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TwitterAlthough Thailand offers idyllic views, fern covered rainforest trees, bright and colourful coral reefs, rare orchids and two meter long lizards, which are all generally harmless to the average “responsible traveler”, it does have some dangers and annoyances which you should watch out for. We ourselves wouldn’t be responsible if we didn’t let you know about them, but please don’t fret, the most likely annoyance you will find in Thailand is the fact that your holiday will have to end at some point!! So, before you swap your work shoes for your trekking boots and your white shirt for safari one we recommend you take a few moments to read some of the annoyances that are there to be found.
Snake bites
Thailand has many different species of snake. Not all of them are poisonous but all of them a beauty to behold. Please however be very careful if you come across a snake whilst out in national parks, rural towns and even in some city settings. Generally, common sense is the best preventative method for snake bites. Most snakes are more scared of us than we are of them but it is possible to come across a snake when walking through the undergrowth, swimming in lakes or canals and moving logs or dead branches. The most dangerous varieties are the Chain Viper, several types of Krait, various Cobras (including the spitting Cobra found in the South of Thailand), the King Cobra, Coral Snakes and Pit Vipers, all of which are extremely dangerous. Some of these species are passive whilst others aggressive if approached. What to do if you are bitten by a snake? Don’t Panic! Not all snake bites are dangerous; however you should get to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible. Tell someone what has happened, act quickly and if it is possible take either a picture of the snake or the snake that bit you with you to the hospital. Do not put yourself in danger of another bite however and ONLY if it is safe to do so kill the offending snake and take it with you to the hospital so that they can identify it and administer the appropriate anti venom if required.
There are also many non-poisonous varieties although it is often difficult to distinguish them from poisonous varieties and you should treat them all as dangerous and avoid them at all costs. Wear thick long trousers and boots when walking in long undergrowth or areas you can’t see where you are putting your feet. Stay well away from any snake you encounter and be aware they can strike much farther than you think. They can generally strike three quarters of the length of their body and if you have a 3 meter long snake, that’s quite a long distance. If you do encounter one, stay back, stay calm and provide it with an escape route. NEVER corner or approach a snake that cannot escape, from here its only option left is to attack. However if you give it an exit, nine times out of ten it will slither away rather than stay and confront you.
Leeches
Leeches are generally not dangerous although they are annoying and can make you feel a little uncomfortable.
Generally found in fresh water and damp conditions the leech can be an annoying pest on any hike or walk. The leech is actually a hermaphrodite and not all but many of the species feed on blood. Being a hermaphrodite, they have both male and female reproductive organs. They fertilize one another by reciprocal fertilization between 2 adult leeches.
If you are bitten or discover a leech on you removal is easy. However due to an anticoagulant that the leech secretes the bite might bleed more than a normal wound. This should subside after several hours when the leech is removed and the wound cleaned.
Prevention and Removal
The most common trick used in Thailand is to first buy a packet of tobacco. Stuff this into your socks and down the insides of your boots. Leeches do not like the strong effects given by the tobacco and will do their best to avoid it. Another good idea is to fill a plastic drinking water bottle full of tobacco and add some water. When a leech bites, pour some of this water onto the leech and it should automatically detach itself – you can refill the bottle using the same tobacco many times as it retains it potency for a long time.
Another common method is to run your finger nail along your skin towards the mouth part of the leech in order to break the seal made by the leaches mouth part, it should then remove its jaw and you can “flick” the invader away.
Simply pulling the leech off is not recommended as this can cause the leech to regurgitate its stomach contents and may cause infection from the bacteria found in its stomach lining.
Scorpions
There are around 2000 species of scorpion in the world some much more dangerous than others. To date, Thai researchers have documented 11 different species; they can range from light sand to dark black in colour and are between 1 – 5 inches in size.
There are some deadly scorpions in the world, but thankfully they do not reside in Thailand. The most dangerous scorpions actually hail from North Africa and the Middle East.
