box jellyfish in thailand

[marko kok prong]

not sure if the right forum,but i am thinking of going for a holiday to koh chang[i live in petchabun province,just wondering about box jellyfish down there,from what i remember from Aus, mostly off the mainland near river mouths,as however i will be heading to the far south of koh chang away from the tourist hordes i thought some one might have info,have been before in 1995,don't recall any problems unlike koh lanta,where i was constantly irritated by small stinging jellyfish,i do have some full length cycling pants and shirt,which i know like stinger suits in aus provide protection,but really do not want have to don this ensemble before swimming/snorkelling,any constructive feedback would be great.

[tim armstrong]

I lived on Koh Chang for 1.5 years and never heard of a box jellyfish scare, and I knew some of the dive companies It sounds like you are going past Bang Bao somewhere. I would just ask at the dive shops in White Sands - the first settlement you will come to.

[marko kok prong]

Tim ,thanks for your info,always thought maybe a threat closer to mainland,but as i will be at some isolated beaches,thought i would throw it out there,i know a lot of people only think this jelly fish is around aus,but is prevelant in se asia too,will check out some advice with dive companys.

[wym]

Google is your friend: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=%22box+jellyfish%22+thailand+beach

http://thaiboxjellyfish.blogspot.com/

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/caution-urged-scary-reports-phuket-jellyfish-beach-18093/

[watcharacters]

Google is your friend: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=%22box+jellyfish%22+thailand+beach

http://thaiboxjellyfish.blogspot.com/

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/caution-urged-scary-reports-phuket-jellyfish-beach-18093/

.

Good and appropriate reply.

[ultimate weapon]

Jellyfish in thai is called mangnaprune. LOL!!!

[marko kok prong]

Jellyfish in thai is called mangnaprune. LOL!!!

thanks mate ,thought you were having a lend of me there but just asked my lovley wife and she said yes manga puune, good too know what to say if you do get stung, i thank you for your help

[marko kok prong]

i thank every one who has responded,so far,you see i had a cousin,who ,well ,it's a tragic tale,but he lost his todger to a box jellyfish,okay they had been warned but it was a honeymoon thing,anyway the member was useless afterwards apparently,the girl had stings to the buttocks,they were in awful agony,the todger became infected and,well i won't go on,the marriage failed and among causes stated were the box jelly attack, my cousin now lives as a recluse in a caravan park in nsw,making thinks from balsa wood,and spent matches,i have tried to get him over to los,but with his compromised nether regions he is a little shy,i have tried to tell him ,mia ben ly, but he steadfastly refuses,that is why i am scared of the box jellyfish.

[wym]

Rodger dodger Mr todger.

Thanks for the new vocabulary word and a heart-warming tale.

I'm sure mia ben ly will be able to help him if he ever does overcome his handicap enough to get over here, but maybe he should save up the proceeds of his balsa wood wizardry before coming. . .

[marko kok prong]

of course i meant my ben ly,or mi pen ria,as some pronounce it,maybe i should just give up trying to put thai words into english.

[wym]

Aha.

Usually mai pen rai.

No problem man. . .

[Dublin]

Been visiting KC for over 7 years 2 sometimes 4 times a year, II have been to quite a few of the neighboring islands , Koh Wai, Koh Mak , Koh Kut and a few others on snorkeling trips and I can honestly say I have never come across box jelly fish. As Tim mentioned check with any of the Dive shops they will fill you in.

[Dublin]

Been visiting KC for over 7 years 2 sometimes 4 times a year I also live up in central Thailand, I also have been to quite a few of the neighboring islands , Koh Wai, Koh Mak , Koh Kut and a few others on snorkeling trips and I can honestly say I have never come across box jelly fish. As Tim mentioned check with any of the Dive shops they will fill you in

[SteveB2]

There are plenty of jellyfish in Thai waters - however thankfully most do not pose a risk to either swimmers or divers.

