The Double-Decker Bunks Below a Fishing Boat's Deck, Shared by Three Watches, Left 9 of 22 Crew Sick at Sea — A True Story from Mahachai Pier That Ended with a Dust Mite Removal Service

At ten minutes to six on the morning of Thursday, 9 April 2026, a thin cold mist was still rising off the water at Mahachai fishing pier in Samut Sakhon. The purse seine boat Suphamongkol 3 had just tied up after 21 days at sea, having left on 19 March. The catch was already on its way to the cold-storage trucks. But what made Khun Thanakorn Limsuwan, 52, owner of Limsuwan Fishery Co., Ltd., stand motionless on the pier was not the size of the catch.

It was the sight of his crew stepping off one by one. Seven or eight of them were coughing a dry, persistent cough. Some were scratching their arms and necks until the skin was red. A deckhand named Ek, 27, had both hands on his knees beside a concrete pile, breathing with a faint wheeze.

The crew quarters of Suphamongkol 3 sit below the deck at the bow, roughly 4.5 metres wide and 6.2 metres long. Six double-deck bunks stand tight against the walls, making 12 berths. Each mattress is a slab of foam about 6 centimetres thick, wrapped in a waterproof blue canvas cover faded almost to grey. The pillows are synthetic-fibre ones that crew bring themselves or buy second-hand from each other.

On that last trip there were 22 crew aboard but only 12 berths. The answer was the watch system. Crew were split into shifts, and the moment one man climbed out of a bunk to work the deck, another who had just finished a shift dropped into the same mattress. The blanket was still warm. The foam was still damp with the sweat and sea salt of the person before.

The figures noted in the company trip book from March to June 2026 read like this. Nine of 22 crew had coughing, sneezing, a blocked nose or persistent skin rash. Together they lost or under-worked more than 41 working days, and three crew asked to be taken off mid-trip, which meant sending a small boat out to bring them back to shore.

What Was Really Happening Below the Deck

After the boat docked, Khun Thanakorn sat down with Captain Suthep, 58, the skipper who has been with the company since 2009. The first thing the captain said was, "More of the boys are sick this year than ever, but I do not think it is the weather, boss. The sea wind this year is no different from last year."

So Khun Thanakorn asked him to go through who got sick and when. The pattern was more interesting than either man expected: coughing and sneezing were worst between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m., right after crew changed watch and climbed into bed, and men who gave up and slept on deck noticeably improved.

The Doctor's Question That Changed the Company's View

On 14 April 2026 Khun Thanakorn took Ek, the deckhand with the wheeze, to see Dr. Paramet Wattanasiri at a clinic near the Talad Thalay Thai seafood market. The doctor took a much longer history than Ek had expected and asked a question that made Khun Thanakorn go quiet.

"Is it worse when you are working hard, or when you are lying down?" Ek answered, "When I lie down, doctor. Especially right after I get into the bunk."

"The mattress, has it ever been aired or washed, and how many people use it?" Khun Thanakorn answered for him. "Two men to one bed, doctor, taking turns. Washing, never. I send the sheets to be washed, but the mattress itself has never been touched."

The doctor explained carefully that diagnosis has to be made person by person, but the pattern described, worse in bed, better away from the room and returning on re-entry, fits an allergy to indoor allergens in a living space. One of the most common culprits is the house dust mite, a creature only 0.1 to 0.3 millimetres long, invisible to the naked eye.

"A mattress shared by several people, damp and warm, with shed skin building up every night, is practically a five-star home and a buffet for them," the doctor said, and advised inspecting the mattresses in use before thinking about more medicine.

Why Dust Mites Are Especially Bad in Crew Quarters

If you set out to design a room that would grow dust mites as efficiently as possible by accident, the crew quarters of a fishing boat would be near the top of the list. The reason is not that the crew are dirty. It is the working environment aboard, pure and simple.

