German tourist dies from box jellyfish attack on Samui

[Loeilad]

I have been a fitness client at Lamai Fitness since Aug 6 and have swam at Lamai Beach every Tuesday & Thursday morning as part of our fitness regime. It has been instrumental in my large and rapid weight loss.

Having said that, yesterday morning, beginning at 7AM, my instructor, three classmates and myself were all stung various times during our ocean swim. Obviously we were not stung by box jelly fish but were stung by less poisonous varieties of jellyfish. I was struck twice in the left arm but continued until my required distance was met.

It is a very strange feeling to know that I swam on the same beach as the lady who passed away, was stung, but somehow luck was with me.

I have come to love swimming in the ocean in Lamai.

I WILL NOT be swimming in the ocean anymore in Thailand. In that, I mean EVER.

Fitness is not worth dying for. I'll swim in a pool from now on.

Get a stinger suit.....I've seen people wearing them already in Thailand.....I expect Thai people will love thmully covered is the norm here.as swimming fully covered is the norm here

[NCC1701A]

RIP young girl.

"They cried in pains with wounds believed to be stung by box jellyfishes on their bodies."

I tell you what, I volunteer to proof read and rewrite all these stories so all of you don't have to "use your eye to try to read in your brain."

[silverado]

wondefull beaches in thailand : exzema in pattaya and jellyfish box (more and more often) in samui / koh tao / phangan ......

[evadgib]

So sorry to hear this sad news.

I'm not saying this would have saved this girl's life, but here's what I do to neutralize the poison in jellyfish stings and insect stings (e.g., bees, wasps, hornets, etc.).

I topically apply either bruised papaya tree leaves, or the pulped flesh of green (unripe) papaya fruit, or meat tenderizer. The leaves and green fruit are high in the protein-digesting enzyme papain, and meat tenderizer is mostly pure papain which is derived from the papaya tree.

Jellyfish and insect venoms are made mostly of protein, and when papain comes into contact with those venoms they're rendered harmless.

A bottle of meat tenderizer is commonly found in the kits of EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), which they use to tread venomous stings. [/size]

Bruised papaya leaf and green papaya fruit have also traditionally been applied to infected wounds or ulcerations to enzymatically debride dead and festering tissue.

Bruised papaya leaves are also used to tenderize raw meats. Wrap the bruised leaf around the meat or fish and let it sit for 1 or 2 hours before cooking.

In university my biology teacher, who was doing his PhD research on jellyfish, kept several bottles of Adolph's Meat Tenderizer on his lab benches to tread the inevitable stings.

Here in Thailand my wife prepares almost daily som tam salad which many of you know. For those who don't, it's made from shredded green papaya fruit flesh, lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, tomato and peanuts ... and is often garnished with fresh boa bok (Centella asiatica) and other raw greens. (And there are many variations.) It's the perfect, digestive-enzyme-rich salad to enhance digestion. Especially when eating high-protein foods like fish, shrimp, beef, pork, chicken, tofu, etc.

Ripe papaya covered with lime juice is also the perfect low-calorie desert. However, the ripe fruit contains no papain because as the papaya fruit ripens it contains less and less papain enzyme.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Hippocrates

Who brings meat tenderizes to the beach unless they are having a BBQ?

The same sort that carry an atomiser of vinegar, latex gloves, a spatula & the phone details of the nearest rescue service. On Samui they typically come in 2 categories;

1. Resident Parents or

2. Dive outlets.

HTH

[HerbalEd]

So sorry to hear this sad news.

I'm not saying this would have saved this girl's life, but here's what I do to neutralize the poison in jellyfish stings and insect stings (e.g., bees, wasps, hornets, etc.).

I topically apply either bruised papaya tree leaves, or the pulped flesh of green (unripe) papaya fruit, or meat tenderizer. The leaves and green fruit are high in the protein-digesting enzyme papain, and meat tenderizer is mostly pure papain which is derived from the papaya tree.

Jellyfish and insect venoms are made mostly of protein, and when papain comes into contact with those venoms they're rendered harmless.

A bottle of meat tenderizer is commonly found in the kits of EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), which they use to tread venomous stings. [/size]

Bruised papaya leaf and green papaya fruit have also traditionally been applied to infected wounds or ulcerations to enzymatically debride dead and festering tissue.

