Update: Jellyfish attack not anywhere near Phuket

PHUKET: Following the confusing report by the Daily Mail of a British mum on holiday suffering severe injuries in a jellyfish attack “somewhere near Phuket”, the Phuket Gazette has since discovered that the woman was first treated at a hospital near Hua Hin, on the Gulf of Thailand, about 600 kilometers away from Phuket.

Contrary to our earlier report, Bangkok Hospital Phuket staff yesterday confirmed they did treat a “Mrs Sam Webster”, admitting her to their facility in April.

“She was brought to the emergency room on April 10 at around 2pm and was discharged from the hospital on April 15,” the hospital staffer said.

However, Mrs Webster had arrived after receiving treatment at Takuapa Hospital in Phang Nga province, the staffer noted.

In turn, staff at Takuapa Hospital told the Gazette that before Mrs Webster arrived in their care, she had received treatment for the jellyfish stings at a hospital in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, about 160 kilometers south of Bangkok.

“She was transferred to us on April 9 from Pran Buri Hospital in Prachuap Khiri Khan. She also brought with her the medication she had received at Pran Buri Hospital when she was admitted to our care,” a medical staffer at Takuapa Hospital confirmed.

The Gazette contacted Pran Buri Hospital, but staff there told the Gazette that they were unable to find anyone with the name “Webster” on their database.

However, staff at Takuapa Hospital told the Gazette that it was most likely that Mrs Webster suffered the serious jellyfish stings somewhere near Pran Buri, where she received initial medical treatment.

— Orawin Narabal