Beach Dangers

Be aware of the following list of dangerous things you will encounter at the beach. Having this knowledge could save your life while visiting Thailand:

1. Rip Currents – DO NOT SWIM WHEN RED FLAGS ARE POSTED. DO NOT. DO NOT. DO NOT! A rip current is when a strong current in the ocean pulls you out and away from the shore. Educate yourself on how to survive a rip current, which is quite easy if you do NOT PANIC in the water. It is impossible for even Olympic swimmers to swim against a rip current. The rip current is shown with the lime green smoke in this photo. You probably never see a rip current from shore. As you can see, the rip current is a strong channel, sucking the water away from the beach in the area show in the green smoke. 100% of the people drown in a rip current trying to swim back to the beach, which is impossible due to the speed and strength of the rip current. Let the current pull you out by swimming or floating. After ~ 50m or less you will be free of the rip current. They swim parallel to the beach ~50m and let the waves bring back to shore. If you can float and DO NOT PANIC, you will survive this. DO NOT SWIM when red flags are out!

2. Sunburn – If you have NO experience at the ocean and/or the beach, be advised you can get a serious grade 1 sunburn in as little 15 to 20 minutes at the beach. Use plenty of SPF 50+ sunblock and use it often. Stay out of the direct sun in peak hours. Use a beach umbrella. Wear a hat. If you do get sunburned, try aloe vera or cucumber.

3. Jellyfish

The box jellyfish, blue bottle jellyfish and Portuguese Man of War are three toxic jellyfish species that can be found in Thailand’s Andaman and Gulf of Thailand coasts. Box jellyfish are considered one of the most dangerous jellyfish in Asia and can be found in waters around Southeast Asia and Australia. Their venom can harm the skin, nervous system, and heart. Jellyfish Warnings and Education.

4. Theft/Pick-Pockets

Always keep an eye on your beach bag and belongings, if you leave them to go into the water. Theft can be quite common at the beach.