Bruised papaya leaves are also used to tenderize raw meats. Wrap the bruised leaf around the meat or fish and let it sit for 1 or 2 hours before cooking.

In university my biology teacher, who was doing his PhD research on jellyfish, kept several bottles of Adolph's Meat Tenderizer on his lab benches to tread the inevitable stings.

Here in Thailand my wife prepares almost daily som tam salad which many of you know. For those who don't, it's made from shredded green papaya fruit flesh, lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, tomato and peanuts ... and is often garnished with fresh boa bok (Centella asiatica) and other raw greens. (And there are many variations.) It's the perfect, digestive-enzyme-rich salad to enhance digestion. Especially when eating high-protein foods like fish, shrimp, beef, pork, chicken, tofu, etc.

Ripe papaya covered with lime juice is also the perfect low-calorie desert. However, the ripe fruit contains no papain because as the papaya fruit ripens it contains less and less papain enzyme.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Hippocrates

with all due respect - and that is very little - your post is nonsense. Firstly Box jellies aren't "normal" jellyfish, secondly all venoms are not the same and operate in different ways.....you don't seem to have the first idea of how a BJ delivers its venom or how it works on the blood.

Crap like yours is the kind of advice that gets people killed after they've had a box jelly attack because some idiot decides he knows better than the dozens of scientists working on this all over the world....

You should read my second sentence. I never once in my entire post said papaya/papain would work on box jellyfish.

[banglassie]

Is there a seasonal trend to box jellyfish incursions? I've swam many times on this beach but November - April. .

Perhaps there is a slight trend, but there are always exceptions.

truth is, you can always die, in water as on land, from everything you never thought of.

Accept that and life will have way less restrictions..

Edited October 7, 2015 by banglassie

[HerbalEd]

So sorry to hear this sad news.

I'm not saying this would have saved this girl's life, but here's what I do to neutralize the poison in jellyfish stings and insect stings (e.g., bees, wasps, hornets, etc.).

I topically apply either bruised papaya tree leaves, or the pulped flesh of green (unripe) papaya fruit, or meat tenderizer. The leaves and green fruit are high in the protein-digesting enzyme papain, and meat tenderizer is mostly pure papain which is derived from the papaya tree.

Jellyfish and insect venoms are made mostly of protein, and when papain comes into contact with those venoms they're rendered harmless.

A bottle of meat tenderizer is commonly found in the kits of EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), which they use to tread venomous stings. [/size]

Bruised papaya leaf and green papaya fruit have also traditionally been applied to infected wounds or ulcerations to enzymatically debride dead and festering tissue.

Bruised papaya leaves are also used to tenderize raw meats. Wrap the bruised leaf around the meat or fish and let it sit for 1 or 2 hours before cooking.

In university my biology teacher, who was doing his PhD research on jellyfish, kept several bottles of Adolph's Meat Tenderizer on his lab benches to tread the inevitable stings.

Here in Thailand my wife prepares almost daily som tam salad which many of you know. For those who don't, it's made from shredded green papaya fruit flesh, lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, tomato and peanuts ... and is often garnished with fresh boa bok (Centella asiatica) and other raw greens. (And there are many variations.) It's the perfect, digestive-enzyme-rich salad to enhance digestion. Especially when eating high-protein foods like fish, shrimp, beef, pork, chicken, tofu, etc.

Ripe papaya covered with lime juice is also the perfect low-calorie desert. However, the ripe fruit contains no papain because as the papaya fruit ripens it contains less and less papain enzyme.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Hippocrates

with all due respect - and that is very little - your post is nonsense. Firstly Box jellies aren't "normal" jellyfish, secondly all venoms are not the same and operate in different ways.....you don't seem to have the first idea of how a BJ delivers its venom or how it works on the blood.

Crap like yours is the kind of advice that gets people killed after they've had a box jelly attack because some idiot decides he knows better than the dozens of scientists working on this all over the world....

NOTE: My original reply somehow was posted too soon and then I could not edit it. Here's what I wanted to say:

You should read my second sentence. I never in my post said papaya/papain would have saved the girl. Also, I said "... heres what I do ..." and did not recommend that anyone else do the same.