Within Thailand scorpions are dangerous only if you have an allergic reaction to the sting itself or they sting children or the elderly. Generally the sting is painful but will cause no more trouble than that of a wasp sting.
Scorpions rarely aggressively attack humans, but they will attack if they are handled, stepped on or threatened in any way. They are also nocturnal and like to make their day burrows close to human habitation, sometimes they can be found holed up in human objects such as shoes, so make sure you check your boots before you put them on in the morning. Cracks in plaster and wood, ceiling spaces and under floor boards are other areas scorpions like to hide.
What to do if you are stung?
Again, remain calm. Clean the area that has been stung to minimize the possibility of infection and head to your nearest doctor or hospital. Let everyone in your group know you have been stung and where the scorpion that stung you so as to minimize the threat that others will be stung by it.
If you keep your eyes open, check your belongings before putting them on and exercise a little caution. When walking trails you should have no problems with scorpions.
Ticks
The tick is most commonly found on stray dogs in Thailand, these annoying pests can cause you a problem if they find themselves a way into bodily orifices.
Ticks feed on blood and can be found in tall grass and shrubs. They can’t jump but will wait for passers by and attach itself to you with its cutting mandibles found at the front of the head.
Removal
These pests are easy to remove if they haven’t found a way to somewhere deeper! Simply grab the tick by the abdomen and put it out. Make sure that it hasn’t left its mouth parts inside the wound and fully clean the area afterwards. If you get any symptoms, check your tick bite at the hospital, since they can spread some diseases.
Mosquitoes
There are about 3,500 species of mosquito in the world and it is only the female of the species which sucks blood. The mosquito finds this abundant food source from all types of animals, including humans.
Unfortunately mosquitoes are known disease vectors and some of the most dangerous diseases the mosquito can carry are Malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever.
Given this fact, possible infection will be on most people’s minds when they travel to a tropical country. Within Thailand there are certain areas where you may be at risk of infection if you are bitten by a mosquito. These areas are the far North West and East on the boarders of Myanmar and Cambodia respectively. Central Thailand and the south are Malaria free, however mosquitoes can still be an annoyance and Dengue Fever is a rare but present possibility. The best thing to stop these annoying pests is to prevent them before they have bitten you.
Prevention of mosquito bites:
Long sleeved shirts and trousers, mosquito repellant and mosquito joss sticks are all good preventative measures. Natural repellants can be obtained from most stores, many of which are made from lemongrass as mosquitoes do not like the aroma given off by the lemon grass plant.
The best preventative measure however is to stay in doors during sunrise and sun set as these are the times of the day when most mosquitoes are active.
What to do if you are bitten?
It is almost impossible to go a week in Thailand without being bitten by a mosquito, but don’t worry, just because you have been bitten doesn’t mean you will get malaria or Dengue fever. Most mosquito bites are an itchy annoyance at most and a great product for preventing the itchy feeling you have after being bitten is “Tiger Balm” – Which can be bought from most pharmacies and supermarkets out here. Apply it to the area of the bite and rub into the skin and the itching will subside instantly. This rub is for external use only and be careful not to rub your eyes after this as the Tiger Balm is also a heat applying muscle rub and it will sting (this advice comes from personal experience!!).
You can check out if the area you are traveling from is a malaria risk area by consulting your GP who will be able to give you up to date advice on the preventative measures and if they are required.
Plants
It is important that if you are walking in the forest or trekking through the mountains you don’t pick any of the plants. Thailand has some poisonous plants and they can cause irritation to the skin if handled.
One particular variety in the Deep South is called “Lang Tang” and if touched will cause a prickly heat sensation along with possible localized muscles spasms and if scratched can itch for up to a week!
After reading all of these Dangers and Annoyances one might opt to not visit this beautifully diverse land but please do not let this section put you off your travels. If you are well prepared, know the possible dangers and are sensible with your traveling you will have a fantastic journey through Thailand’s natural wonders and will probably never encounter any of the above.