Humidity that never drops

The space below the bow deck receives the most sea spray vapour and accumulated moisture on the boat. Sea wind carries salty air in, steel walls turn cold at night and sweat droplets, and the crew themselves arrive in clothes damp with perspiration and seawater. Relative humidity in a room like this stays high through the whole trip, which is just what dust mites like: damp, dark and still.

Add a mattress used round the clock by two or three men, thin foam whose seams and cracked cover hold skin flakes, and two vents that must be shut in rough seas.

Put the humidity and the lack of airflow together, with a mattress shared by several men, and the crew room is not just a place that "does not look clean". It is a room that lets allergen build up far more than an ordinary house.

The Impact: Health, Money, Relationships and Reputation

Crew health

Nine of 22 crew had symptoms consistent with respiratory or skin allergy: a dry morning cough, runs of sneezing, a clear runny nose, a blocked nose at night, red itchy rashes on the neck, arms and back. Some slept poorly because of itching and coughing, then got up for work at 3 a.m. with accumulated exhaustion. Fishing is heavy, dangerous work, so lost sleep is a safety matter too.

The World Health Organization notes that asthma is a chronic disease that affects quality of life and the ability to work. Readers can find more in the WHO asthma fact sheet.

Money

The company accountant totalled the costs arising from this between March and June 2026.

• Four extra substitute crew hired on short notice, about 86,000 baht
• Three small-boat trips to collect crew who asked to leave mid-trip, fuel and lost time, about 47,000 baht
• Medicine and doctor visits paid by the company, about 29,000 baht
• Lower output from crew working below full strength, conservatively estimated at 150,000 baht

That adds up to more than 312,000 baht in under four months, although nobody had ever put a line called "crew mattresses" in the budget.

Why the Usual Fixes Do Not Work

Before finding the real cause, the company tried several things. All were done with good intentions, and none touched the actual problem.

Washing the sheets at every docking

Correct, but sheets are only the thinnest layer. Dust mites and their droppings sit deeper in the foam and seams. Washing the sheets is like changing the shirt of someone who is still wet.

Sunning the mattresses on deck

Crew carried the mattresses out to the sun when the boat docked, but a fishing boat does not stay in port long, and Thai sun only warms the outer skin of the foam. Dust mites have time to retreat inside. The sun also does not pull allergen out; droppings stay in the mattress as before, and when rain comes or sea fog settles, the mattress is damp again within hours.

Using an ordinary household vacuum

A household vacuum with a standard filter often blows fine dust and allergen back out through its rear vent. In a narrow room with poor air movement the result can be worse than before, because the dust is lifted to breathing height instead of being removed.

Information on respiratory and allergic disease in Thailand can be followed through the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health.

Getting to Know Dust Mites: Biology, Life Cycle and Why They Thrive in Thailand

The dust mite is an arthropod in the arachnid family, with 8 legs and a body only 0.1 to 0.3 millimetres long, so small that a microscope is needed to see it. It does not bite and does not suck blood. The problem is the allergen in its droppings and body fragments, which dries, breaks into fine particles, rises when fabric is disturbed and is breathed in or touches the skin.

Why allergen matters, not just the mite

Even when a dust mite is dead, its droppings and remains can still trigger allergic reactions, which is why the aim is to remove allergen from the mattress, not just to kill the mite. For more on indoor air and health, see the WHO fact sheet on household air pollution and health.

Dust mites are associated with allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma in some people, dermatitis, itchy rashes and headaches, but every case should be diagnosed by a doctor. Removing dust mites reduces a trigger in the environment. It is not a treatment for disease.

The Solution: A Complete Dust Mite Removal Service from World Health Disinfection

In late July 2026 Khun Thanakorn sat at a desk in his small office beside the Mahachai canal and typed "dust mite removal boat mattress" into a search box. He did not expect much. He assumed this kind of service was for condominiums and hotels, not fishing boats.

But he found the page for the dust mite removal, carpet, mattress and sofa cleaning service with full disinfection from World Health Disinfection, described as the first service of its kind in Thailand. It covers mattresses, sofas, carpets and curtains, and curtains can be done without taking them down. The team brings its equipment to the customer.