However, in retrospect, perhaps I should have been more adamant about both statements. Especially given that some readers here do not read carefully or critically.

Meanwhile everything I wrote is factual, and papain is commonly used by EMTs and other medical professionals to treat insect stings and jellyfish stings.

Edited October 7, 2015 by HerbalEd

[MauiSteveBKK]

While This Is VERY Tragic & Sad -- It Happens When We Go Into Their Environment.

Here on the Hawaiian Islands, each year someone gets bitten by a shark. We have warnings, flags, no-swim zones, and

lifeguards. Still, it happens.

When warnings go up --- even more get in the water. I guess it's human nature.

Surfers see sharks daily. Barracuda bite boogie boarders. Huge Eels Snap At Snorkelers.

When we go into the ocean, many things can happen.

It's a risk we all take.

But NO ONE gets in the water at night - during feeding time.

My blessings go to the two tourists.

BTW -- NO ONE is more protective of their "reputation" than Hawaii. When a shark does

make a mistake and bite someone, NO ONE ever hears about it.

Hawaii never publishes negative stuff.

Nor does Australia and many other places around the world.

There is no need to UNNECESSARILY alarm people.

[TheLobster]

BTW -- NO ONE is more protective of their "reputation" than Hawaii. When a shark does

make a mistake and bite someone, NO ONE ever hears about it.

Hawaii never publishes negative stuff.

Nor does Australia and many other places around the world.

There is no need to UNNECESSARILY alarm people.

Wind up right? 'Nor does Australia'? BTW I'm not Australian.

[MauiSteveBKK]

Oooops. Sorry. I did not mean to single-out Australia.

I just meant that any location (island or coastline) that is totally

dependent on

1. Lots of Tourists

2. Coastline Activities (scuba, snorkel, tour boat, jet ski, etc.)

Is going to have unfortunate incidents and accidents. It's just part of the deal.

We really know nothing about the ocean. It's still a complete mystery to us.

Bless those women.

[Loeilad]

So sorry to hear this sad news.

I'm not saying this would have saved this girl's life, but here's what I do to neutralize the poison in jellyfish stings and insect stings (e.g., bees, wasps, hornets, etc.).

I topically apply either bruised papaya tree leaves, or the pulped flesh of green (unripe) papaya fruit, or meat tenderizer. The leaves and green fruit are high in the protein-digesting enzyme papain, and meat tenderizer is mostly pure papain which is derived from the papaya tree.

Jellyfish and insect venoms are made mostly of protein, and when papain comes into contact with those venoms they're rendered harmless.

A bottle of meat tenderizer is commonly found in the kits of EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), which they use to tread venomous stings. [/size]

Bruised papaya leaf and green papaya fruit have also traditionally been applied to infected wounds or ulcerations to enzymatically debride dead and festering tissue.

Bruised papaya leaves are also used to tenderize raw meats. Wrap the bruised leaf around the meat or fish and let it sit for 1 or 2 hours before cooking.

In university my biology teacher, who was doing his PhD research on jellyfish, kept several bottles of Adolph's Meat Tenderizer on his lab benches to tread the inevitable stings.

Here in Thailand my wife prepares almost daily som tam salad which many of you know. For those who don't, it's made from shredded green papaya fruit flesh, lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, tomato and peanuts ... and is often garnished with fresh boa bok (Centella asiatica) and other raw greens. (And there are many variations.) It's the perfect, digestive-enzyme-rich salad to enhance digestion. Especially when eating high-protein foods like fish, shrimp, beef, pork, chicken, tofu, etc.

Ripe papaya covered with lime juice is also the perfect low-calorie desert. However, the ripe fruit contains no papain because as the papaya fruit ripens it contains less and less papain enzyme.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Hippocrates

with all due respect - and that is very little - your post is nonsense. Firstly Box jellies aren't "normal" jellyfish, secondly all venoms are not the same and operate in different ways.....you don't seem to have the first idea of how a BJ delivers its venom or how it works on the blood.

Crap like yours is the kind of advice that gets people killed after they've had a box jelly attack because some idiot decides he knows better than the dozens of scientists working on this all over the world....

You should read my second sentence. I never once in my entire post said papaya/papain would work on box jellyfish.

