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These Horrifying Animals From Thailand Will Make You Rethink That Beach Vacation

Updated August 17, 2021 4.6k votes 560 voters 24.1k views17 items

List RulesVote up the animals you would not want to encounter in Thailand.

Colorful cities and tropical beaches bring many tourists to Thailand, but horrifying native animals lurk there as well. The Southeast Asian country is home to many poisonous creatures including fish, scorpions, and tons of deadly snakes. To make things worse, some of the scariest Thai animals look completely harmless.

Australia may be famous for its scary inhabitants, but Thailand's jungles hold plenty of danger as well. Thailand's horrifying animals tend to use extremely dangerous venom to defend themselves. The poisons cause intense pain and sometimes even death. Luckily, many of the beasts are shy; you may never encounter one. Before you plan that beach vacation, though, be sure to check for any fatal creatures.

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    Spitting Cobra

    Not all cobras can spit, but the ones who can are pretty scary. About 14 of the 28 members of the Naja species are able to spit and can be found in parts of Africa and Asia. The fangs of these snakes are modified with tiny holes that shoot venom. Spitting cobras also have amazing accuracy. The snakes deliberately aim for the eyes in order to blind threats. Since their venom contains cytotoxins and neurotoxins, anyone who gets hit will have to deal with corneal swelling, paralysis, or possibly even permanent blindness. The cobras can hit a target up to eight feet away, so you don't have to get up close and personal to be in danger.

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  • Photo: NUMBER7isBEST / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Asian giant hornets are appropriately named since they are the largest hornets in the entire world. Members of the wasp family, they live throughout Eastern Asia and can grow to almost two inches long; the queens are even larger. The hornet's stinger does not detach like some other wasp species, so it can sting a victim multiple times. The venom contains around eight chemicals which can cause pain and breathing difficulties. 

    Giant hornets are also very fast, sometimes flying up to 25 miles per hour. Most humans whom die after an attack are allergic to the venom.

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    Giant Centipede

    If you've ever encountered a normal centipede, this one is about 10 inches longer. Also known as Asian forest centipedes or Chinese red-headed centipedes, these odd creatures can be found in damp places under rocks or foliage. The giant centipede is large, and it bites, leaving victims in terrible pain. Giant centipedes attack with their front legs which have specialized, poisonous pincers. The venom is powerful enough to paralyze smaller creatures such as fish. It also causes severe problems for young children or the elderly. A giant centipede's bite normally isn't deadly for humans, but it can be very painful.

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  • While the waters around Australia are famously known to hold the world's most poisonous jellyfish, the lethal creatures can lurk off the coast of Thailand as well. In fact, they can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific, killing as many as 40 people a year in the Philippines alone. But since attacks aren't always reported, these jellies can be even more deadly than we think. Each has around 15 tentacles that can be up to 10 feet long, complete with about 5,000 stingers.

    These stingers trigger a chemical reaction within prey, releasing a venom that attacks the nervous system and heart, sometimes causing shock. Box jellyfish victims have even drowned before making it back to shore due to heart attacks or extreme pain. Even more concerning, this particular fish is blue or clear in color; the victims rarely see the predator approach.

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    More Box jellyfish 

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