Rescue workers say 10 people were stung while swimming close to Huay Yang Beach last weekend. Seven of these required additional treatment for the stings. One local official noted that the stings had not been inflicted by box jellyfish.
Local government worker Thawatchai Daengcham told reporters that crews of fishing boats had said they had seen jellyfish being washed towards shore by strong waves. Mr Daengcham said health officials would be patrolling beaches along the coast to assist tourists.
A local doctor says the most effective treatment for jellyfish stings is to clean them with vinegar as it slows down the poisonous venom. The doctor noted that after doing this it is probably better to go and see a medical professional. He warned that under no circumstances should anybody press hard on areas of skin which had been stung by jellyfish.
Beachside restaurants in Prachuap Khiri Khan and at other locations along the gulf coast usually keep reserve supplies of vinegar to help people with stings. The jellyfish are mostly washed out to sea by the new year and do not reappear again until the onset of the monsoon.
Jellyfish alert for Prachuap Khiri Khan coast
News in Asia
Following a spate of jellyfish stings, provincial officials in Prachuap Khiri Khan have warned swimmers to keep an eye out for the marine species. Jellyfish are fairly common along the Gulf of Thailand coast in the months after the end of the annual monsoon season.