"I'm not saying this would have saved this girl's life, but here's what I do to neutralize the poison in jellyfish stings and insect stings (e.g., bees, wasps, hornets, etc.)." - how does that in any way mitigate the nonsense you wrote? you are still implying it works for box jellies and still suggesting "application" both of which are highly dangerous with box jellies - keep your silly ideas to yourself....someone might - God forbid - take you seriously.

[Loeilad]

So sorry to hear this sad news.

I'm not saying this would have saved this girl's life, but here's what I do to neutralize the poison in jellyfish stings and insect stings (e.g., bees, wasps, hornets, etc.).

I topically apply either bruised papaya tree leaves, or the pulped flesh of green (unripe) papaya fruit, or meat tenderizer. The leaves and green fruit are high in the protein-digesting enzyme papain, and meat tenderizer is mostly pure papain which is derived from the papaya tree.

Jellyfish and insect venoms are made mostly of protein, and when papain comes into contact with those venoms they're rendered harmless.

A bottle of meat tenderizer is commonly found in the kits of EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), which they use to tread venomous stings. [/size]

Bruised papaya leaf and green papaya fruit have also traditionally been applied to infected wounds or ulcerations to enzymatically debride dead and festering tissue.

Bruised papaya leaves are also used to tenderize raw meats. Wrap the bruised leaf around the meat or fish and let it sit for 1 or 2 hours before cooking.

In university my biology teacher, who was doing his PhD research on jellyfish, kept several bottles of Adolph's Meat Tenderizer on his lab benches to tread the inevitable stings.

Here in Thailand my wife prepares almost daily som tam salad which many of you know. For those who don't, it's made from shredded green papaya fruit flesh, lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, tomato and peanuts ... and is often garnished with fresh boa bok (Centella asiatica) and other raw greens. (And there are many variations.) It's the perfect, digestive-enzyme-rich salad to enhance digestion. Especially when eating high-protein foods like fish, shrimp, beef, pork, chicken, tofu, etc.

Ripe papaya covered with lime juice is also the perfect low-calorie desert. However, the ripe fruit contains no papain because as the papaya fruit ripens it contains less and less papain enzyme.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Hippocrates

with all due respect - and that is very little - your post is nonsense. Firstly Box jellies aren't "normal" jellyfish, secondly all venoms are not the same and operate in different ways.....you don't seem to have the first idea of how a BJ delivers its venom or how it works on the blood.

Crap like yours is the kind of advice that gets people killed after they've had a box jelly attack because some idiot decides he knows better than the dozens of scientists working on this all over the world....

You should read my second sentence. I never once in my entire post said papaya/papain would work on box jellyfish.

"I'm not saying this would have saved this girl's life, but here's what I do to neutralize the poison in jellyfish stings and insect stings (e.g., bees, wasps, hornets, etc.)." - how does that in any way mitigate the nonsense you wrote? you are still implying it works for box jellies and still suggesting "application" both of which are highly dangerous with box jellies - keep your silly ideas to yourself....someone might - God forbid - take you seriously.

[Loeilad]

While This Is VERY Tragic & Sad -- It Happens When We Go Into Their Environment.

Here on the Hawaiian Islands, each year someone gets bitten by a shark. We have warnings, flags, no-swim zones, and

lifeguards. Still, it happens.

When warnings go up --- even more get in the water. I guess it's human nature.

Surfers see sharks daily. Barracuda bite boogie boarders. Huge Eels Snap At Snorkelers.

When we go into the ocean, many things can happen.

It's a risk we all take.

But NO ONE gets in the water at night - during feeding time.

My blessings go to the two tourists.

BTW -- NO ONE is more protective of their "reputation" than Hawaii. When a shark does

make a mistake and bite someone, NO ONE ever hears about it.

Hawaii never publishes negative stuff.

Nor does Australia and many other places around the world.

There is no need to UNNECESSARILY alarm people.

"Nor does Australia" - What??? - I think you obviously haven't done much reading up on this....Australia above all nations realises it has a duty of care towards it tourists - from whom they make a lot of money.

you post deserves to be filed away along with the other ill-informed crank-posts on this thread

[GOLDBUGGY]

"They were given primary care by rescue workers of Samui municipal rescue centre with vinegar to relieve their pains," - this is deeply disturbing as that is NOT what the vinegar is for....let's hope this is bad reporting and not bad training as regards the primary carers.

