No fence around the pool in our moobaan

[Nepal4me]

I live in an approx 12 year old moo baan.  The powers that be decided that we should have a pool in our central park.  They built a small pool, and put a fence around most of it.  You can walk in from the front of the facility, there is no gate.  There are 2 other access points where a hedge meets the wall with lots of room to squeeze through.

 

We have 200 houses here and many children of all ages.  After the pool was built, I was shocked to learn a proper fence was not planned.  When I discussed this issue with one member of the home owners association, the response was there are signs saying parents and caregivers should be responsible for the kids.  I tried to explain a scenario where "what if" a caregiver was distracted for 3 minutes?  I was told "it's the parent's responsibility". 

 

I wonder if there is a law requiring basic safety measures in a moo baan here in BKK?

[BEVUP]

Thai thinking, Mai Pen Rai

Cost saving 

Parents problem (we put signs )

I asked a question as well - Why did they build/fix this road & looking great but leave a gap in the middle ? (bit like your fence ) 

PS : There is actually a pool shop 2 k's down the rd with a in ground pool at the front with no fence at all - not even a fence for the shop

Edited February 1, 2018 by BEVUP

[Crossy]

As far as I'm aware there is not legal requirement for a pool fence in Thailand.

 

[Langsuan Man]

There are also no legal requirements for the height of railings, or disabled access, septic permits, or safety shoes for construction workers etc. 

 

As my TG says:  Free Style Thailand 

 

 

[jschorr]

Just another reason why according to the World Health Organization, drowning is the leading cause of death for children in Thailand!  How many pools have you seen with lifeguards, poles to be used for assistance, life saving rings, or other personal flotation devices?  Ask your Thai friends and neighbors how many can swim.  You will be surprised by how many say they can not.  Here in Chiang Mai the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club is sponsoring a Children's Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program in the municipal schools.  We find only around 1 in 4 4th-graders can swim.  Go to our website www.cmirotary.org or contact me if you'd like to learn more about our program, email removed per forum rules

[Crossy]

@jschorr I've had to remove your email because of the forum rules, members should PM for details. Thanks very much for the initiative.

 

All my Thai grandkids swim like fish and use our pool at every chance, they seem to spend more time under the water than on top. Sadly they are the exceptions 

 

Even in the UK there's no requirement for fencing privately owned pools. Public pools have an expectation of safety under various legislation (but how that safety is provided is not always specified).

 

Maybe we need something like this (UK, 1973)

 

 

[natway09]

In someways  the western world has become so rule orientated that saves us thinking for ourselves

& we expect "officialdim" to protect us.

If you follow this reasoning through there are 3,506  klongs  in the Bangkok stretching for 

literally thousands of kilometres, do you need them all fenced as well.?

Protect yourselves & your loved ones,,, make it your responsibility & stop passing the buck

[sawadee1947]

9 hours ago, Nepal4me said:

I was told "it's the parent's responsibility". 

absolutely RIGHT !!!

[Russell17au]

8 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

There are also no legal requirements for the height of railings, or disabled access, septic permits, or safety shoes for construction workers etc. 

 

As my TG says:  Free Style Thailand 

 

 

I am sorry to disagree with you but there is a regulation on safety shoes for construction workers, the safety shoes are called flip flops

[Russell17au]

You go out to most of the rural areas of Thailand and the children mostly "swim" in the creeks and dams, they very rarely go to swimming pools as such

[NobbyClarkey]

Sounds like you have. forgotten where you live.Maybe you should go home!!!!

Be thankful that you are lucky to be allowed to be in this marvelous Kingdom.

[Dazinoz]

7 minutes ago, NobbyClarkey said:

Sounds like you have. forgotten where you live.Maybe you should go home!!!!

Be thankful that you are lucky to be allowed to be in this marvelous Kingdom.

Ah, the "maybe you should go home" post

 

I like a Facebook group about bad driving in Thailand in that if a member says that they are kicked out.

 

 

Edited February 1, 2018 by Dazinoz

[thailand49]

1 hour ago, Russell17au said:

I am sorry to disagree with you but there is a regulation on safety shoes for construction workers, the safety shoes are called flip flops

Do they come in Steel toe?

