Potential Perils of Paradise Koh Phangan

Whilst we are all island to enjoy ourselves and we use our common sense there are certain dangers to look out for which may be unexpected.

Mosquitos -

This is obvious and we have a previous article on how to deal with mosquitos and dengue fever which as the advice states, prevention is the best way to deal with these little blighters.

Mosquito repellant is available to buy everywhere and it's always a good idea to carry this with you everywhere.

If you are out in the daytime and plan to be home before dark your plans may change and then you will be out at sunset when these little blighters will be most prevalent.

The mozzies love the sunrise and the sunset like all of us Phangan people and repellent is very effective at keeping them away from you.

If you get bit then try not to scratch you will only find that you will be scratching for hours afterwards - Tiger balm which is also available everywhere is a fantastic way of stopping the itch.

Mosquitos are usually just an annoying little itch but they can carry Dengue which can put you on your back for weeks. We have no malaria on this island but be aware in the North of the Country and our Asian neighbours Cambodia and Laos mainly are declared malaria zones. - Prevention is always cheaper than the cure!

Sea Urchins -

These are found in rock pools mainly and if you accidentally step on one you will definitely know about it straight away.

The spines of the Urchin will stay in your foot and can be very painful and are very difficult to remove. In the event of this happening the main thing to do is stay calm and get home or somewhere safe so you can try to treat the wound as soon as possible.

There are several ways of treating this accident and the main thing is trying to get the spines out of your foot as soon as possible. Hot wax can be applied to the spines in the wound and after the wax has dried these spines can be pulled out using the dry wax.

If you are not sure that you have all the spines out then please seek medical attention and they can use the medical magic to remove these spines as they are poisonous.

Please do not be alarmed by these creatures, they are not aggressive and usually you only have a problem by complete accident. If you are walking in rock pools maybe wear some footwear just in case.

Jellyfish -

The Gulf of Thailand, not just Koh Phangan has a number of Box jellyfish swimming around and these are very dangerous animals and should be avoided at all costs.

Scuba divers will have talked to you about this before if you are diving and you can visibly see them then you should stay away.

There is no successful treatment for the result of a box jellyfish sting and there are no painkillers or antibiotics that can treat any contact you have with them you simply have to ride it out.

Seek medical attention immediately if you come into contact with a box jellyfish and prepare yourself for a while for this pain to subside.

There are other jellyfish less dangerous than the Box jellyfish and these creatures are not aggressive, the usual cases where humans come into contact with them is purely by accident.

These are beautiful creatures and you can get close to them as as they are none aggressive animals but if you see tentacles coming towards you then swim the other way!

If you get stung by these beautiful little creatures then first of all don't panic! Get out the sea but wash the wound with sea water. Do not use fresh water or ice as this will increase the amount of toxins that the tentacles release into the body.

Other than the box jellyfish you should be ok if you wash the wound with vinegar for 30 minutes and you can use shaving foam with a razor or credit card to scrape the affected area and this can remove the tentacles in the wound.

Common sense tells us that if you feel nauseous, dizzy or have no energy or if you are vomiting seek medical attention immediately and there are many medicines to treat you.

Snakes -

There are snakes on the island and if you have seen one before then count yourself lucky as these are usually very private animals.

They are only aggressive if you agitate them in some way. There are green tree snakes and larger brown pythons which are completely harmless to human beings .

There are regular Cobras and King Cobras which both have the flat hood for a head when they lift their heads in the air, these can be a danger if agitated.

However, it is very rare that there are any incidents involving snakes on the island but if you encounter one and it happens to bite you then seek immediate medical attention, there are antivenoms available at the hospitals on the island  - again this is a very rare occurrence but statistically this will have happened at some point.

If you get bitten by a snake then try to remember the colour of it or even take a photograph as this will help the hospital to issue you the correct anti venom.

The other side of the danger of snakes on the island is that sometimes they are crossing the road very slowly and can be curious and will stop and have a look around - please help the snake by staying at a safe distance on the road and divert the traffic around it and once the snake starts moving towards the jungle you will never see this snake again - this is another reason to keep the speed on your motorbike slow not only for your safety but for the safety of the snake who calls this island their home!

Falling Branches and Coconuts -

In this windy weather this obviously brings down branches and coconuts which can be very dangerous if you happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The weather has been so dry recently that the branches on trees have started to wither and now the winds are arriving these are being blown from the trees - This causes a danger if you are driving or simply walking down as a branch can be very heavy and a coconut can weigh as much as a bowling ball.

Again do not panic it is extremely rare for anyone to be injured by this as common sense reminds everyone of an old proverb - ‘never sleep under a coconut tree’.