He phoned 065-556-6294 on 29 July 2026 and asked whether the job could be done on a boat docked for only 4 days. The team confirmed it could be finished in one day during the docking window, with no need to carry the mattresses anywhere. That settled it. All the work would be done on the mattresses where they lay, during the docking window, without disturbing the sailing schedule.

The Technology Behind SIRENA System

At the heart of the service is the SIRENA System dust mite removal machine, designed in Canada and driven by a 1200-watt cyclonic motor from Italy. Its suction is strong enough to draw dust and allergen from the deep layers of foam and fabric fibre, not just the surface.

Water filtration together with HEPA

What differs from an ordinary vacuum is the water filtration system. Dust drawn in passes through water first and is trapped in the water 100 percent. The remaining air then passes through a HEPA filter that captures down to 0.02 micron, so fine dust does not drift back into the room. That is vital in a narrow, poorly ventilated space like a crew bunk room.

Allergen removal results

SIRENA System removes up to 99.99 percent of allergens and is certified by the Asthma Society of Canada. The service page also lists TUV Rheinland, Certified Vacuums, Quality Tested, Certified Space Technology, Dust Mite Proof and Go Green / Eco Friendly marks.

Reinforced by MASTER VACUUM

For washing mattresses, sofas and carpets the team adds the MASTER VACUUM to lift sweat marks, moisture and dirt embedded in the fabric. An optional disinfection spraying service covers viruses, bacteria and fungi.

10 Reasons to Choose the WHD Dust Mite Removal Service for Crew Quarters

1. Works while the boat is docked. No mattresses leave the vessel and the sailing schedule is untouched.
2. Draws allergen from deep inside the foam with a 1200-watt cyclonic motor, not just from the top layer.
3. Water filtration traps dust in water 100 percent, so nothing drifts back into a small, still room.
4. HEPA filtration down to 0.02 micron catches the finest dust before air is released.
5. Up to 99.99 percent allergen removal, according to SIRENA System specifications.
6. Reduces musty odour by lifting moisture and embedded dirt out of the mattress, rather than covering the smell with perfume.
7. Whole room in one visit: mattresses, pillows, a fabric bench and curtains, with curtains done without taking them down.
8. Optional disinfection spraying for viruses, bacteria and fungi.
9. Free aftercare items: WELLGIENIC disinfecting wipes and CHEMGENE HLD4H disinfectant for the crew to use afterwards.
10. On-site assessment with a recommended repeat interval that fits the number of trips and the number of people sharing each bunk.

How the Service Works On Site at Mahachai Pier

On Monday, 17 August 2026, Suphamongkol 3 docked at the end of its 16th trip of the year, due to sail again on Friday, 21 August. The WHD team arrived at the pier on Tuesday, 18 August at 7:30 a.m. The steps were as follows.

1. Site inspection. The team went below deck, counted 12 mattresses, 12 pillows, one fabric bench and 2 blackout curtains, and assessed the damp level and where shore power sockets were.
2. Extraction with SIRENA System. Bunk by bunk: top, sides, seams and underside, slowly in continuous passes.
3. Washing with MASTER VACUUM. Sweat and dirt were lifted from the fabric, and as much water as possible was extracted so everything would dry quickly.
4. Curtains and bench. Done without taking anything down.
5. Optional disinfection spraying. Only on the bunks and wall areas the owner requested.
6. Ventilation and advice. Vents and fans were opened for drying before departure, and the team handed over the free aftercare items with care recommendations.

The work finished at 4:20 p.m. the same day, and the mattresses were completely dry by Thursday afternoon with vents and fans running overnight.

What struck Khun Thanakorn most was the water in the machine tank. "The water was a muddy grey-brown from the second mattress. The team changed it seven times. That was when I understood the crew had not been imagining things."

Comparing Dust Mite Removal Methods for Crew Quarters

Before and After the Service

Myths About Dust Mites on Boats and in Work Camp Rooms

Myth 1: Strong sea wind blows all the dirt away

Wind crosses the deck, but the room below has few vents, closed in rough seas, and sea air brings the moisture mites love.

