Jellyfish warning for Songkhla beach
published : 28 Feb 2024 at 12:02
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Assawin Pakkawan
Authorities are warning tourists against swimming on Chala That Beach in Songkhla province following sightings of Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish.
Many tourists have reportedly been stung by the sea-drifting creature, which is one of the world's most venomous marine species.
The mayor of Songkhla City has told lifeguards to warn tourists and always have a first aid kit ready. Those stung should be immediately taken to hospital, he said.
He advised people to avoid the beach for a while as the jellyfish are expected to remain there until early April.
The Portuguese man-of-war is recognised by its balloon-like float, which may be blue, violet or pink, that rises up to 15 centimetres above the water surface.
In Thailand, they are occasionally seen in the southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, Krabi and Phuket during the monsoon season. The sting can affect the nervous system and heart, causing severe pain and possibly death. People are strongly advised not to touch them.
Vocabulary
- avoid: to stay away from a place; to try to prevent something from happening - หลีกเลี่ยง
- creature: anything that lives except plants - สิ่งมีชีวิต (คน, สัตว์)
- lifeguard (noun): a person who is employed at a beach or a swimming pool to rescue people who are in danger in the water - ผู้ดูแลความปลอดภัยในการทำกิจกรรมนันทนาการทางน้ำ และช่วบชีวิตคนตกน้ำ
- monsoon: the season of heavy rain during the summer in hot Asian countries - มรสุม
- nervous system: the system of all the nerves in the body - ระบบประสาท
- occasionally: sometimes, but not frequently or regularly - บางครั้งบางคราว
- sting (verb): (past form "stung") if an insect, plant or animal stings, it produces a small but painful injury, usually with a poison, by brushing against the skin or making a very small hole under the skin - แมลงกัดต่อย
- surface: the outside or top layer of something - ผิวหน้า, ผิวภายนอก, ด้านนอก
- venomous: producing venom (the poisonous liquid that some snakes, spiders, etc. produce when they bite or sting you) - มีพิษ