Beach-goers and bathers have been warned to take extra care after the Than Bok Khorani National Park reported sightings of huge numbers of several species of deadly small jellyfishes in the Krabi sea.
The National Park chief Mr Virasak Sisajjang disclosed today that small red jellyfishes were sighted drifting in sea near several islands of the park and they are poisonous. Commonly known by fishermen as “red jellyfish”, apparently large number of these tiny and transparent jellyfishes with red tentacles were sighted at several islands of the national park near the beaches, particularly near the bay beaches. This jellyfish specie is venomous if contacted to body skins. It will cause itching pains but will not cause death.
They now have drifted to beaches of various islands of the park, and park officials have been ordered to put up signs that warn beach-goers and tourists to be aware of the tiny jellyfishes. The season change from warm to raining is the reason behind the plague of these tiny jellyfishes, but they should later disappear in a month time. Though this year they arrived in larger number than previous years, it is still a normal natural phenomenon.
Anyone coming into contact with this tiny jellyfish is advised to pour vinegar to the contacted area, which should ease the pain. In case of serious allergy reaction to the jellyfish venom, the victim is advised to immediately rush to hospital.
The problem with unwelcome marine stingers is not new in Krabi. In 2008 a Swedish girl died from a box jellyfish sting in the island of Koh Lanta, off the coast of Krabi. Elsewhere, deaths have been reported in Phuket, and off Koh Phangnan, near Koh Samui, in the Gulf of Siam, on the other side of the Isthmus of Kra. Jellyfish specimen are usually collected and taken to the local biology centre, and especially at the Phuket Marine Biological Centre where they are investigated. Some jellyfish are smaller than others, and not necessarily venomous, most being not dangerous and not stinging badly.
The strategy is therefore to alert the public about this potential marine danger once marine biologists know more about various species and the scale of the problem, without creating unnecessary panic.
