Children at higher risk of drowning during school holidays

By The Nation

 

Parents were warned on Saturday to keep a special watch on their young children during the long summer school holidays, as they may drown while swimming to cool off with friends.

 

The warning was made by Dr Suwanchai Watanayinchai, director-general of the Disease Control Department.

 

Suwanchai said the first Saturday of March each year saw a national awareness campaign day to prevent children from drowning.

 

Statistics showed that one-third of drowned children died during the summer school holidays from March to May, Suwanchai said.

During the past 10 years, an average of 334 children under 15 drowned each year, he added.

 

In 2017, 708 children drowned, with 254 or 35.9 per cent of those deaths happening during the summer holidays, Suwanchai said. He added that most of the victims aged between 5 and 9.

 

He said the drowning deaths mostly occurred because children swam alone without the presence of their parents.

 

Last year’s statistics showed four incidents where three children drowned at the same time, and 10 incidents where two children drowned together. Suwanchai also noted that more drowning deaths happened in northeastern provinces.

 

He said most drowning deaths occurred between midday and 2.59pm.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30340099

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-04

Quote

He said the drowning deaths mostly occurred because children swam alone without the presence of their parents.

Thats only part right,  also helps if you teach your kids to 

swim in the first place. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

Edited March 3, 20188 yr by stanleycoin

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

He said most drowning deaths occurred between midday and 2.59pm.

2.59pm???........ Why not 2.58pm or 3.01pm? I shake my head. And a highly paid government executive director-general comes out with this. What hope Thailand?

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

He added that most of the victims aged between 5 and 9.

 

He said the drowning deaths mostly occurred because children swam alone without the presence of their parents.

So, from dawn til' dusk, who the hell is supposed to be 'caring' for these 5 to 9 yr-olds? Anyone, or no-one . . . no-one, probably, so who is Dr. Suwanchai talking to? It may as well be to a brick wall, if kids' parents are away, working, all day.

Edited March 4, 20188 yr by Ossy
clarity

5 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

2.59pm???........ Why not 2.58pm or 3.01pm?

It's 'cos 3pm is when their minder's happy hour at the nearby resort is up . . . maybe.

wow what an intelligent directive that was, nothing like quoting the obvious. bet he needs a sit down after that mind blowing report, yes agree, most parents are out trying to scrounge a living, school holidays does not mean that have to (or cannot) stop working. we all know kids are mesmerised by water, just waiting for the first sad episode

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Children at higher risk of drowning during school holidays

Wow! It's true. You do learn something new everyday.

19 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Wow! It's true. You do learn something new everyday.

Yes, brilliant isn't it? Here is another stat for you. More people drown in daylight than at night.

I often wonder at the intelligence level of the so-called professionals in Thailand.

6 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

Yes, brilliant isn't it? Here is another stat for you. More people drown in daylight than at night.

I often wonder at the intelligence level of the so-called professionals in Thailand.

It's not about intelligence to get these positions it's about money. Truth is the whole shows run by rich, stupid people.

Thank you, Captain Obvious for your detailed and interesting report!

Now, here is a question: are we to expect a raise in darkness after 7 pm?

Yes, keep an eye on them, then put all 5 of them on the bike with no helmets and then go mix with the drunk drivers.

In spite of the Thai’s obvious love for children, it is also obvious that their lives are cheap. 

 

From permitting them them to ride motorcycles too early, without helmets or tuition, to allowing them to ride unrestrained by seat belts or child seats in cars or pickup beds, to failing to insist on proper pavements or pedestrian crossings or no parking zones near schools, to not caring about whether they can swim or not, it makes me realize that most Thais don’t understand or care about proper parenting.

 

I would blame bad education or ignorance, but as it is seen throughout Thai society, I think it must a cultural agreement of optimism or belief in fate, so therefore precautions and a safety culture are unnecessary.

 

Before you troll me, look at the statistics for road collisions or stand outside a school or mall and see how children travel unprotected. It’s something the West addressed more than forty years ago, but yet to penetrate Thai consciousness.

Have to say in our area most of the schools are now taking kids to swimming pools to learn to swim which is very heartening.     However; still plenty of kids who don't want to go or to learn and instead of chiding them it seems the parents let them get away with it.

 

Majority who drown are playing in Lakes and Ponds not far from home whilst parents are out working, kids left with Grandparents who are unaware a lot of the time where they are or what they are doing.    One aspect of a Society that relies on single parent families far too much because of succeeding Governments failure to force ignorant and errant Fathers to be responsible instead of just moving on to the next girl to make pregnant, leaving the Mothers to work to feed herself and offspring.    In the Villages around us there are literally hundreds of such cases and it leaves both Women and children with little hope of a decent future.

