kwilco

and if the balcony was. the right height, he wouldn't have fallen off it. -

I'd love to ensure you - you'd never make a claim. BTW - I'm talking about balconies.

And you appear to be to be the one with low reading and comprehension skill?

Claims about drunkenness and insurance are mere furphies...people always make mistakes and health and safety helps to mitigate this Whether or not the lad was intoxicated is more or less irrelevant – to suggest that people on holiday in their room shouldn’t drink is just ridiculous - most inevitably will and often more than they drink at home. I would however argue that when selling themselves as a holiday destination, Thailand has a responsibility of care to their customers. …and that would include a certain level of safety in hotels, resorts, pools etc. There are building regulations in Thailand but anyone who has lived here will know that there is always a corrupt alternative to following them. Secondly I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the said regulations themselves are inadequate. regulations When it comes to balcony regulations, I wonder if anyone has ever bothered to seriously look at or measure the balcony in their own accommodation? In the UK the MINIMUM height for the rail on a balcony is 1.1 metre – check that against the one you have. Bear in mind the centre of gravity of a person who is relatively tall – if they fall against a railing that is just a few mm too low they may well tip over – building regulations are designed to anticipate this with the minimum height regulations. As I said, I doubt very much if regulations like this are rigorously enforced in Thailand and I suspect that the legal height may be lower in a country where the average height is a lot lower than in the West. . There are other points to consider too Balconies should must pass combustibility regulations – i.e. no wood or other flammable materials. DECK or platform. The floor/platform must be level, well drained and the surface must not become slippery when wet. It should be non-slip. This factor is stipulated in regulations and I’m sure construction engineers will know well the pendulum test that assesses the friction offered by a floor surface when a foot comes into contact with it. It can measure slip potential of both dry, wet and contaminated flooring. Slipping on a wet floor is a perfect way to exit involuntarily via the balcony. I’ve NEVER seen tiling either on balconies or around pools that look like they come anywhere near to complying with that. Then there is the concern of materials and fastenings which must be of standard and correctly affixed. Flammable materials are of particular concern. And of course fastenings must be of standard and correctly affixed. The width of the balcony and the access have to be set up in a way that the entrance if higher than the balcony floor is at a safe distance from the railing….trip and fall being the result to avoid here. The size of the balcony is also relevant to the amount of people allowed to accommodate.

rubbish

Drinking alcohol in a private apartment won't invalidate your insurance - if it was shown to be to the extant it incapacitated the persom they might question it.

We know no about any of the suggestions - have you measured your balcony?

health and safety at hotels resorts and other tourist attractions in Thailand is deplorable.

there needs to be a serious revue of balcony designs in Thailand - the rails are dangerously low especially for Westerners who are generally taller than Thai people.

road construction design and engineering are all questionable throughout the country. As are the markings and traffic engineering.

there are several bodies in Thailand that campaign for change. butthe military based government does not have the intellect to understand the problem - they cling to the old archaic concept like many others do. Asfor cost, the county will SAVE money if they adopt the Safe System. at present, according to the World Health Organization, road accidents in Thailand cost the country more than 500 billion baht or about 3% of the country's GDP every year. This includes the cost of medical care, lost productivity, property damage, and administrative costs. THere is also the loss of principle family earner etc....

The sooner we drop the “blame game” the better. Most accidents are NOT caused by wildly stupid drivers they are caused by simple, elemental human error. Start by disposing of the word “driver” and replace it with “road user” Blameless crash investigations ensure lessons can be learnt from every crash and near miss on Thai roads This is a fundamental principle of the Safe System – the most effective way to address road Regardless of race creed or colour. The term "Safe System" refers to a comprehensive approach to road safety that aims to eliminate or minimize the occurrence of road traffic deaths and serious injuries. It recognizes that ALL humans make mistakes and are vulnerable to injury in a crash, and thus the whole road system should be designed to anticipate or accommodate these vulnerabilities. The Safe System approach is based on four fundamental principles: Safe Roads: The road infrastructure should be designed to minimize the risk of crashes and the severity of injuries in case of a crash. This includes measures such as appropriate road design, traffic calming techniques, clear signage, and separation of vulnerable road users (such as pedestrians and cyclists) from motorized traffic. Safe Speeds: Speed plays a critical role in the severity of crashes and injuries. The Safe System approach emphasizes setting and enforcing appropriate speed limits that are compatible with the road environment and user behaviour. It also promotes the use of intelligent speed adaptation technologies and strategies to reduce speeding. Safe Vehicles: Vehicles should be designed to protect occupants in case of a crash and mitigate the risk of injury to other road users. This involves implementing advanced safety features such as seat belts, airbags, electronic stability control, and crash avoidance technologies. The Safe System approach encourages the adoption of these safety features and promotes vehicle standards that prioritize occupant and pedestrian protection. Safe Users: Human behaviour is a significant factor in road safety. The Safe System approach aims to promote responsible road user behaviour through education, awareness campaigns, and enforcement of traffic laws. It also recognizes the importance of addressing human factors such as distraction, impairment (due to alcohol, drugs, or fatigue), and non-compliance with traffic regulations. It is best implemented through the 5 Es which were identified at an ASEAN road safety conference several years ago. By implementing measures that address all aspects of the system, the aim is to create a forgiving road environment that reduces the likelihood and severity of crashes, ultimately saving lives and preventing serious injuries. To successfully implement the Safe System, the following five principles, often referred to as the "5 Es," must be implemented: Engineering: Focus on designing safe vehicles and roads. Education: Emphasize road safety education in schools, through testing, public information campaigns, and lifelong learning. Enforcement: Strengthen law enforcement through trained police, an effective court system, practical legislation, and penalties. Emergency: Ensure the presence of well-trained first responders and establish universal emergency response systems and hospital departments. Evaluation: Conduct examinations, measurements, and calibrations of crash scenes, and compile internationally recognized statistics. If you start blaming "Thai" or "other" drivers you are actually the fault is more likely to be with your own failure to adapt to a new driving environment

