Finnish boy, 5, attacked by stray dogs at Ao Nang, Krabi

PHUKET: A 5-year-old Finnish boy is in hospital after being attacked by a pack of stay dogs at Ao Nang Beach in Krabi yesterday (Feb 20).

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By Eakkapop Thongtub

Thursday 21 February 2019, 01:03PM

Five-year-old Finnish boy Eemi Nikula remains recovering from his ordeal at Krabi Nakharin International Hospital. Photo: Sutee Krabii

The boy, Eemi Nikula, suffered scratches and bites to his torso, back and buttocks and has a wound about five centimetres long on his right calf.

The most dangerous wound was a bite to his neck, where fangs had punctured two holes near his Adam’s apple.

Eemi is now recovering at Krabi Nakharin International Hospital, where doctors have treated his wounds.

The boy has been vaccinated for rabies and tetanus, doctors confirmed.

He is to stay under observation at the hospital for any outbreak of fever or other signs of infection, doctors noted.

Eemi’s father, Appo Nikula, 30, explained that the dog attack happened at about 6:30pm.

Mr Nikula was leaving the beach with his two sons, but Eemi went back to the water to wash sand off himself.

Suddenly he saw a pack of four to five dogs attack his son, he said.

He ran to intervene and with the help of people nearby manged to get the pack away from Eemi.

The pack of dogs even followed him while he was carrying Eemi from the beach, Mr Nikula said.

In the end, local people chased the dogs away, he added.

Pankum Kittithornkul, Chief Administration Officer (Palad) at the Ao Nang Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) visited Eemi at the hospital last night.

“Ao Nang OrBorTor has a campaign to sterilise local stray dogs and vaccinate them against rabies. The campaign is ongoing every year, but still people dump their dogs in public areas, which makes it hard to keep our campaign effective,” he said.

“I have ordered the Public Health and Environment Division (at Ao Nang OrBorTor) to coordinate with district livestock officials to check the area and catch the dogs that attacked Eemi,” he added.

We need to know how many such dogs are out there and whether they have been vaccinated for rabies,” he said.

“This is very important. Ao Nang Beach and Hat Noppharat Thara - Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park are popular tourist areas, and this is the first time we have had stray dogs hurting tourists, but we must take quick action to prevent it from happening again,” MrPankum said.