36 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

In spite of the Thai’s obvious love for children, it is also obvious that their lives are cheap. 

 

From permitting them them to ride motorcycles too early, without helmets or tuition, to allowing them to ride unrestrained by seat belts or child seats in cars or pickup beds, to failing to insist on proper pavements or pedestrian crossings or no parking zones near schools, to not caring about whether they can swim or not, it makes me realize that most Thais don’t understand or care about proper parenting.

 

I would blame bad education or ignorance, but as it is seen throughout Thai society, I think it must a cultural agreement of optimism or belief in fate, so therefore precautions and a safety culture are unnecessary.

 

Before you troll me, look at the statistics for road collisions or stand outside a school or mall and see how children travel unprotected. It’s something the West addressed more than forty years ago, but yet to penetrate Thai consciousness.

I think children are just commodities to most Thais,  just  there to provide a pension fund for the parents in old age,  if a few die just make a few more.

oops said now !!!!!!!!!!!

 

The bike thing is so funny, the parents even put a crash helmet on themselves but not the kids !!!!!!!!!!, care in the community !!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing Thailand.

Edited March 4, 20188 yr by stanleycoin

So last year two Thai kids died every DAY - Where are the headlines; the demonstrations; the Government concern?

Heartbreaking!

 My 12 y/o son went to a funeral of a boy from his year just yesterday. School's finished, drowned near the school playing with his mates.

This happens so often here, if the govt really cared, they'd send Navy personnel to every school for swimming survival lessons. Every market town has swimming pools these days, not difficult to have a Navy team spend a week or two in one provincial small town teaching all the kids from surrounding villages the bare basics.

 Say  100 teams of 5 Navy teachers per team, that's 500 teachers travelling Thailand visiting every town, and all the school teachers organizing the safety/swimming events. Could be sorted within a year.

Not rocket science.

 

2 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

From permitting them them to ride motorcycles too early, without helmets or tuition, to allowing them to ride unrestrained by seat belts or child seats in cars or pickup beds, to failing to insist on proper pavements or pedestrian crossings or no parking zones near schools, to not caring about whether they can swim or not, it makes me realize that most Thais don’t understand or care about proper parenting.

I take my 7y.o. granddaughter swimming at the local pool. She likes company so quite often we have 4 kids in the outing which then leaves me as 'life saver' watching out for their safety. I'm amazed how many times I see other children out of their depth, gagging on a mouthful and obviously in danger and go to their aid because their mum is too busy on the handphone and not watching. And by the way, its always a mum, the dads are conspicuous by their absence. 

8 hours ago, Ossy said:

So, from dawn til' dusk, who the hell is supposed to be 'caring' for these 5 to 9 yr-olds? Anyone, or no-one . . . no-one, probably, so who is Dr. Suwanchai talking to? It may as well be to a brick wall, if kids' parents are away, working, all day.

That's the real problem. My wife having moved to UK seemed to think our household was a little piece of Thailand and presumed to think that leaving a 11 and 7 year old all day while she went out to work, was OK. After a little discussion to eliminate this misconception I was in the shit and ignored for a few weeks. Until one day she returned to nice little chat with the local community policeman. That's the point at which my life got complicated. Bet you guys can imagine what happened next ;-). Lol.

3 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Heartbreaking!

 My 12 y/o son went to a funeral of a boy from his year just yesterday. School's finished, drowned near the school playing with his mates.

This happens so often here, if the govt really cared, they'd send Navy personnel to every school for swimming survival lessons. Every market town has swimming pools these days, not difficult to have a Navy team spend a week or two in one provincial small town teaching all the kids from surrounding villages the bare basics.

 Say  100 teams of 5 Navy teachers per team, that's 500 teachers travelling Thailand visiting every town, and all the school teachers organizing the safety/swimming events. Could be sorted within a year.

Not rocket science.

 

 

Most schools have organized swimming lessons in school time at local pools.

My local amphur school provided free lessons for my boy, aged 5, each week at MaeJo University pool last year plus free 1 year passes for all the family (including me)

 

You are assuming lessons aren't provided, which isn't actually true.

Edited March 4, 20188 yr by MaeJoMTB

3 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Heartbreaking!

 My 12 y/o son went to a funeral of a boy from his year just yesterday. School's finished, drowned near the school playing with his mates.

This happens so often here, if the govt really cared, they'd send Navy personnel to every school for swimming survival lessons. Every market town has swimming pools these days, not difficult to have a Navy team spend a week or two in one provincial small town teaching all the kids from surrounding villages the bare basics.

