This one is for those that are sick of the jobs around the home and have decided to go to Thailand to get away from it all.
After dark, the scorpions come out from the cracks in the roadside and they’re not afraid of you. One big black one came towards me as I went to look at it, so I backed off quick but it followed me across the road and then disappeared down a hole.
Another big one was crawling in the gutter and when I stopped to look at it, it went and hid behind a flower pot which made me wonder how many others were hiding behind things.
I’ve been told it is the small ones that are the most poisonous, but any bite should be treated soonest.
Because it’s so hot most of the time in Asia everyone wears flip flops or sandals which leave most of the bare skin of the feet open to be bitten, so as a precaution I tend to walk away from the sides of the road at night and to be aware of what’s on the road.
Snakes too come out after dark when it is quieter; they like the heat that rises from the tarmac and tend to just lie there basking in it until a passing car makes it move or kills it.
Not all snakes are poisonous but they’re best left alone, and some of them are fast; so any bite from a snake means getting to a hospital in an emergency to get anti-venom.
Another thing that can kill is the centipede that can grow up to around ten inches or more and it is the bigger ones that have the most poison and their bite is incredibly painful, and there’s no anti-venom, just pain killers and rubbing soap and water on the bite.
Centipedes come out mainly at night and usually don’t bother people but I had a large one crawl in under the door and onto my pillow and bite me on the neck and made my next two days miserable. After that I always blocked up all gaps around doors and windows.
Most tourists that visit Asia, for the most part won’t see these beasties, but if they do then commonsense says to leave them well alone.
Bed bugs are common in the cheaper places and give a bit that itches like crazy for up to five days; they live in cracks and holes and come out at night to usually leave a row of bites along your arm or side.
Ants give the worst bite, as I found out one day after showering; my towel was infested with them and before I could dress myself I began to itch all over and within the hour I was covered in angry red sores that didn’t go down for days. When I investigated I saw the shower floor covered in hundreds of tiny ants, and it is the tiny ones that give the most pain.
Spraying got rid of the ants and a visit to the pharmacy gave me a cream to put on that helped a little.
Because it’s so hot, westerners are subject to fungal infections, but this is cleared up quickly with clotrimazole anti fungus cream in a few days.
The sun can be a problem, even when you stay out of it, for the radiation gets to you and can cause skin problems, so using a sun block is necessary for the fair skinned.
There are cockroaches everywhere and they come out mostly at night and run around the pavements and do no harm. Sometimes one will enter a bedroom looking for food and can be taken out if you can catch it.
Mosquito bites itch and so spraying with citronella on all exposed skin, or any other natural spray is best done morning and evening when the mosquitoes come out; but even then they can bite through thin clothes.
Mosquitoes only come to rest on you and bite when you sit still for long enough, so if you’re moving they don’t bite, or if there’s a fan blowing a breeze over you, this seems to discourage them.
The bite of the mosquito can pass on malaria, but Asia doesn’t have much malaria except in some remote places so it’s a fairly safe place to travel; but there is dengue fever and there’s no preventing it other than to spray well all exposed skin with mosquito repellent.
Dengue fever can kill but usually will leave you debilitated for up to ten days and going to a hospital is best if you’re worried but there is not much they can do other than monitor you and give you fluids.
I had dengue fever and spent a week in bed really ill but survived it and then spent weeks recovering.
I you are bitten by a dog go and get a rabies shot immediately.
There are lots of other beasties and bugs that can get you in Asia but most tourists following the tourist trails usually won’t encounter anything more than mosquitoes and bed bugs and go home with many good memories.
But it’s always wise to read up on the commonsense precautions before travelling and listen to the guides if you go off the beaten track.
Last but not least: be careful when travelling on the overnight buses; one lady I know of had five hundred Euros taken from her bag while she slept; and I had a new video camera taken from my suitcase that was in the hold of the bus and locked. So keep all valuables with you and safe.
Most tourists are going to go to Thailand which is the most popular destination and is a safe country, and for the most part, where there are lots of people you won’t find so many beasties
Photographs from Pixabay
