Don’t touch: Deadly jellyfish washing up on Phuket shores

PHUKET — On 28 May 2026, a lifeguard at Kata Noi beach in Karon subdistrict observed Portuguese Man o’ War (Physalia physalis) washed ashore. Local authorities subsequently issued routine advisories for beachgoers along sections of the Andaman coast. The Phuket Provincial Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation confirmed the initial sighting and stated that similar sightings were noted at additional beaches the following day. No injuries were reported in connection with the observations.

The Incident

Karon Municipality lifeguard team leader Somchai Thongdee first documented the organisms at Kata Noi on the morning of 28 May. “We found several specimens during the routine patrol and immediately cordoned off the immediate area while notifying the district office,” Thongdee said in a statement released through the municipality. The Phuket Marine Biological Center was notified and began collecting samples for identification. Officials described the response as following standard operating procedures used for seasonal marine-organism strandings.

Background

The Portuguese Man o’ War is a colonial siphonophore rather than a true jellyfish. It is known to drift in warm ocean currents and occasionally reaches Thai coastal waters during the southwest monsoon transition period. Similar strandings have been recorded in Phuket in previous years, most recently in 2023 and 2024, according to records maintained by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. The species possesses a gas-filled float and long trailing tentacles that can deliver a painful sting even after the organism has washed ashore. Thai marine authorities have long advised the public to avoid direct contact and to notify lifeguards or local officials if specimens are encountered.

Response

Phuket Governor Narong Wongsawan directed district offices to increase beach patrols through the first week of June. “We are

By Ann Srisawat, Staff Writer