Sharks In Thailand ?

[Belfastboy]

was just wondering why the lack of sharks in Thailands coastal areas? not that im complaining....but u never hear of any sightings or attacks thank god...

the mrs reckons its beacause the local fishermen catch them to eat??

or maybe im totally wrong...myabe there is sharks out there....(and i dont meant he ones in the pattaya bars )

[BambinA]

was just wondering why the lack of sharks in Thailands coastal areas? not that im complaining....but u never hear of any sightings or attacks thank god...

the mrs reckons its beacause the local fishermen catch them to eat??

or maybe im totally wrong...myabe there is sharks out there....(and i dont meant he ones in the pattaya bars  )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

about enviroment , temp etc ...we have shraks here ,YES ..but rare

anyhow, fisherman here dont catch em much , rare to find.. just some species which have small size

Bambi

[Totster]

Plenty of sharks in LOS.... with a hunger for Baht...

totster

[andyadam]

Great White.........Present in just about every sea in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[khall64au]

Great White.........Present in just about every sea in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well.... I wondered exactly the same thing when I first arrived here from the Land of the Great White Sharks (and many other shark species that like to nibble on human bits).

I was told " No sharks here mate... the Thai's ate them all!"

Therefore I feel very safe swimming at the local clear water beaches but, still can't bring myself to jump overboard off a boat in the murky depths of Phang Nga Bay... having grown up with an innate radar for shark-infested waters - you just never, never know!

[bkkmadness]

Plenty of sharks of the coast of Thailand, you can see the common black tip reef sharks with just a quick snorkel off the coast of Koh Tao.

Attacks and Great Whites and all those dangers you tend to associate with sharks are limited to certain places around the world, such as Africa, the American West Coast and Australia. Of course the lack of surfers here also cuts down the amount of attacks.

[penelope]

Plenty of sharks of the coast of Thailand, you can see the common black tip reef sharks with just a quick snorkel off the coast of Koh Tao.

Attacks and Great Whites and all those dangers you tend to associate with sharks are limited to certain places around the world, such as Africa, the American West Coast and Australia.  Of course the lack of surfers here also cuts down the amount of attacks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Whale Shark

[daleyboy]

Plenty of sharks in Thailand

Check this link out. Beware sharks lurking

http://hjem.get2net.dk/thaihaj-LB/page_1.htm

[WhiteShiva]

I worked offshore in the GUT for a few years, and it was not uncommon to spot whale sharks (I know, not really a shark) from time to time - beautiful, graceful creatures.

Also saw dolphins, turtles, lots of different types of sea snakes, lots of fish - but never heard of anyone seing a shark. Doesn' mean they are not there, though....

[johnh101]

The Beach with Leonardo De Crapio had two (Tiger?) sharks in it ??????

But then again it also had LDC.

[Goldenbead]

I was going to go snorkelling off the beach on Coral Island (off Phuket) and got as far as about thigh deep in the water. Stuck my head under for a quick look and came eyeball to eyeball with a shark! It was not a big one, about 4 feet long but I hightailed it out of there so fast. Hubby and friend were rushing in to check it out but I am sure the thing swam away as fast as I ran. LOL. Needless to say they didn not see it and I did not go snorkelling after all.

[Firefan]

I saw a (big) Bull Shark about 10 meters away in the Similans - those are not pretty and the fact that they can live in fresh water and swims up rivers to attack cattle (and humans) Etc. says something about this shark.

It is in the top 3 (if not number 1 depending on who made the stats) of human attacks in the world.

Cheers!

[Old Croc]

The price for shark fin ($100+ per kilo) for the famous gormet soup dish in Hong Kong and China ensures that shark are scarce in asian waters.

Scores of Indonesian fishing boats are arrested in Australian waters every year as the fishermen risk prosecution and confiscation of their boats for the huge profits they can make. The resource is almost extinct in their traditional fishing grounds so they venture further and further away to fish.

Their method of cutting off the fins and returning the live shark to the water to die a slow death is particularly cruel.

You will find sharks in every ocean, but the chances of a large dangerous one attacking someone in Thai waters would be almost non existant.

(now an Old croc would be a different story!)

[aughie]

Depending on the species shark meat is high in uric acid so it spoils quickly. Which is why it probably isn't offered up, but I bet they have figured out a way to make fish balls out of it.

[kurgen]

Slightly of topic but,

There is a new Chinese restaurant opening next to Royal Garden in Pattaya.They have a large sign advertising the fact that they do shark fin soup.

Hopefully they will go out of business very quickly

[dee_jai_maak_maak]

was just wondering why the lack of sharks in Thailands coastal areas? not that im complaining....but u never hear of any sightings or attacks thank god...

I have seen leopard sharks and reef sharks while diving in the Andaman Sea near Ko Lanta. Both species are fairly harmless.

I am sure there are whale sharks (also harmless to man) near the Similans (not seen any though).

[350torana]

Great White.........Present in just about every sea in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I reckon a white pointer in Thai waters would be very, very rare. They prefer temperate waters Southern Aussie, West and NE coast of US, southern Africa , Northern Asia, South America and the Med sea(can never spell it)

Most shark spieces in Thailand are harmless . But, a few have a record of attacking humans. Tiger sharks would be my main worry when swimming here , not sure about Bulls or Whalers . Further out from the coast there are Blue and Oceanic White tips who have are regarded as dangerous sharks

Edited August 3, 2005 by 350torana

[mcfester]

Sharks are for sale all the time at Samui market, taste really nice.

