Thanyaporn Ajalawichakul is an officer with the department’s Chumpon research facility and said the nets would remain in place until the end of the monsoon season in September. Marine officers have set up a timetable to check the nylon nets every two weeks to ensure they have not developed any holes.
The nets stretch down seven metres into the water and each one is 100 metres in length. The decision to install the netting was made because several tourists have been stung by Portuguese man o’ war while swimming in the seas since the start of the monsoon season.
Portuguese man o’ war look similar to jellyfish but are a sub-species of hydrozoan. Their stings are painful and have been known to kill. 12GO ASIA’s travel advisors say swimmers who do get stung should wash the sting with salt water initially.
The traditional second phase of treatment was always vinegar, but there has been controversy in recent years as to whether this serves any useful purpose. It is probably better to seek assistance from a medical professional.
Jellyfish nets dropped in the sea off Koh Samui Lamai Beach
News in Asia
Municipal and marine workers on Koh Samui have put up safety nets around Lamai Beach. A spokesperson for the Marine and Coastal Resources Department said the nets were designed to stop Portuguese man o’ war and jellyfish drifting in the seas and washing up on the beach.