Medically reviewed by Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Physician, Takecare Clinic Phuket. Last reviewed: September 2026.
Heat, humidity, sweat and small cuts from coral or rocks make skin infections common among visitors to Phuket. I see everything from mild impetigo to spreading cellulitis, and the key is recognising early when a simple infection needs antibiotics.
In Phuket’s heat, small breaks in the skin turn into infections faster than most visitors expect. We regularly see a coral graze from snorkelling at Coral Island or Freedom Beach that looked clean for two days and then turned red and angry, a scratched mosquito bite crusting on a child’s face, or a scooter scrape kept under a damp plaster in the humidity. Fungal rashes in the groin and between the toes build up quietly over a longer stay. Early treatment usually means a short course of tablets or cream rather than a hospital drip.
The infections behind most visits
Cellulitis
Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the deeper layers of skin and the fat beneath, usually caused by streptococci or staphylococci entering through a cut, bite, blister or the cracked skin of athlete’s foot. It produces a spreading area of red or darker, hot, swollen, tender skin, most often on one lower leg, and sometimes fever and shivers. Redness on both legs at once is rarely cellulitis.
Impetigo
Impetigo is a superficial, very contagious infection that forms sores with golden, honey-coloured crusts, typically around the nose and mouth or on scratched bites. It is common in children and spreads through touch and shared towels.
Infected coral and rock cuts
Coral cuts heal slowly because fragments of coral and sand stay embedded in the wound, and warm seawater carries marine bacteria. One, Vibrio vulnificus, is rare but can cause a rapidly spreading, blistering, very painful infection within a day or two, especially with liver disease, diabetes or weak immunity. Another, Mycobacterium marinum, causes slow-growing lumps weeks later, sometimes after you are home.
Fungal infections in the humid heat
Constant sweat and damp swimwear suit fungi. Ringworm (tinea) forms a ring with a scaly, spreading edge; tinea cruris, or jock itch, affects the groin; athlete’s foot cracks the skin between the toes. Candida yeast causes shiny red rashes in skin folds, and pityriasis versicolor shows as pale or brownish patches that stand out once the surrounding skin tans.
| Infection | Typical look | Contagious? | Usual first treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cellulitis | Spreading hot, swollen, tender area | No | Oral flucloxacillin or an alternative |
| Impetigo | Honey-crusted sores | Yes | Hydrogen peroxide or antibiotic cream |
| Boil or abscess | Painful lump with a pus-filled centre | Pus can spread it | Drainage under local anaesthetic |
| Infected coral cut | Red, weeping wound that will not heal | No | Cleaning, fragment removal, antibiotics |
| Ringworm, jock itch, athlete’s foot | Itchy ring or scaly, cracked skin | Mildly | Terbinafine or azole cream |
| Pityriasis versicolor | Pale or brownish patches on chest and back | No | Ketoconazole shampoo as a body wash |
How we diagnose and treat skin infections
We examine the area, take your temperature and pulse and often draw a line around the edge of the redness with a skin marker, so both of us can see whether it spreads or shrinks. A swab of pus can identify the bacteria, and when you are unwell or have diabetes we may check a blood count, inflammation markers and blood sugar in our on-site laboratory.
For cellulitis, the usual first choice is flucloxacillin for 5-7 days, with clarithromycin or doxycycline for people allergic to penicillin. Wounds contaminated by seawater often call for an antibiotic that also covers marine bacteria, such as doxycycline. Localised impetigo responds to hydrogen peroxide 1% cream or an antibiotic cream such as fusidic acid; widespread impetigo needs tablets. A boil with pus is opened and drained under local anaesthetic, which works better than antibiotics alone. Coral cuts are cleaned thoroughly and embedded fragments removed. Fungal infections are treated with creams such as clotrimazole, miconazole or terbinafine, continued for one to two weeks after the rash clears. We review you within about 48 hours if the infection is significant, and anyone needing IV antibiotics is referred to hospital.
Looking after yourself during treatment
Raise an infected leg above hip level when resting, finish the full course of antibiotics and keep dressings clean and dry. Stay out of the sea and pools while a wound is open or impetigo is weeping. For fungal rashes, dry skin folds and feet thoroughly, change out of wet swimwear soon after swimming, wear loose cotton and do not share towels. Children with impetigo should avoid pools and close play until the sores have crusted or 48 hours after starting antibiotics.