[Thaiboxer]

In addition to blood, sharks are also attracted to garbage (food/fish scraps) and sewage. Large piers where people fish would be a prime location as would beaches which are polluted with sewage from hotels and other businesses. Pattaya is an example of such a beach. Although the waters have been cleaned up a lot (2 water treatment plants in operation now) some sewage still gets pumped in there. I think the last shark attack (which was fatal) occurred off Koh Phanga in 1999. There are have been far more attacks in the US than here in Thailand but the potential for one is definitely there. Along with all the usual precautions, stick to clean beaches/islands.

Still, you're far more likely to have a landshark (Weekend Market vendor) take a bite out of your wallet than a real shark take a bite out of your leg

[ProfessorFart]

The market for Shark Fins has decimated Thailand's shark population. Bloody Chinese. Is there any endangered species they don't eat?

In addition to this, consider that Thailand's coastal waters are also polluted and overfished (especially in the Gulf) hence a lack of a food supply.

Tiger Sharks are probably the biggest sharks found close to Thailand's holiday beaches but even they are rare. I once saw one which had been washed up the previous day in Rayong. The stench was absolutely horrific but enough about me, the shark also niffed a bit. He gave off the general attitude that suggested to me that this was not a shark to stand any rannygazoo should he come home unexpectedly to find you wearing his slippers, smoking his favorite pipe, having just finished off asteamy love session with mrs shark.

[kiwi fishing bangkok]

I have seen large amounts of sharks in thailand, and they scared even me who has game fished all my life. they tend to hang around in large packs around Nana hotel and that area, they can make you feel like a little fish in a big pond!!

[lookchin]

hey actually there are a lot of sharks around koh phi phi don, i went diving there and swam with a few, only maybe reef sharks of 1-1.5 metres long but great fun! It was a nice experience, and i took some great underwater footage! there is some great fishing to be had there too! I used to go to a restaurant in Koh samui, had lamai, around about 5 years ago. They guys there used to cook a nice shark steak with pineapple on top! fantastic food! If you want shark fishing, go to the east coast of Australia for a holiday! the coast is so clear you can actually see the sharks sleeping at the bottom of the ocean without even having to get into the water! there are a lot of 'friendly' (hmmm) reef sharks around 1-2 metres and you can swim with them without fear of getting bit. It is one of those amazing memories to swim with them, but i always found myself swimming back to the shore with my eyes focused on them, just in case they didnt like my aftershave!

you have re-ignited my passion for fishing!

Lookchin

[davidbkk]

I saw a few reef sharks snorkelling off Ko Tao. Didnt even need a boat, less than 50m from land.

[britmaveric]

Tiger Sharks too...least seen photos from other divers, none personally.

[DragonQuest]

I just had shark fin soup at grand diamond hotel by pantip plaza in patunam for 500 baht, dam that stuff is good^^ , i went to pattaya and they said there were no sharks, but i dont trust anyone either^^

[cleggit]

I've done a lot of diving round the Similan Islands and seen plenty of black tip, white tip and leopard sharks - all perfectly harmless (i hope). Also seen a few reef sharks around Koh Tao.

I'm interested to hear the stories of Tiger and Bull sharks in the waters around LOS - I'd been assured by various diving instructors there are no dangerous sharks. Reading these posts however makes me think this might have been a sales pitch !

Think i'll be a bit more wary next time i get wet

[meadish_sweetball]

In the 10 years I have been following Thai related news, I have never seen or heard of a shark incident. Not by tourists/travellers either.

[Ayutthaya]

Here are a few loan sharks

[beammeup]

I saw a (big) Bull Shark about 10 meters away in the Similans - those are not pretty and the fact that they can live in fresh water and swims up rivers to attack cattle (and humans) Etc. says something about this shark.

It is in the top 3 (if not number 1 depending on who made the stats) of human attacks in the world.

Cheers!

I went on a fishing tournament off Satun around the Butangs (Ko Lipe Adang etc...) several years ago. Most of the fish cought an display after the event were either Sail fish or Baracuda. But there was this great big mean looking Bull shark about 2.5m long. Of all the maybe 200 fish on display there was only one shark. If you read the book Pirates of Taroutao. They say back in WW2 days the waters were shark infested so much that no one woud dare try to swim away (Tarutao was a prison island). If you ever go to Had Yai you will see hundreds of Shark fin soup fins on display in the shop windows its pretty pathetic some are from whale sharks. The Chinese (Singaporians usually) love it. The Thais dont eat it. I did see a large shark 100miles offshore on the east coast and several whale sharks. Now that tourism is down in the south maybe the sharks will make a comeback

[sbk]

I think the last shark attack (which was fatal) occurred off Koh Phanga in 1999. There are have been far more attacks in the US than here in Thailand but the potential for one is definitely there.

That wasn't a shark attack. The man who died was bit in the leg and the arm by what was most likely a large barracuda and died because he bled out in the truck going over the mountain.

And just in case you're curious about my source, it was my father-in-law who saw the body at the Wat and, as a lifelong local and fisherman, noticed that the teeth marks were not the same as for a shark bite.