That being said, I have been involved in the medivac of several divers and swimmers during the last 18 years who have been 'spanked hard' by jelly fish - and in all these instances, the box jelly fish was to blame. In one instance the sufferer had a very bad reaction, during which after just 20 minutes of screaming the place down with pain, he suddenly lapsed into unconsciousness and had to be rushed to ICU. The guy was an ice hockey player, so you can only guess what level of pain was needed to make this tough guy scream for his mom.

I have also been stung by the box jelly fish myself a few times while working underwater – thankfully while wearing a shorty wet suit which protected my mid-body - the sting is immediately very painful.(it feels like several dozen people all stubbing out cigarettes on your skin at the same time) - It's thus really good luck that these nasty beasties are relatively rare.

And as for vinegar – it was as much use as someone pouring water over your skin a few minutes after all those cigarettes had been left stubbed into your skin - the damage was already done, and for me at least, the vinegar felt useless and ineffectual.

I forgot to mention - the box jelly fish tentacles are very long - sometimes several meters long. I'm pretty certain that if a tentacle wrapped round the mid torso, the pain or poison envenomation would kill most people. Its really difficult to unwrap the tentacles from someone’s arm or leg without the helper also getting stung – rubber gloves required. It's difficult to imagine how painful something must be to die just from the pain, but it really is excrutiating.

The wound takes ages to heal. My wounds took literally weeks to heal, most wept puss profusely for a week or so before eventually forming a proper scab. All the wounds left a nasty scar.

Check out this link for how nasty the wounds can be.

[Big Pinkie]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irukandji_jellyfish

[Simon1287]

When I was in Cha-am in 2010 a Swedish lady tourist was killed by one. She is not the only one in Thailand by any means to die in this manner, though as usual here, bad news is effectively hushed up in as many cases as possible.

Still a greater chance of being hit by a bus, though at least the bus gives you a sporting chance to get out of the way, rather than trailing several metre long tentacles somewhere you can't see them.

Re: The chap who said never seen one at Ko Mak. There is an article about a lad who was stung there online. Horrid.

Doubt I am allowed to post a link but just Google - Box jellyfish Ko Mak

I get the impression that they are far more common here than the tourist industry will allow people to know.

[Big Pinkie]

When I was in Cha-am in 2010 a Swedish lady tourist was killed by one. She is not the only one in Thailand by any means to die in this manner, though as usual here, bad news is effectively hushed up in as many cases as possible.

Still a higher chance of being hit by a bus though.

hmm yeah there is a reasonable clean creek that runs out at the northern end of the beach so if the stingers are attracted by brackish it makes sense. then and again there are a hell of a lot of thais in the waters there daily, so it cant be too frequent. maybe seasonal too but i dont know

[marko kok prong]

all respondents i thank you very much,as i am thinking of go to the far south east of the island[long beach],which is isolated i think i will wear the rash shirt and cycling pants and get some wetsuit boots and gloves,okay the chances are small but after looking at the horrific aftermath of the stings from these creatures i would rather be a laughing stock and reasonably safe,than chance a sting,from what i have read there is a chance of encountering these nastys around koh chang,saying you look a idiot in a full lycra suit,is saying you look an idiot with a seat belt on in the car,yes life is a risk everyday but my thing is if you can minimise it =good,read a story about the woman who swam from cuba to florida,she covered all her body except her lips,guess where she got stung,if you see the photo,it gives trout pout a whole new meaning,in fact box jelly venom could become the new in thing for premier league footballers wags,any ideas posters.

[marko kok prong]

just another thing i have looked at a few blogs about this,and yes, i agree with simon,the tourist industry,both here and more so in malaysia are really trying to keep this quiet.

[louse1953]

Been visiting KC for over 7 years 2 sometimes 4 times a year I also live up in central Thailand, I also have been to quite a few of the neighboring islands , Koh Wai, Koh Mak , Koh Kut and a few others on snorkeling trips and I can honestly say I have never come across box jelly fish. As Tim mentioned check with any of the Dive shops they will fill you in

Every year for the last 13,and different months as well.Your todger will be safe.