[White Christmas13]

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

@jschorr I've had to remove your email because of the forum rules, members should PM for details. Thanks very much for the initiative.

 

All my Thai grandkids swim like fish and use our pool at every chance, they seem to spend more time under the water than on top. Sadly they are the exceptions 

 

Even in the UK there's no requirement for fencing privately owned pools. Public pools have an expectation of safety under various legislation (but how that safety is provided is not always specified).

 

Maybe we need something like this (UK, 1973)

 

 

So the UK is still a third world country than

in Australia you are not allowed to have a pool without proper pool fence

self locking gate no matter if it is private or government

[connda]

Welcome to the third-world.

[sappersrest]

8 hours ago, jschorr said:

Just another reason why according to the World Health Organization, drowning is the leading cause of death for children in Thailand!  How many pools have you seen with lifeguards, poles to be used for assistance, life saving rings, or other personal flotation devices?  Ask your Thai friends and neighbors how many can swim.  You will be surprised by how many say they can not.  Here in Chiang Mai the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club is sponsoring a Children's Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program in the municipal schools.  We find only around 1 in 4 4th-graders can swim.  Go to our website www.cmirotary.org or contact me if you'd like to learn more about our program, email removed per forum rules

This is the way to go an absolutely fantastic  idea. program ripe for support  from the pool industry in Thailand, and other NGO organizations

I  live in Chiang man and Know of at least  2  number 25 m pools  that are under utilized.

The first thing that needs to happen is to  train pe teaching staff  and others to be able to deliver very basic swimming instruction.

then  match under used pools with instructors and  schools.

Basically if every condo ,mobahn and  say international  schools  that has a pool give up say 2 hours per week for rural schools it would make a fantastic difference.

With the right funding it is possible to deliver mobile pools to schools on a rotational basis. very easy to do .it won't be an olympic training facility but can at least  teach kids to swim.

[sappersrest]

5 hours ago, Russell17au said:

You go out to most of the rural areas of Thailand and the children mostly "swim" in the creeks and dams, they very rarely go to swimming pools as such

You are absolutely correct but you only see the kids that are able to swim .there are many others that are unable to swim and cannot enjoy the pleasures of being able to splash about and enjoy them selves because of their inability to swim .

There are others that drown  perhaps due to peer pressure and are put into situations they are not comfortable with.

Water safety education is a must  and should be part of the schools syllabus

 

[chickenslegs]

15 hours ago, Nepal4me said:

The powers that be decided that we should have a pool in our central park ... 

 ... We have 200 houses here and many children of all ages.  After the pool was built, I was shocked to learn a proper fence was not planned ...   When I discussed this issue with one member of the home owners association, the response was there are signs saying parents and caregivers should be responsible for the kids.  I tried to explain a scenario where "what if" a caregiver was distracted for 3 minutes?  I was told "it's the parent's responsibility". 

As I understand it "the powers that be" in a moo baan are the owners of the houses. Owners can direct the committee to construct a proper fence - all it takes is a resolution at an AGM or EGM and to persuade enough owners vote in favour. But, would a proper fence keep out the children?

 

I live in a Moo Baan that has a wall/fence around the pool area - constructed at considerable expense. Despite pleas to close the gate and instructions that children should always be attended by an adult, you can bet that there will be unsupervised kids in there almost every day.

 

At some point parents have to accept responsibility for their own children - or should we (in our case, mostly retired people with no kids) have to pay for 24-hour lifeguards to protect those children whose parents just don't give a damn?

[jak2002003]

37 minutes ago, sappersrest said:

You are absolutely correct but you only see the kids that are able to swim .

 

 

........... because the kids that can't swim are laying on the bottom.  

 

 

[Crossy]

9 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

So the UK is still a third world country than

in Australia you are not allowed to have a pool without proper pool fence

self locking gate no matter if it is private or government

Actually most of Europe is 3rd World then. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool_fence

 

I'd prefer to call these countries "places where parents are expected to be responsible for their offspring". In a household with small children (or regular visits from same) a fence is vital, an older couple with no kids and rare visits from same, less important.

 

From the link I note that they say the UK has legislation, the most recent article I found (with an admittedly brief search) was from 2015 when it was being "called for".

