Dangerous jellyfish also spotted at Krabi: Forbidden to swim
After Phuket, the dangerous jellyfish called the Portuguese man-of-war has also been sighted on the Phi Phi islands near Krabi. This jellyfish species is extremely venomous and therefore dangerous to humans. A swimming ban has been imposed. There is also a ban on entering the sea at some beaches off the coast of Phuket.
Suwanna Sa-ard, assistant chief of the Hat Nopparat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi Marine National Park, said park rangers spotted and found a significant number of jellyfish off Maya Beach on Phi Phi Leh Island on Monday morning. The other five islands are checked to see if the jellyfish are also present there. The park has asked hotel owners and tour operators to hand out warning leaflets.
Park chief Sarayut Tantian says people stung by a Portuguese man-of-war shouldn't use vinegar to ease the pain and neutralize the poison (as with normal jellyfish stings). In this case, it just makes the pain worse. The correct method is to rinse immediately with sea water and carefully remove the tentacles with something made of plastic. It is advised to go straight to the hospital.
145 living and dead jellyfish have been found on the beach in Phuket. Most of them are found between Mai Khao beach in front of JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa and Sai Kaew beach. Lifeguards call the number "alarming." for the next few days, lifeguards and officials will continue to monitor the beaches and remove jellyfish.
Source: Bangkok Post
"The correct method is to rinse immediately with seawater and carefully remove the tentacles with something made of plastic."
This is also the correct method for stinging other jellyfish. The difference is in the post-treatment. After rinsing and removing the tentacles, vinegar is recommended when stinging other jellyfish to neutralize the effect of the poison. When stinging from the bluebottle, not a real jellyfish, by the way, this does not work, but the affected skin must be kept in hot water, as hot as can be comfortably tolerated. If hot water is not available, use cold water/ice packs.