A free public seminar on Box Jellyfish Safety was held on Saturday, 4 April with two main speakers,
talking to about 50-60 people, at Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort in Karon.
The first speaker was Andrew Jones, a Australian journalist, who talked about a dramatic account of the experience when
his son Lewis was stung by a jellyfish last year at Ko Mak, Trat in the Gulf of Thailand, about three months before a Swedish girl, Moa Bergmans fatal case at ko Lanta in Krabi about a year ago. Andrew explained more about how Thai people helped his son recover, using morning glory vegetable to relieve the sting, and showed some tips on treatment:
He told Andaman News later that he did not know it was a box jellyfish that stung his son until he consulted experts in Australia who specialize in the area of box jellyfish. The injuries sustained and symptoms including heart attack and breathing stopping in a perfectly healthy child was evidence and statement enough as there is no other jellyfish known on the planet that can do this and allergic reaction or anaphylactic shock from jellyfish stings are unheard of in medical science.
Dr. Lisa-ann Gershwin, an American and internationally-renowned natural scientist and Curator of Natural Science at Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmania in Australia, also spoke about her extensive knowledge on the deadly box jellyfish and other non-deadly even beautiful looking jellyfish, but stressing safety and education, as practiced in Australia. First she introduced herself:
Dr Somchai Bussarwait, the Chief of Reference Collection and Phuket Aquarium, told Andaman News after the seminar that more sightings of box jellyfish or the much smaller and rarer Irukandjis, have been seen in Samut Songkram in the Gulf, and possibly near Satun in the Andaman Sea, in addition to the ones at Ao Nam Bor on the east coast mangrove area of Phuket, showing the need for more research & seminars like this. He also said Dr Lisa is making a proposal to fund some research in Thailand, and for officers to go to Australia to learn more ideas on how to deal with jellyfish. In the meantime, he suggests people buy vinegar to take to the beaches just in the rare case anyone needs it. The Aquarium at Cape Panwa and the Phuket governors office have given 400 beach operators and tourism staff both vinegar from Golden Mountain Company and training on how to treat stings.
The long public seminar in English and Thai, had lots of information and advice. If you missed it, and want to learn more about jellyfish and how to avoid stings or how to treat them, you can contact Dr
Somchai by email at somchaibussar@hotmail.com or telephone 076-391126 or fax 076 391406
Special Report Andaman News NBT (VHF dial) + Radio Thailand FM90.5 at 8.30am & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 7pm & 1am, TVPhuket channel on KPP cable TV, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & Mazz Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket, Thursday 9 April 2009 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ & www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews.com Send comments to AndamanNews@yahoo.com
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