[Dazinoz]

I used to live in Brisbane, Australia. The councils had very strict pool fencing rules. They even used high resolution aerial photography to check pools for fencing and often paid people a visit.

 

Then I would go for a boat ride in some of the many residential canals on the "Gold Coast" with all the upmarket expensive housing with a large number having pools, all fenced. But probably 90% of these properties with pools that back onto the canals have no back fence and their yard is open to the canal which mysteriously contains lots of water. But that is legal. Go figure!!!

[VocalNeal]

15 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

Ah, the "maybe you should go home" post

 

One has to wonder why people live in Thailand. And yes unless you have permanent residency or a Thai Passport you are a guest here. Most farangs here don't even pay tax here but want things change.

It seems there is a minority of people who seem to have to complain about the country and its rules and customs. In a way the "if you don't like it here then..." response are perfectly understandable.  If the OP has small children of his own the there maybe some validity in his complaint but if they are old enough to get to the pool on their own then he should have taught them to swim already and then they would not be at risk.

 

One solution to "his" fence concern would be to organize swimming lessons for small children at the new pool . This does not involve capital expenditure and shows community spirit. The Rotary gentleman from Chiang Mai can give tips. 

 

As for UK ? The weather there precludes most from having an outdoor pool thus saving small children from falling in. As an aside i believe Malaysia but it maybe Indonesia may have rule that says that outdoor pools must be a maximum of 1.5m deep. Because it is usually the maid that falls in.

Edited February 2, 2018 by VocalNeal

[jak2002003]

Good grief.  Fence off all the swimming pools.. then the canals, ditches, streams, rivers, and the ocean......  going to need a lot of fencing.  Then cover the fencing with rubber and foam in case the children hurt their heads on the hard metal.....

[Dazinoz]

52 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

Good grief.  Fence off all the swimming pools.. then the canals, ditches, streams, rivers, and the ocean......  going to need a lot of fencing.  Then cover the fencing with rubber and foam in case the children hurt their heads on the hard metal.....

Agree, no one wants to take any responsibility for their or their families actions. Having said that it is good to the OP is trying to make things safer, and why not. Just because not done here does not mean he can't try. I really  don't think he is trying to break down cultural barriers.

 

[Dazinoz]

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

It seems there is a minority of people who seem to have to complain about the country and its rules and customs. In a way the "if you don't like it here then..." response are perfectly understandable

So I often complained about things in my own country. So what would a valid response be there? "if you don't like it here move to another country."?

 

No one, except immigration has the right to tell anyone to go home.

 

And after reading so many posts on here and other sites and talking to people in real life is it really a minority?

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, Dazinoz said:

So I often complained about things in my own country.

Hmmm. I came here to sit in the sun and look at palm trees. But each to their own. 

 

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,: Courage to change the things I can,: And wisdom to know the difference.

[Dazinoz]

29 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Hmmm. I came here to sit in the sun and look at palm trees. But each to their own. 

 

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,: Courage to change the things I can,: And wisdom to know the difference.

And to not understand post on TVF.

[White Christmas13]

11 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

I used to live in Brisbane, Australia. The councils had very strict pool fencing rules. They even used high resolution aerial photography to check pools for fencing and often paid people a visit.

 

Then I would go for a boat ride in some of the many residential canals on the "Gold Coast" with all the upmarket expensive housing with a large number having pools, all fenced. But probably 90% of these properties with pools that back onto the canals have no back fence and their yard is open to the canal which mysteriously contains lots of water. But that is legal. Go figure!!!

So you are trying to tell us kids come from the ocean get in and drown in a back yard pool  

[Dazinoz]

1 hour ago, White Christmas13 said:

So you are trying to tell us kids come from the ocean get in and drown in a back yard pool  

Yep. And sometimes sharks manage to launch themselves from the water into the yards and wriggle into the pool. Laws being drafted to install shark netting in canal estate pools.

 

Edited February 2, 2018 by Dazinoz

[VocalNeal]

On 2/2/2018 at 1:01 PM, Dazinoz said:

And to not understand post on TVF.

Understand this post and cannot see what all the fuss is about.