jellyfish

[nikmar]

Hi, Im planning a trip to HuaHin next week with my family and as my son has his heart set on swimming in the sea im ,wondering about the jellyfish situation.

I would be grateful if any local residents can advise if it's safe or should we stick to a swimming pool.

Thank you in advance

[darrendsd]

No sure about HH Beach itself at the mo but a friend of mine was on a beach about 20 mins outside of HH last week and he said there were a lot there

Better safe than sorry, a German tourist was killed by them on Samui a few days ago

[nikmar]

No sure about HH Beach itself at the mo but a friend of mine was on a beach about 20 mins outside of HH last week and he said there were a lot there

Better safe than sorry, a German tourist was killed by them on Samui a few days ago

Thanks for that mate. I think your right, better stick to the swimming pool.

[gamini]

Most jellyfish are harmless so it's perfectly safe to swim in Hua Hin. There are only two jellyfish that are really bad and that is the box fish and the Portuguese man-of-war. I walk down the beach every day and I haven't seen any of these

[Aforek]

Three days ago, in Cha am, there were many big jellyfish , about one every 3 meters ; even if they are harmless, touching these enormous gelatinous things is disgusting; there are several signs in thai which say to pay attention to jellyfish and they explain what to do in case of sting

so, after all, maybe you don't die but you sure have some pain

I have heard of several badly stung people in Hua hin these last years, I remember of a man who put on this forum a picture of his son stung by a jellyfish , very bad ... strangely, Thai people swim always, even if there are dead jellyfish on the beach ( low tide )

[nikmar]

Very informative mate. Cheers.

[fitnesspm]

You are being paranoid! 1 person died from a jellyfish in 1 year! You shouldn't let your kids on a Thai road ever again if you worried about jellyfish. (20,000 people die on Thai roads a year).

[ThaiWai]

Most jellyfish are harmless so it's perfectly safe to swim in Hua Hin. There are only two jellyfish that are really bad and that is the box fish and the Portuguese man-of-war. I walk down the beach every day and I haven't seen any of these

The man-of-war is not a jellyfish. Its a siphonophore.

[Ombra]

You are being paranoid! 1 person died from a jellyfish in 1 year! You shouldn't let your kids on a Thai road ever again if you worried about jellyfish. (20,000 people die on Thai roads a year).

The bloke is concerned about the wellbeing of his child. How on earth does that make him paranoid? My wife was stung by a jellyfish a few days ago in the sea off Prachuab Khirikhan and it was very painful indeed. The responsible thing, as he has said, is to use the swimming pool.

[northernphil]

About 10 years ago when I lived in HH I swam over a jellyfish about the size of a dustbin lid , I had red welts down one leg it was very painful but a motorsai taxi took us to a nearby pharmacy , I was given 2 large tablets and told to take one right away the other in the morning. They worked ,next day no pain but the red marks stayed for about 3 months. after that if there were dead jellyfish on the beach I didn't go back in the sea.

[jagfx]

On Takiab beach just south of Hua Hin (only a couple of kms) there are a few jellyfish washed up on shore. Probably one every few hundred metres or so. I walk along this beach just about every day. These ones a quite large and will give you a sting. They are not the same ones that killed the German tourist last week in Koh Samui. I lived in the NT in Australia and know what the box jellyfish look like.

Still plenty of locals swimming in the sea but having said that, they all swim fully clothed. If I was concerned about my child being stung, I'd probably stick to the hotel swimming pool or even go to the beach when the tide is such that small lagoons are formed between the sea and the beach wall. These can be big enough for kids to have some fun and you could do a walk through first to ensure no jellyfish have been trapped in there.

[glamont002]

I was at Khao Takiab beach several times this week, including today. No jelly fish. I live in HH and it seems the jelly fish are here in May/June when the water is the warmest.

[Aforek]

Three days ago, in Cha am, there were many big jellyfish , about one every 3 meters ; even if they are harmless, touching these enormous gelatinous things is disgusting; there are several signs in thai which say to pay attention to jellyfish and they explain what to do in case of sting

so, after all, maybe you don't die but you sure have some pain

I have heard of several badly stung people in Hua hin these last years, I remember of a man who put on this forum a picture of his son stung by a jellyfish , very bad ... strangely, Thai people swim always, even if there are dead jellyfish on the beach ( low tide )

I found the picture, look here, post 52 http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/71217-jellyfish-the-facts/page-3

don't believe people who tell that Hua hin is safe when there are jellyfish (" Most jellyfish are harmless so it's perfectly safe to swim in Hua Hin." )

they don't kill, but some sting !