When to see a doctor
A small scratch with slight pinkness usually settles with cleaning. See a doctor when redness spreads, when pain increases rather than eases after the first day, when there is pus, or when a cut from coral or rock is still red and weeping after two or three days. People with diabetes should be seen early for any foot wound.
Prevention and early detection
Clean every cut and graze the same day under running water with soap, working out sand and coral fragments, and cover it with a waterproof dressing. Wear reef shoes on rocky beaches and never touch coral. Keep fresh wounds out of the sea for a few days, treat athlete’s foot promptly and dry off after swimming. If you have diabetes, check your feet every evening.
Where to get a skin infection checked
All three clinics treat skin infections around the clock: our Patong clinic, our Bangtao (Cherngtalay) clinic and our Kata-Karon clinic. Come in as a walk-in doctor in Phuket patient without booking, or ask for a doctor hotel visit in Phuket if walking is painful. Send a photo on WhatsApp or call +66 81 718 9080; we confirm the price on WhatsApp before your visit. Antibiotics and creams come from our on-site pharmacy, and we bill most travel insurers directly, with receipts, a medical report and an itemised invoice for claims.
Related services and treatments
Deep, dirty or gaping cuts from rocks and scooter falls are best cleaned and dressed through our wound care in Phuket service. Many infections begin with a scratched bite, covered in insect bite treatment, a burst blister after sunburn treatment, or a sting track needing jellyfish sting treatment. Infected scratch marks between the fingers can hide mites that also need scabies treatment, and a painful band of blisters on one side may call for shingles treatment. See all conditions we treat.
Summary
Heat, seawater and sweat make skin infections common in Phuket, but most respond quickly when caught early. Spreading redness, rising pain, pus or fever mean it is time for a doctor and usually antibiotics, while itchy rings and patches in damp areas need antifungal treatment. Clean every coral or rock cut the same day and keep it out of the sea until it closes.
“Mark the edge of any red, spreading area with a pen. If it moves beyond the line or you develop a fever, come in the same day.”
Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Physician, Takecare Clinic Phuket
Frequently asked questions
Does travel insurance cover treatment for an infected cut?
An infected wound or cellulitis is normally treated as an unexpected illness under travel insurance, though each policy has its own excess and exclusions. We bill most travel insurers directly, and if yours does not, we provide receipts, a medical report and an itemised invoice so you can claim when you get home.
How quickly can I get antibiotics for a skin infection?
Usually within the same visit. No appointment is needed, walk-in patients are generally seen within minutes and most visits take under 30 minutes. If a doctor prescribes antibiotics or a cream, you collect them from our on-site pharmacy before you leave, so treatment can start straight away.
Can a doctor treat an infected leg at my villa?
Yes. A doctor can visit your hotel or villa anywhere in Phuket, day or night, examine the infection, clean and dress the wound and bring the antibiotics you need. We can arrange a follow-up visit to check progress. If the leg is rapidly spreading purple, blistering or numb, call 1669 instead.
Can I swim while I am on antibiotics for cellulitis?
It is best to stay out of the sea and pools until the skin has closed and the redness is clearly shrinking, usually a few days into treatment. Open skin lets in new bacteria from the water, and a soaked dressing loses its protection. Resting with the leg raised also helps the infection settle faster.
Why is my coral cut still not healing after a week?
Coral cuts often hold tiny fragments of coral and sand that keep the wound inflamed, and repeated sea swims reintroduce bacteria. A cut still red, weeping or tender after a week usually needs proper cleaning, fragment removal and sometimes antibiotics. Lumps appearing weeks later should also be checked by a doctor.
Is my itchy groin rash a fungal infection?
In Phuket’s humidity, a red, itchy rash in the groin with a sharp, scaly edge is very often tinea cruris, a fungal infection that responds to antifungal cream. Candida yeast, eczema, friction rash and some sexually transmitted infections can look similar, so if cream has not helped within two weeks, have it examined.
Sources
The NHS explains the symptoms and treatment of cellulitis and impetigo, and has a separate guide to ringworm and other fungal skin infections.
Skin infection, cellulitis, impetigo, abscess, infected coral cut, Vibrio vulnificus, Mycobacterium marinum, necrotising fasciitis, tinea cruris, athlete’s foot, candida intertrigo, pityriasis versicolor, flucloxacillin, doxycycline, fusidic acid, clotrimazole, terbinafine, ketoconazole, NHS, NICE, Takecare Clinic Phuket, Coral Island, Freedom Beach, Patong, Kata, Bangtao, Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan
This page is general health information and not a substitute for a medical consultation.