TRAT, Thailand – A spectacular bloom of colorful jellyfish has appeared off Ao Manao in Mai Rut Subdistrict, Khlong Yai District, offering visitors a rare natural spectacle as local tourism officials prepare activities to help revive the area’s economy. On Aug. 5, officials from the Mai Rut Subdistrict Administrative Organization, led by council member Boonlue Khamwong, joined local fishermen to survey Ao Manao, where they found large numbers of jellyfish in shades of blue, dark brown, light brown, and milky white drifting through the clear coastal waters. Some featured striking brown-and-white tentacles, creating a vivid display that has quickly become a new attraction.
Local residents said the jellyfish have appeared earlier than usual this year. They are normally seen from the end of the rainy season into early winter, but recent storms and a slight drop in sea temperatures are believed to have encouraged them to gather near the shore weeks ahead of schedule. Reporters found that the jellyfish could be spotted just 100 meters offshore, with sightings varying depending on weather conditions and the time of day. According to local fisherman Thawee Charoenphon, the best viewing time is during the late morning, especially after dry weather, when the jellyfish gather in large numbers in the calm, shallow waters stretching from Laem Klat to Mai Rut.
Visitors can join guided boat trips operated by local fishermen for 100 baht per person, with Boonlue coordinating bookings and visitor services. Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Trat Office plans to work with the local community and the Mai Root Subdistrict Administrative Organization to organize jellyfish-viewing activities on Aug. 10–11, weather permitting.
Korakot Opas, director of the TAT Trat Office, said the initiative is intended to help attract visitors to Khlong Yai District, which has suffered economically following the closure of the Ban Hat Lek border checkpoint due to security concerns along the Thai-Cambodian border. Officials hope the colorful jellyfish phenomenon, combined with nearby attractions such as Tat Nuek Waterfall, will encourage more domestic tourists to visit Trat and provide much-needed income for local communities and businesses.
