were flagged are listed here:

_________________________Nitrate Phosphate Total coliform Free collection coliform Enterococci

Jomtien (central)_________15.3_____6.7___________9_____________20_________________________45

Pattaya (sailing club)____66.8____11.3__________70_____________52_________________________51

Pattaya (Grand Palace)___164.3____12.8__________49_____________14_________________________33

Pattaya (Pak klong)_______14.0____12.2_________240____________104_________________________43

Koh Larn___________________2.0_____6.0__________17_____________<1__________________________6

Naklua (market)___________16.3___196.7_______92000____________220_______________________1600

So for bacteria it looks ok to go for a swim in Pattay or Jomtien as long as you stay clear of the northern end of Pattaya beach and Naklua. Best is of course to get out to Koh Larn or Koh Samet.

All data from Pollution Control Department: http://www.pcd.go.th The Beach Index with ratings for 195 beaches in Thailand can also be found there.