But by far the worst you’ll ever run into are the darn leeches (ทาก). Typically you’ll only find them in areas well traveled, and they especially like to come out when the ground is wet (such as after a recent rain). In the US we only have leeches in the water, but over here, these things walk on land! They are like these stretchy long worms that walk like a slinky going down a staircase. And they are quite fast at it, too. They know you’re coming by your smell and the vibrations they detect on the ground, and they are quick enough to latch onto you even if you’re walking at a rapid pace. The best defense against these critters is to keep moving, stay away from wet leaves and shaded areas, and to wear closed-toed shoes and two layers of socks (hiking boots are ok, just remember Thailand is hot and humid). You can buy ‘leech socks’, but I’ve even seen leeches bite through them! I’ve been told that insect spray (สเปรย์กันยุง) on the shoes and socks will help, but didn’t seem to work for me. Another good defense is to check your shoes every few minutes – basically the time the leech takes to reach your ankles after latching onto your shoe. And when they attach, they attach to stay.

So how do you remove these darn leeches from clothing? I find flicking them hard with my finger 3 or 4 times works. The first few flicks they won’t move, but after a few more they’ll let go. You can also get a leaf (ใบไม้) and try to grab the leech, and this mostly worked, but some were hard to grab. I’ve read you can also grab them by the thumb and forefinger, twist them back and forth, and they’ll let go after getting disoriented – but I haven’t tried this myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_-rAfpMKQ4
A random Thailand leech video I found online.

Now what if they’ve latched onto you? Well, leeches are really just an empty sack with a straw attached to it. They will inhale your blood until they are nice and round, and after they’ve had their fill, will simply drop off of you. They won’t be hungry again for months. Leeches don’t spread disease, so no need to panic. And they don’t drain enough blood to harm you, unless of course you perhaps fall into a nest of them . . . but chances are you’ll still be disgusted by a leech clinging onto you and want to get it off. If you just rip it out – the straw might stay inside of you and cause a nasty infection. Instead, bring some salt (เกลือ) with you on the trip, and place it on the leech to get it to let go. You can also hold a lighter (ไฟแช็ก) on it.

Just be thankful that they don’t drop from trees (ต้นไม้), as I’ve heard they do in some countries . . .

vocabulary (คำศัพท์):

ทาก                                leech

ใบไม้                              leaf

สเปรย์กันยุง                  mosquito spray

เกลือ                              salt

ไฟแช็ก                          lighter

ต้นไม้                             tree