I don't engage in "Thai bashing"

No I was taking statistically - people make unsubstantiated comments about "driving" in Thailand and claim it is "dangerous" - but in comparison the USA is actually MORE dangerous for =drivers of 4-wheeled vehicles - this is to give perspective to the perception that driving in Thailand is always dangerous - few people would suggest the the USA is n=more dangerous. Another "fact" that people like to cite is the involvement of alcohol in crashes - in Thailand it is around 33% - in the USA it is 31% so no significant difference there either...in UK and other European countries it is below 20%.. The reason for the comparison is to give perspective and also to show how a scientific approach to road safety can work. Many countries are now going for "vison zero" - a no fatality solution. Making up stories about how "other" drivers behave is not only nonconstructive but inaccurate.. One needs to understand what "human error" actually is and that it applies universally regardless of race. Once this is understood it is possible to address road safety as a public health issue. To see this isn't is important to see how it is implemented around the world - BTW - in the US it isn't nationally adopted and this leaves the US with a very mediocre road safety record. In Thailand however, it is difficult to escape from the fact that around 75% of road deaths are motorcyclists and their passengers. PS - where is the "Thai bashing"? give an example.

apparently not - I'm told from one source it goes into a sump and then into the new piped system around the island. If it went into the exsiting reservoirs it would conflict with their water supplies and of course they only have a limited capacity which has been shown to be too little ofr the island.

Not sure whatthet proves - purely subjective and anecdotal comments.

totally archaic and misinformed assessment of the situation - this is typical of foriegners and does nothing to change the situation.

the military just won't let go, will they?

As about 75% of deaths are motorcyclists and passengers, in a 4 wheeled vehicle, you are in fact less likely to die than in a 4 wheeled vehivke in the USA.

I specifically use the word holistic. Many people cite single issues as if they are the "solution" but the reality is that the whole driving environment needs to be understood and totally reformed. You also might consider how to carry out road law enforcement and what is entails in practical terms. For a start, you need to reform the police...the is a constitutional issue ...there are also many other factors just on that one single aspect you mention.

There is no mention of the underlying reasons. For the last few years there have been fewer tourists and less traffic - in tourist areas the numbers have increased dramatically therefore traffic has increased concomitantly. We need to look at the trends over the last 3 decades - and road deaths per 100k are not the only yardstick in fact they can distort the picture The reality is that road safety in Thailand has not improved one iota over the last 3 decades - this is because the authorities approach to road safety is archaic. Based on driver and blame it fails to address the reality of the situation holistically. I have noticed a few green shoots of real road safety appearing but the problem is they are patchwork and inconsistent so ineffective - however it does show that some people are changing their attitudes towards road safety and are moving away from blame-the-driver syndrome. Until the Thai government recognises road safety as a public health problem, no significant changes will occur.

Sutham said Samui needed 30,000 cubic metres of water a day. The majority, 24,000 cubic metres, would be brought to the island through an underwater pipeline from Surat Thani on the mainland, while reservoir supplies would be used for the remaining amount. Now although I have seen new pipelines laid all over the island - it looks as if the pipeline water is delivered into the reservoirs - IS THAT CORRECT?

so....what are her talents again?

"political maturity" - Is that Thai-speak for corruption?

Thais don't need a visa they get a pass on entry- not sure how long it is valid for though. Basically apart for paying for the vA (in US dollars) the currency is Laos Kip. I travelled wit a Thai citizen for a week and remember there was some debate as to how long it was valid for, but t= we had no hassle on re-entry you can use a lot of different currencies in Laos but they are mostly illegal. Vietnam, Chinese, Thai and Dollars are the most common. THe problem with the Kip is once you've got it, you're stuck with it - so don't buy anymore than your need. I used ATMS over there to buy kip and THai baht. On the border buy your visa in US dollars. in Baht or Kip, you will pay more.