Hua Hin sharks: Fake news as doctors say second “attack” was just a cut

News organisations and a general public panic have been blamed for spreading fake news about a second shark attack in Hua Hin.

It was reported last week that a South Korean man was the second victim of bull sharks after a Norwegian man suffered a genuine bite in mid April.

Speaking at a gathering of officials at the scene of the original attack yesterday Wan Chartree of the Region 4 Department of Marine and Coastal Resources said that he had contacted a clinic in the Khao Tao Beach area who told him that the South Korean had not been attacked by a shark.

Doctors treated Su Gia Kim, 60, for a minor one centimeter long cut that had a depth of half a centimeter. He was given some antibiotics and sent back to his area condo where he was staying.

Wan said that news organisations and a TV crew jumped on the story spreading fake news about a shark attack that was spread by the public on social media concerned about sharks.

Yesterday the Prajuab Khirikhan provincial governor Phallop Singhsenee joined with Hua Hin officials and coastal resources staff to inspect the area where the sharks are coming in and look at measures that have been taken.

These include signage and the placing of a line of buoys.

The signage says in English: “Had Sai Noi Beach and the front of Wat Tham Khao Tao is the place of sharks (sic)”. It says no swimming or fishing is allowed.

The Thai language in the sign mentions bull sharks by name and specifies commercial fishing saying that the new regulations must be followed….or else.

NewsthuaThai (news all over Thailand) reported that the South Korean had left the area.

On April 15th 54 year old Werner Danielsen from Norway suffered a severe bite to his left leg after swimming at the beach.

He was hospitalized in Hua Hin and is now undergoing further treatment in Khon Kaen.

The first incident was also initially claimed to have resulted from a slip on rocks and not a shark bite but was later accepted as otherwise.

Thai Visa / NewsthuaThai

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