[jagfx]

I took this photo 2 days ago on Takiab beach. So they are well and truly around at the moment. Cheers.

[Mudcrab]

Most jellyfish are harmless so it's perfectly safe to swim in Hua Hin. There are only two jellyfish that are really bad and that is the box fish and the Portuguese man-of-war. I walk down the beach every day and I haven't seen any of these

Most people don't see the box jellyfish...but boy do they feel it....and hopefully survive.

The box jellyfish is relatively small....a big one would be 4 inches across, and they are translucent making them very difficult, almost impossible to see.

The photos posted here give the impression that some people think bigger is badder. Nothing could be further from the truth.

You aren't in Europe anymore.

Whole different ball game in the tropics.

[jagfx]

The only reason I posted that picture was to show that there are jellyfish still active in Hua Hins waters at the moment. It was a big one for sure, but I appreciate that bigger is not necessarily deadlier. These suckers won't kill you but they can give you a nasty reaction if contact is made. The box jellyfish is a completely different beast. They are in Thai waters but don't appear to be this far north. They will grow up to about 15cm in width, weigh about 2kgs and have tentacles that can be as long as 3m. They also move through the water a lot faster than your average jellyfish. I have seen these suckers up close and personal many times, with the odd stings across hands and feet to confirm that they are very painful and best to be avoided.

[louse1953]

Most jellyfish are harmless so it's perfectly safe to swim in Hua Hin. There are only two jellyfish that are really bad and that is the box fish and the Portuguese man-of-war. I walk down the beach every day and I haven't seen any of these

That's the problem mate,you don't see them til it's too late.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Most jellyfish are harmless so it's perfectly safe to swim in Hua Hin. There are only two jellyfish that are really bad and that is the box fish and the Portuguese man-of-war. I walk down the beach every day and I haven't seen any of these

That's the problem mate,you don't see them til it's too late.

The same can be said about sharks but people still swim in Australia, don't they mate ?

[williamgeorgeallen]

i run a watersports club in pattay and jellyfish worry me. normally the darker jellyfish are found on the hua hin side of the bay and are more venemous than the lighter ones we have on the pattaya side of the bay. we provide jellfish pants and lycra but last month 2 customers got stung on their ankles. the stings blistered and were worse than i have seen from previous years. there is a theory that as farms use more phosphate and nitrogen fertilisers there will be more jellyfish and they will come closer in to shore to use these nutrients as the rain washes them off. our customers obviously have to go in the sea to practise our activities but i would always say cover up as a precaution which is not much fun in a warm climate or better yet if you can make do with a swimming pool stick to that.

[mikecat]

Just back from a week at Chaam and saw big and small jelly fish on a couple of days. Don't know if they can be lethal but they sure do sting and it hurts. If you see dead ones on the beach its probably safer to stay out of the water. I have been to Chaam quite a few times and have seen jelly fish on every occasion but not every day. My Thai wife tells me that some of the signs on the beach tell you to look out for jelly fish and to seek treatment if stung.

[laislica]

No sure about HH Beach itself at the mo but a friend of mine was on a beach about 20 mins outside of HH last week and he said there were a lot there

Better safe than sorry, a German tourist was killed by them on Samui a few days ago

^^^^

The German tourist was swimming at night.

I read that the box jellies are more active at night.

I also where the tentacles touch the skin, the venom destroys the tissue leaving visible scars.

Better safe than sorry:-

The infamous box jellyfish developed its frighteningly powerful venom to instantly stun or kill prey, like fish and shrimp, so their struggle to escape wouldn’t damage its delicate tentacles.

Their venom is considered to be among the most deadly in the world, containing toxins that attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells. It is so overpoweringly painful, human victims have been known to go into shock and drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore. Survivors can experience considerable pain for weeks and often have significant scarring where the tentacles made contact.

EDIT:

Sleep well children!!!!!

[pcliff069]

I must admit that jellyfish are one of my phobias. Have visited and lived in HH but never went into the ocean there for that reason. Currently in Townsville and coming up to the stinger season. November to May. Even in the rock pool they recommend wearing a stinger suit. Nothing will keep you 100 stinger proof.

sent on a big black fookin <deleted> duck

[nikmar]

Thanks for the replies guys , Ive even learnt a few things.

Im here in tab kiab beach and theres a few dead ones around and not many folk in the sea.

As it goes my son s more than happy in the pool and making sand castles when e go to the brach. All is good!