Were there signs on the beach and were there vinegar stations?

This is one of the most popular beaches in Thailand, in an area that is well within the region of box jellies - in Oz, there would be nets and the season clearly demarcated.

The more we hear of box jellies in Thailand, the more I'm reminded of the plot of "Jaws 1"

All I need is to see is a net set up to keep out Box Jellyfish and you ain't going to see me washing me feet in that water let alone go for a swim their.

[jamiesilver]

OMG terrible RIP - its enough to make me stop swimming in the sea for good

[jollyranchers]

lamai is a really great spot im shocked to hear of this at my favoirite beach in samui.

[gandalf12]

Sensationalism at it worst. Box jellyfish and indeed any other jellyfish don't go around attacking people as the headline suggests. If the writer doesn't understand this then get rid of him.

If you are swimming and happen to come into contact with a jellyfish you may well get stung. Box jellyfish are very dangerous but difficult to see in the water. But the concept of jellyfish attacking you is ridiculous.

[jasonsamui55]

Somewhere further up on this thread someone said that it's impossible to generalize and say when they are found, sometimes night, sometimes day, and others. But one person said its all about the tides, they come out to feed when the tides are coming in, i.e.: the water is rising. Is that correct? I hadn't heard that one before.

Also, do they swim near the surface most of the time or could they be at all depths?

[gandalf12]

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/box-jellyfish/

[Mudcrab]

Seems a lot of people are happily assuming a jellyfish is a jellyfish is a jellyfish.

You're in the tropics now boys and things are a little different here.

If you want to live longer obey the cardinal rules - no swimming in the wet season and no swimming in calm water.

Box jellies avoid rough water or surf and tend to move out of the creeks into more open water during the wet season.

Trust me, a Portuguese man'o'war or some other slightly annoying stinger from the "old country" simply isn't in the same league as chironex fleckeri which is the most venomous of the box jellyfish - and one of the most venomous animals on the planet.

Death can follow rapidly from a decent encounter.

I know from first hand experience that vinegar doesn't take the pain away..it's purpose is to stop any unfired nodes from releasing venom which they will do readily (even when the tentacle is broken off) especially if people use the old remedy of rubbing the area with sand,

Use quack treatments at your peril.

The sting marks on the young lady are a little unusual as c.fleckeri tend to be more ladderlike in marking.

Agreed - many posts indicate a profound ignorance of the difference between a Box Jelly and other jellyfish. They are NOT the same....there are of course also several species of box jelly and they aren't all deadly......wait until we find the irukandji around here - size of your thumb, but still deadly

Ask my daughter about the Irukandji....she knows first hand what it is like.

[gandalf12]

Seems a lot of people are happily assuming a jellyfish is a jellyfish is a jellyfish.

You're in the tropics now boys and things are a little different here.

If you want to live longer obey the cardinal rules - no swimming in the wet season and no swimming in calm water.

Box jellies avoid rough water or surf and tend to move out of the creeks into more open water during the wet season.

Trust me, a Portuguese man'o'war or some other slightly annoying stinger from the "old country" simply isn't in the same league as chironex fleckeri which is the most venomous of the box jellyfish - and one of the most venomous animals on the planet.

Death can follow rapidly from a decent encounter.

I know from first hand experience that vinegar doesn't take the pain away..it's purpose is to stop any unfired nodes from releasing venom which they will do readily (even when the tentacle is broken off) especially if people use the old remedy of rubbing the area with sand,

Use quack treatments at your peril.

The sting marks on the young lady are a little unusual as c.fleckeri tend to be more ladderlike in marking.

Agreed - many posts indicate a profound ignorance of the difference between a Box Jelly and other jellyfish. They are NOT the same....there are of course also several species of box jelly and they aren't all deadly......wait until we find the irukandji around here - size of your thumb, but still deadly

Ask my daughter about the Irukandji....she knows first hand what it is like.

The Irukunji is extremely venomous as many people know.

[zaZa9]

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/box-jellyfish/

Good link Gandalf.

Some readers seem to think the box jellyfish 'hunts' but I have never heard that said in Australia.

However the NG article does state it has eyes which would obviously help the animal track prey - but as yet scientists know nothing of how these 'eyes' connect to its nervous system or even if it is connected.