 Say  100 teams of 5 Navy teachers per team, that's 500 teachers travelling Thailand visiting every town, and all the school teachers organizing the safety/swimming events. Could be sorted within a year.

Not rocket science.

 

Great post. You say 'not Rocket Science', but you try telling the Disease Control Department that and they'll say, 'Solly, you talk to wrong department. Is drowning a disease? No . . . sirry question but you can try the Disaster Control Department, or maybe the Minister for Education will be interested . . . maybe.'

 

That's how it would be if anyone, from the outside, was to have the affront to suggest an answer to this drowning problem. It's that loss of face thing . . . unless they get the brainwave and make a huge song and dance about it, with a catchy slogan and a new committee or two to try to get their heads around your - to them - logistics nightmare, they'll turn a deaf ear, for sure.

This thread seems to be mainly Thai bashing without thinking.

13 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

This thread seems to be mainly Thai bashing without thinking.

Well, Virgil - or is it Tracy, my Thunderbirds days are a distant memory - I wonder why that should be. Can you name another 'developed' country with a mortality rate, due to drowning, of 1 : 92,000 annually or worse? I very much doubt it. And I use quotes for 'developed' both facetiously as well as factually.

Edited March 4, 20188 yr by Ossy
correction

16 minutes ago, Ossy said:

Well, Virgil - or is it Tracy, my Thunderbirds days are a distant memory - I wonder why that should be. Can you name another 'developed' country with a mortality rate, due to drowning, of 1 : 92,000 annually or worse? I very much doubt it. And I use quotes for 'developed' both facetiously as well as factually.

Dunno,

But when I was about 9, I remember being on a beach in Cornwall with a dead kid being pumped out.

I'm guessing it's hotter in Thailand, the weather is nicer and the opportunities to die in the water are higher than the UK.

 

PS Troy Tempest, member of World Aquanaut Security Patrol (WASP).

How can anyone forget Four Feather Falls, Fireball XL5, Stingray ............

Edited March 4, 20188 yr by MaeJoMTB

 
Most schools have organized swimming lessons in school time at local pools.
My local amphur school provided free lessons for my boy, aged 5, each week at MaeJo University pool last year plus free 1 year passes for all the family (including me)
 
You are assuming lessons aren't provided, which isn't actually true.

Here i heard too about free swimming lessons. I asked the kids how they learned to swim

We had a pool in the village until maintenance was no longer paid for. Sad lots of kids liked it so did I.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

3 hours ago, MaeJoMTB said:

 

Most schools have organized swimming lessons in school time at local pools.

My local amphur school provided free lessons for my boy, aged 5, each week at MaeJo University pool last year plus free 1 year passes for all the family (including me)

 

You are assuming lessons aren't provided, which isn't actually true.

You were fortunate. "Most" should be changed to "some".

And certainly not "all" which was my point.

But i'm not getting into a pissing contest over such a tragic topic.

57 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

You were fortunate. "Most" should be changed to "some".

And certainly not "all" which was my point.

But i'm not getting into a pissing contest over such a tragic topic.

Im sure a lot can be done to improve the situation. I asked the GF who taught her to swim, she said the is self taught. I am amazed as she can swim quite well (and since last november is a licensed diver too).

 

IMHO its a task of schools to make sure their pupils can swim, they should at least give pupils the opportunity to learn it. Maybe combined with your navy diving teams if there are no teachers who can teach swimming. 

 

It would be money well spend (educational budget is quite high) maybe buy a few less toys for the rich director and make it mandatory for schools to provide swimming lessons. 

 

I think we can all agree something needs to be done for those area's where its not already provided. But it also depends on parents, because if its provided somewhere (but not from school) kids have to be brought there.. maybe there is a fee.. ect.

 

 

On 3/4/2018 at 8:30 AM, Cadbury said:

2.59pm???........ Why not 2.58pm or 3.01pm? I shake my head. And a highly paid government executive director-general comes out with this. What hope Thailand?

You beat me to it. These geniuses are clearly not paid enough for their brilliance!!! 

Another ridiculous statement. Children are also at more risk of;

Being run over by a car/motorbike

Being knocked over crossing the road

Being abused by a stranger/relative

 

....and so on and so forth.

 

On 04/03/2018 at 6:53 AM, stanleycoin said:

Thats only part right,  also helps if you teach your kids to 

swim in the first place. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

 

It also helps if there is a place near you to teach them to swim as well.

17 hours ago, billd766 said:

 

It also helps if there is a place near you to teach them to swim as well.

Thats true, but if it's your children,  surly its worth the effort to find a place.

There is never a shortage of places at the Wat.