[louse1953]

When I was in Cha-am in 2010 a Swedish lady tourist was killed by one. She is not the only one in Thailand by any means to die in this manner, though as usual here, bad news is effectively hushed up in as many cases as possible.

Still a higher chance of being hit by a bus though.

hmm yeah there is a reasonable clean creek that runs out at the northern end of the beach so if the stingers are attracted by brackish it makes sense. then and again there are a hell of a lot of thais in the waters there daily, so it cant be too frequent. maybe seasonal too but i dont know

I have seen them in the middle section of Cha-am,Soi bus station area.Mate was stung a bit.

[Showbags]

i thank every one who has responded,so far,you see i had a cousin,who ,well ,it's a tragic tale,but he lost his todger to a box jellyfish,okay they had been warned but it was a honeymoon thing,anyway the member was useless afterwards apparently,the girl had stings to the buttocks,they were in awful agony,the todger became infected and,well i won't go on,the marriage failed and among causes stated were the box jelly attack, my cousin now lives as a recluse in a caravan park in nsw,making thinks from balsa wood,and spent matches,i have tried to get him over to los,but with his compromised nether regions he is a little shy,i have tried to tell him ,mia ben ly, but he steadfastly refuses,that is why i am scared of the box jellyfish.

You know you should convince your mate, Bkk is the capital of penis reattachment, so if they can reattach, I am sure they can transplant and plenty of todgers going by the by daily in Bkk....he could even have a pick of various sizes, length n girth.

Gain his confidence back, walk away with a spanking new todger and girlfriend perhaps....move up the chain of confidence from balsa to real wood.

[smileydude]

Only a few species of box jellyfish possess venom capable of inflicting fatalities but if your out in open waters why take the risk.

Safest bet is to wear a full body diving suit as the box jellyfish discharges its venom only when it comes into direct contact with skin as chemicals on the skin trigger the stingers, not actually contact.

Fatalities due to box jellyfish stings are probably under reported as victims often drown and death is presumed to be due to cramping, undercurrents etc.

[soihok]

i thank every one who has responded,so far,you see i had a cousin,who ,well ,it's a tragic tale,but he lost his todger to a box jellyfish,okay they had been warned but it was a honeymoon thing,anyway the member was useless afterwards apparently,the girl had stings to the buttocks,they were in awful agony,the todger became infected and,well i won't go on,the marriage failed and among causes stated were the box jelly attack, my cousin now lives as a recluse in a caravan park in nsw,making thinks from balsa wood,and spent matches,i have tried to get him over to los,but with his compromised nether regions he is a little shy,i have tried to tell him ,mia ben ly, but he steadfastly refuses,that is why i am scared of the box jellyfish.

A great tragic story, thanks.

Probably more chance of picking up an injury on the road to Koh Chang than by an encounter with a box jellyfish.

My daughter has been scarred for life (across the back of her hand) after tangling with a jelly fish in the sea at Jomtien about 6 years ago, she was 5. It wasn't a box jellyfish.

[lucifer666]

Dived all over Thailand, have yet to see a Box Jellyfish here. Seen plenty of the smaller varieties though, just remember to carry a small bottle of vinegar with you.

[Naked Snake]

http://203.157.15.4/wesr/file/y52/F5261.pdf

there is a graph there with the number of stinging cases per million tourists per year versus month (jan -dec) in krabi (darker) and trat

search แมงกะพรุน at this site http://boe-wesr.net/ for more info

[soihok]

Now that's what I call a Jellyfish.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26062303

[tim armstrong]

Marko,

Don't want to be too negative, but the further away from civilisation you are on Koh Chang, the further you are from the one and only international clinic. It is very good, but still has to get serious cases to Trat Hospital on the mainland, which will take an hour. As mentioned before have a chat to a reputable dive shop in White Sands, or failing that talk to Nick who owns the Happy Turtle bar - near to Bang Bao. He is a great Swedish guy who is a master diver and will be very helpful.