In Australia there is no good time of day to swim and avoid Box Jellyfish , only a 'season' and that is the dry season which is usually April to September .

But there is evidence the Thai specimen is a subspecies and may have different active periods.

Casks of vinegar are found supplied in boxes on northern Australian beaches because vinegar is still a readily available medicine for at least preventing further stings. It is never said to be a pain killer.

As others have said , in Australia it is known that even the thinnest of clothing can prevent stinging.

[nahkit]

To loeilad I am confused with your post.u state they should not have used vinegar? Then u say we're there vinegar stations? So what is the correct treatment

Vinegar is the correct treatment at the scene of the incident, after that the victim should be transported to a hospital asap for further treatment and painkillers.

Please don't think I'm trying to be facetious but I presume that when you recommend vinegar you are talking about the white vinegar as opposed to malt vinegar?

A quick look on google showed both of them to have medicinal properties:-

"Both the white vinegar and malt vinegar have some medicinal properties. White vinegar can be used against sunburn, sterilize cuts in the body and eliminate the itching caused by insect bites."

"Malt vinegar is good for getting relief from pains and swelling."

Read more: Difference Between White and Malt Vinegar | Difference Between | White vs Malt Vinegar http://www.differencebetween.net/object/comparisons-of-food-items/difference-between-white-and-malt-vinegar/#ixzz3nwxQ2TzV

[gandalf12]

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/box-jellyfish/

Good link Gandalf.

Some readers seem to think the box jellyfish 'hunts' but I have never heard that said in Australia.

However the NG article does state it has eyes which would obviously help the animal track prey - but as yet scientists know nothing of how these 'eyes' connect to its nervous system or even if it is connected.

In Australia there is no good time of day to swim and avoid Box Jellyfish , only a 'season' and that is the dry season which is usually April to September .

But there is evidence the Thai specimen is a subspecies and may have different active periods.

Casks of vinegar are found supplied in boxes on northern Australian beaches because vinegar is still a readily available medicine for at least preventing further stings. It is never said to be a pain killer.

As others have said , in Australia it is known that even the thinnest of clothing can prevent stinging.

Agreed but I doubt if it knowingly goes out to attack people. People would probably not register as food. It is unique in that it can steer itself in different directions. Jellyfish generally pick up what they can as they drift in the current. In Australia you have many things that can do you harm such as Salties, Blue Ringed octopus, spiders, Cone shells to name but a few.

Edited October 8, 2015 by gandalf12

[limbos]

To loeilad I am confused with your post.u state they should not have used vinegar? Then u say we're there vinegar stations? So what is the correct treatment

Vinegar is the correct treatment at the scene of the incident, after that the victim should be transported to a hospital asap for further treatment and painkillers.

Please don't think I'm trying to be facetious but I presume that when you recommend vinegar you are talking about the white vinegar as opposed to malt vinegar?

A quick look on google showed both of them to have medicinal properties:-

"Both the white vinegar and malt vinegar have some medicinal properties. White vinegar can be used against sunburn, sterilize cuts in the body and eliminate the itching caused by insect bites."

"Malt vinegar is good for getting relief from pains and swelling."

Read more: Difference Between White and Malt Vinegar | Difference Between | White vs Malt Vinegar http://www.differencebetween.net/object/comparisons-of-food-items/difference-between-white-and-malt-vinegar/#ixzz3nwxQ2TzV

I have only seen white vinegar being used.

[limbos]

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/box-jellyfish/

Good link Gandalf.

Some readers seem to think the box jellyfish 'hunts' but I have never heard that said in Australia.

However the NG article does state it has eyes which would obviously help the animal track prey - but as yet scientists know nothing of how these 'eyes' connect to its nervous system or even if it is connected.

In Australia there is no good time of day to swim and avoid Box Jellyfish , only a 'season' and that is the dry season which is usually April to September .

But there is evidence the Thai specimen is a subspecies and may have different active periods.

Casks of vinegar are found supplied in boxes on northern Australian beaches because vinegar is still a readily available medicine for at least preventing further stings. It is never said to be a pain killer.

As others have said , in Australia it is known that even the thinnest of clothing can prevent stinging.

