Electric safety in Thailand?

[Coremouse]

I don't know if just me or anyone feel unsafe walking pedestrian bridges? There're so many wires hangin from poles almost comical.

 

So, a little messy wiring those power poles; a little bit lacking of grounded outlets and GFCI breaker; and many walk bare foot at home. All seems big risk factor. Do Thailand statistically have more electric safety issue than other country? 

[bankruatsteve]

Probably not.  Statistics for that are not easy to find, if kept at all.  Certainly not something you see or hear about a lot.

[Kwasaki]

All cables have been tidied up in our village most are underground now,  looks good they are starting on our soi's too.

[Suitcase]

Could what you are seeing be telephone and Internet wires attached to the electric poles?

[rwill]

The low hanging wires are almost all data cables. The power lines are the ones at the top of the poles. The biggest issue seems to be a lack of ground/earth wires. 

[Toany]

All the low wires are communication wires.  The top set of wires are the electric ones.

More dangerous it the lack of standard plugs in Thailand with an earth pin.

most appliance seem to be sold with Euro standard plugs and no socket is sold in Thailand

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, Toany said:

most appliance seem to be sold with Euro standard plugs and no socket is sold in Thailand

I must be dreaming then as I either have them or a very vivid photographic imagination ???? 

 

[worgeordie]

The low hanging wires are more a hazard for Motorbike riders,

Most houses here,especially older ones are only fitted with 2 

core wire,no earth/ground wires installed,wiring of dubious

standards, causing fires,electrocutions,there seems to be no

standard colours for wire,

regards worgeordie

[khunPer]

On 3/20/2020 at 6:14 AM, Coremouse said:

I don't know if just me or anyone feel unsafe walking pedestrian bridges? There're so many wires hangin from poles almost comical.

Don't touch wires, and don't step on wires, in Thailand...????

 

On 3/20/2020 at 6:14 AM, Coremouse said:

All seems big risk factor. Do Thailand statistically have more electric safety issue than other country? 

Unscientific based on news articles in Thaivisa, it seems like Thailand has more electric accidents than in "civilized" Western countries.

 

Many installations are lacking (proper) earth connection...

 

 

–or an automatic safety circuit breaker; many of the accidents reported in the news section are in connection with water in some or other way...

[AtlasAus]

Riding along Beach Rd Jomtien the other night I heard quite a few of the bigger poles arcing.... I have seen so many cable/transformer fires over here for the last few years... Seems of a case of wait and see.... 

 

Our home has dodgy wiring also, can see the connectors for the hot water for instance... Trying to get an electrician to come and sort it all out... I have too much respect for electricity at the best of times, let alone here...  

[Metropolitian]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

The low hanging wires are more a hazard for Motorbike riders,

Of whom are driving on the footpath..

 

 

 

 

 

[RocketDog]

On 3/21/2020 at 8:58 AM, rwill said:

The low hanging wires are almost all data cables. The power lines are the ones at the top of the poles. The biggest issue seems to be a lack of ground/earth wires. 

Let's hope they are mostly data cables. Either way your major risk is being pulled off your bike at speed, which is just as deadly and disconcertingly frequent here. Had a near brush with death myself last year. 

 

Danger: 100,000 bps. 

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

Just to be a pedant (though it is an important point of pedantry), data cables can and do pose a serious risk. They have steel sling wires, even fibre optics have them. These can come into contact with energised wires and become energised themselves, even importing high voltages into your home.

 

On 3/20/2020 at 2:04 PM, Kwasaki said:

All cables have been tidied up in our village most are underground now,  looks good they are starting on our soi's too.

About buried cables, in many cases this makes the risk even greater, they are often buried just a couple of inches under the ground just to make them disappear, you can't see them, but they are no less of a risk. They are often the wrong cable type to be buried, THW cable being a common example, the insulation is hygroscopic and lets water in, creating electrical leakage in wet ground. Very hazardous. We had a serious problem at our hotel, with cables to rooms buried just under the grass. Someone digs a hole, straight through the cable, all THW. Crazy really. All were replaced with conduit buried in concrete using NYY cable and great cost, but we managed to claw some of the money back by screwing the electrician that originally screwed us. He didn't anticipate me coming along and inspecting his 'work'. He got a big shock (pun not intended).

 

As others have suggested, just stay away from cables, of any kind, and I'll add, don't walk through puddles. Seriously, don't walk through puddles.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by NilSS

[Kwasaki]

16 hours ago, NilSS said:

Just to be a pedant (though it is an important point of pedantry), data cables can and do pose a serious risk. They have steel sling wires, even fibre optics have them. These can come into contact with energised wires and become energised themselves, even importing high voltages into your home.

 

About buried cables, in many cases this makes the risk even greater, they are often buried just a couple of inches under the ground just to make them disappear, you can't see them, but they are no less of a risk. They are often the wrong cable type to be buried, THW cable being a common example, the insulation is hygroscopic and lets water in, creating electrical leakage in wet ground. Very hazardous. We had a serious problem at our hotel, with cables to rooms buried just under the grass. Someone digs a hole, straight through the cable, all THW. Crazy really. All were replaced with conduit buried in concrete using NYY cable and great cost, but we managed to claw some of the money back by screwing the electrician that originally screwed us. He didn't anticipate me coming along and inspecting his 'work'. He got a big shock (pun not intended).

 

As others have suggested, just stay away from cables, of any kind, and I'll add, don't walk through puddles. Seriously, don't walk through puddles.

 

I think you have lost the plot or have not seen the way things are done these days.

The workmanship and proper materials were used that's all that's needed and I saw them do it. 

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

I think you have lost the plot or have not seen the way things are done these days.

I've been working with the PEA and Thai electricians for over 20 years and no one here knows how the 'out of sight out of mind' attitude prevails quite like I do. While the PEA have some very basic standards, you're going to have a hard time convincing me you know better.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by NilSS