Myth 2: Do it once and it is finished forever

The truth is that dust mites return while the environment stays damp, so the service should be repeated at an interval that suits how heavily the bunks are used, alongside ventilation and regular sheet washing.

Voices of Real Customers

"I have been a skipper for 22 years and never thought mattresses were a big issue. When the boss said he would hire people to vacuum dust mites out of the crew room, I thought it was a waste of money. Then I saw the water in the machine tank the colour of mud and I went quiet. On the next 21-day trip the boys complained about coughing and itching so much less that I noticed. The room does not smell stale like before, and the lad who could not sleep now does. I think it was worth far more than I expected."

Captain Suthep, skipper of Suphamongkol 3, Mahachai Pier, Samut Sakhon

The Conclusion of Khun Thanakorn's Story

On the morning of 10 September 2026, Suphamongkol 3 came back into Mahachai pier after the 17th trip of the year, 21 days at sea. Khun Thanakorn stood waiting on the pier. He did not count the catch first, as he always had. He watched the crew come down.

"I never thought the mattress would matter this much. Everyone said it was normal for fishermen, and I believed it for years," Khun Thanakorn said. "But what we paid for letting it stay normal cost many times more than the service."

He has scheduled the WHD team to return about every 3 to 4 months, alternating with longer port stays, and is extending the service to the company's other two boats, Suphamongkol 5 and Suphamongkol 7, booking slots on docking days well in advance.

All in One Visit, with Free Aftercare Items

• WELLGIENIC disinfecting wipes, which kill 99.99 percent of germs, handy for wiping hands, mess tables or bunk rails before getting into bed.
• CHEMGENE HLD4H disinfectant spray and solution, which kills 99.85 percent of germs in 1 minute and provides continued protection for up to 14 days, suited to surfaces the crew share.

Book a Dust Mite Removal Service for Your Crew Quarters on Your Next Docking Day

Whether your fishing boat berths at Mahachai in Samut Sakhon or at Songkhla, the team can assess the job and plan it to finish while the boat is in port.

See Full Service Details and Pricing — Click Here

Call now: 065-556-6294

LINE: @whd268

World Health Disinfection Co., Ltd., 88/268 Kanlapaphruek Road, Bang Khae, Bang Khae District, Bangkok 10160

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can a dust mite removal service really be done on a fishing boat, and do mattresses have to go ashore?

Yes, while the boat is docked. The team brings the equipment aboard, so no mattress leaves the vessel. They assess the site, shore power at the pier and the departure schedule in advance.

2. How long does a 12-berth crew room take?

For Suphamongkol 3 the work finished in one day, but actual time depends on the number of mattresses, dampness and site conditions. The team confirms after assessment and recommends a suitable window.

3. Will the mattresses be dry before the boat sails?

The team extracts as much water as possible and advises opening vents or running fans. Book at least 1 to 2 days before departure so there is time to dry.

4. How often should the service be repeated?

For rooms where several people take turns in the same bunks and humidity is high, roughly every 3 to 4 months is typical. The team assesses based on trips per year and how many people use each bunk.

5. How is SIRENA System different from an ordinary vacuum?

SIRENA System is designed in Canada and uses a 1200-watt Italian cyclonic motor with water filtration and HEPA down to 0.02 micron. Dust is trapped in water 100 percent and does not return to the room.

6. Does dust mite removal cure allergies?

No. It is not a treatment. It reduces allergen in the environment. If crew have ongoing symptoms they should see a doctor for diagnosis and care.

Related Services and Reading

• Dust Mite Removal, Carpet, Mattress and Sofa Cleaning with Full Disinfection
• SIRENA System Dust Mite Removal Machine — Water Filtration + HEPA
• Disinfection Spraying Service — Viruses, Bacteria and Fungi
• CHEMGENE HLD4H Disinfectant

Send this to a fishing boat owner or anyone who looks after crew quarters.

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