Agreed but I doubt if it knowingly goes out to attack people. People would probably not register as food. It is unique in that it can steer itself in different directions. Jellyfish generally pick up what they can as they drift in the current. In Australia you have many things that can do you harm such as Salties, Blue Ringed octopus, spiders, Cone shells to name but a few.

Blue ringed octopus and cone shells can also be found in the Gulf of Thailand

[limbos]

Somewhere further up on this thread someone said that it's impossible to generalize and say when they are found, sometimes night, sometimes day, and others. But one person said its all about the tides, they come out to feed when the tides are coming in, i.e.: the water is rising. Is that correct? I hadn't heard that one before.

Also, do they swim near the surface most of the time or could they be at all depths?

A lot of incidents happen in very shallow water but I don't think it's a tidal related event.

On the other hand, there's plenty of photographic and video proof out and about of box jelly fish at dive sits around Thailand at depth.

To the best of my knowledge, most incidents happen on or near the surface or at beaches in very shallow water, as shallow as half a meter.

[gandalf12]

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/box-jellyfish/

Good link Gandalf.

Some readers seem to think the box jellyfish 'hunts' but I have never heard that said in Australia.

However the NG article does state it has eyes which would obviously help the animal track prey - but as yet scientists know nothing of how these 'eyes' connect to its nervous system or even if it is connected.

In Australia there is no good time of day to swim and avoid Box Jellyfish , only a 'season' and that is the dry season which is usually April to September .

But there is evidence the Thai specimen is a subspecies and may have different active periods.

Casks of vinegar are found supplied in boxes on northern Australian beaches because vinegar is still a readily available medicine for at least preventing further stings. It is never said to be a pain killer.

As others have said , in Australia it is known that even the thinnest of clothing can prevent stinging.

Agreed but I doubt if it knowingly goes out to attack people. People would probably not register as food. It is unique in that it can steer itself in different directions. Jellyfish generally pick up what they can as they drift in the current. In Australia you have many things that can do you harm such as Salties, Blue Ringed octopus, spiders, Cone shells to name but a few.

Blue ringed octopus and cone shells can also be found in the Gulf of Thailand

Agreed. Definitely not to be played with

[samuijimmy]

There are a number signs around Samui about Jellyfish in general .... one on Chawang Beach, another near Maenam Lomprayah ferry terminal...I can't remember off hand but seen a few more..... (obviously there could be more)

Sadly though how can they check as to whether or not they are in any particular area until something actually happens ?

In other previous discussions on this I have posted images and locations...

" Sadly though how can they check as to whether or not they are in any particular area until something actually happens ? " - a rather silly thing to say - jellyfish re all around the region, so the signs should be too?

the truth is that the signs are just stuck anywhere on a whim with no palnning - there isn't even a universal design....and such things as vinegar stations are left derelict as are the signs.

Sorry to disagree with you, but obviously you have not seen or read the signs....all the ones I have seen are all the same, so I don't know where you have seen these signs just stuck anywhere with no planning ....(I did say there should be more of them)

There also some around Koh Phangan,

There is a lot of information on them in both Thai and English and are in reasonably good order...

.... I will agree that there is usually no vinegar at these stations, but vinegar is cheap to buy and to have a bottle would not be difficult to carry in a carry bag, and would also be at any resort or restaurant kitchen usually near by...

One could just as well post signs around everywhere warning there may be venomous snakes just about anywhere in Thailand... or anywhere in the world for that matter...

3 litre bottles of white vinegar is about 60 baht, at any of the large stores, easy to size down to a smaller bottle.... just in case..

Also plenty of signs saying "Wear Helmet 100%" .... how many people take notice of those? ....

Red flags during rough seas, plenty of people disregard those warning too...

Signs where there is road constructing too, all for the most part ignored with speeding drivers both Thai and farang...

I do have sympathy for the victims and their families any lose of life or serious injury is never good how ever caused ...

Edited October 8, 2015 by samuijimmy

[spidermike007]

Rip. Hopefully they will put up warning signs and monitor the situation until its safe to swim there again.

Warning signs? That would be a show of concern for tourists. And it would demonstrate a concern for public safety. Has anyone on this forum ever seen any sign of that on Samui? Having lived there for ten years, I never once saw a public official on Samui demonstrate any concern whatsoever for public, much less tourist safety. Never once.