What is the emergency number for an ambulance in Phuket?

1669 is the national EMS and ambulance number in Thailand, including Phuket. The Tourist Police English line is 1155, the marine and diving emergency line is 1196, and the Poison Control line at Ramathibodi is 1367.

Should I use vinegar or hot water for a jellyfish sting?

It depends on the organism. For box jellyfish (Chironex) stings use vinegar at 4 to 6 percent liberally for at least 30 seconds, then remove tentacles with tweezers. For bluebottles (Physalia) use hot water at around 45 degrees C for about 20 minutes. Never use fresh water, urine or alcohol on any sting, and never rub.

Do I need a pressure bandage after a snakebite?

For suspected elapid bites (cobra, krait) in Australia and New Zealand style protocols, apply a pressure immobilisation bandage and keep the patient still and calm, then get to hospital immediately. For most viper bites, including the Malayan pit viper, immobilise the limb at heart level and get to hospital for antivenom. Do not cut, suck, apply a tourniquet or use ice.

Which Phuket hospitals have hyperbaric facilities for diving emergencies?

Bangkok Hospital Phuket and SSS Hyperbaric Services Thailand are the main recompression facilities. Call 1196 for marine and diving emergencies and ask the hospital to prepare the chamber before you arrive, because transfer time matters for suspected decompression illness.

What do the beach flags in Phuket mean?

A red flag means dangerous conditions and you must not enter the water. Yellow means exercise caution. Purple flags generally indicate marine pests such as jellyfish. A double red flag or a posted closure means the beach is closed. Always follow the flag posted that day and any lifeguard advice.

Field Reference — Phuket Nature Safety Guide

Emergency Numbers

1669EMS / Ambulance

1155Tourist Police (EN)

191Police

199Fire

1196Marine / Diving Emergency

1362National Parks

1367Poison Control (Ramathibodi)

1422DDC (Food / Mushrooms)

1751Tsunami / Disaster

Live marine warnings: warning.dmcr.go.th (DMCR).

First-Aid Do & Don't Matrix

Situation	Do	Don't
Box jellyfish (cubozoan)	Vinegar 4–6% liberally ≥30 s; remove tentacles with tweezers; call 1669 if severe	Fresh water, urine, alcohol, rub, scrape with fingers
Bluebottle / Physalia	Hot water immersion ~45 °C for ~20 min; pain management; seek care if severe	Vinegar (not indicated); fresh water may aggravate in some cases
Stonefish / venomous fish	Immobilise, hot water as directed for pain, get to hospital/antivenom per protocol	Walk on reef blindly; delay transfer for severe pain/systemic symptoms
Elapid bite (neurotoxic)	Pressure-immobilisation per current guidance, keep calm/still, call 1669/go to ER	Cut/suck, tourniquet, exercise limb
Viper bite (haemotoxic)	Immobilise at heart level, remove tight jewellery, keep calm, go to hospital for antivenom	Cut/suck, tight arterial tourniquet, alcohol
Macaque/scratch/bite	Wash with soap/water ≥15 min, cover, seek PEP assessment same day (1155/1669)	Ignore; delay; "let it dry"
Unknown mushroom / suspected poisoning	Keep sample/photo/time, call 1367 or 1422, go to ER ASAP if delayed onset (>5 h)	Folk tests (silver spoon/onion), induce vomiting blindly
Rip current	Don't fight straight back; swim parallel to shore until out, then angle in; float/wave for help	Panic and swim against current
Febrile (possible dengue)	Hydrate, rest, seek care; avoid aspirin/ibuprofen until dengue ruled out	Self-medicate with NSAIDs blindly

Beach Flags (Summary)

Red — dangerous conditions, usually no swimming / strong currents
Yellow — caution, moderate hazard
Red/Yellow — supervised area / conditions vary
Purple — marine pests present (e.g. jellyfish/stings) — heed advice
Double red / posted closure — do not enter water

Flags vary slightly by beach/lifeguard; always follow the posted flag and local advice on the day.

Hospital / Antivenom / Hyperbaric (Phuket Context)

Bangkok Hospital Phuket — +66 76 254 425 (has hyperbaric/recompression services in general; confirm availability at the time)
SSS Hyperbaric Services Thailand — 081-0819000
Antivenom: provided by facilities per national supply; for snakebites go to the nearest appropriate ER — don't delay.
Diving emergency: call 1196 and follow hospital instructions.

These are starting points; numbers/services change over time — call and confirm if unsure.

Field Stamps (15)

Collect stamps by reading/doing each section. Progress is saved in localStorage only (oa-safety-stamps-v1).

★

Cubozoa

Know vinegar vs hot water.

★

Bluebottle

Hot water, not vinegar.

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Venom Ring

Stonefish/venomous fish awareness.

★

Malayan Pit Viper

Immobilise at heart level.

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Macaque

Wash 15 min, PEP same day.

★

Slow Loris

Protected, never touch.

★

Unknown Mushroom

Don't eat; delayed = emergency.

★

Sea Mango

Cerbera — never chew.

★

Dumb Cane

Irritant/caustic.

★

Dengue Aware

No aspirin/ibuprofen if febrile.

★

Reef Respect

Shuffle feet, don't touch.

★

Tsunami Aware

Know routes/towers.

★

1669

Call early for life-threatening.

★

Antivenom

Go to hospital, don't delay.

★

Recompression

1196 for diving emergencies.

Quick Quiz (15)

Box jellyfish sting: first step?

Bluebottle (Physalia): correct?

Caught in a rip current?

Macaque bite/scratch?

Unknown mushroom, delayed symptoms (>5 h)?

Elapid (neurotoxic) snakebite?

Viper bite?

Febrile and possible dengue?

Slow loris?

Floodwater with open cut?

Marine warning purple/red?

Life-threatening emergency?

Diving emergency?

Poison control?

Stonefish sting?

Sources & Credits

DMCR Marine Warnings: warning.dmcr.go.th
DDC Thailand: ddc.moph.go.th
WHO: who.int
Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute (QSMI): si.mahidol.ac.th
Wikimedia Commons images — see Atlas for full TASL per image.

Disclaimer: This guide is for practical harm-reduction and education only. It is not medical advice. Follow local authorities, lifeguards, and medical professionals. Ossuary Atelier is not medical staff.

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