Prachuap Khiri Khan: Officials are planning to lay a 310-metre-long net off Hat Sai Noi to prevent further shark attacks on tourists after a survey confirmed at least four bull sharks are feeding near the scenic beach.
The net, to be erected at a depth of about three metres, will be coloured black as experts want to make it appear to the sharks as a "black wall", which they believe will keep the animals away from what will be demarcated as a safe swimming zone, Bannarak Soemthong, chief of marine and coastal resource management office region 4, said yesterday.
The net can also prevent tourists from being stung by dangerous jellyfish, he said.
Tourists can swim safely behind the net while the equipment will not disturb the sharks' feeding areas, he said.
Officials plan to copy how shark nets are installed in Australia where attacks have been reported.
Mr Bannarak is part of a team of experts conducting a seven-day survey near Hat Sai Noi, part of a shoreline where a Norwegian tourist suffered a non-fatal shark attack last Sunday.
On April 15, Werner Danielsen, 54, was rushed to hospital after he was attacked by a shark. The man suffered tendon damage and received 19 stitches in his left foot.
"We counted at least four bull sharks on the first day," team member Thiphamat Uppanoi, also chief of the research centre of coastal resources in Chumphon, said.
They are about one and two metres long, she said.
The animals were spotted between Thursday evening and early yesterday, which is their usual feeding time.
Experts have no plans to install nets in nearby area of Pran Buri, Hua Hin and Cha-am beaches at this point, Ms Thiphamat said. The latter two beaches are usually crowded with tourists.
After Sunday's attack, officials put up notice boards banning swimming in 10 spots at Hat Sai Noi, but some ignored the warning, saying they are not worried as sharks feeding is a natural occurrence. This put officials on high alert in the area in case any other mishaps occur, Mr Bannarak said.