Beach first-aid kit for Thailand: what to pack for jellyfish stings
Most jellyfish stings settle on their own, but the first minutes matter. Here is what fits in a small bag and helps if a jellyfish does sting.
Essentials
- Household vinegar (4–6%), a small bottle. For a box jellyfish or unknown sting, pour vinegar over the area for at least 30 seconds: it disarms stinging cells that have not fired yet12. Many Thai beaches have vinegar stations, but your own bottle is more reliable.
- Tweezers or a plastic card to lift remaining tentacles after the vinegar.
- Disposable gloves so you are not stung yourself.
- A phone with the numbers saved: ambulance 1669, tourist police 1155.
For pain and itch
- A cold pack or ice in a bag, applied through cloth, not directly on the skin.
- A flask of hot water: for a bluebottle (Portuguese man o’ war) sting, hot water as hot as you can tolerate, about 45 °C, for 20–30 minutes eases the pain1.
- Antihistamine tablets and hydrocortisone cream for itch and redness. Choose them with a pharmacist in advance, especially for children.
- A painkiller you normally tolerate.
- A bottle of seawater or saline to rinse off bluebottle tentacles. Fresh water is not suitable.
To avoid stings
- A lycra suit or a long-sleeved swimsuit with leggings covers most of the body.
- Water shoes when jellyfish are washed up on the sand: bluebottles sting on the beach too.
- The jellyfish forecast on this site and the beach flags before you swim.
What not to bother with
- Alcohol, spirits, urine or baking soda for jellyfish stings: they do not help and can make it worse.
- Elastic bandages for pressure wraps and tourniquets: they are not used for jellyfish stings.
When to call 1669
Difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, fainting, a large stung area, a suspected box jellyfish, or a child stung: call 1669 straight away.
Step-by-step instructions are in first aid. What different stings look like is on what a sting looks like.