Why do so many expats fall off their balconies in Thailand?

[webfact]

 

It is becoming almost the norm to read in the papers or online that another expat has tragically died falling from a balcony.

 

This week alone there have been a further two incidents in Pattaya where people have met their death falling off a balcony. 

 

There seems to be more than a bit of a trend going on here, in what is one of the other most popular tourist areas in Thailand. 

 

It seems hardly a month goes by without yet another balcony-related death.

 

This sadly is not entirely a new phenomenon as we reported as far back as 2016 that a Finn was found dead, ten floors below a Jomtien Beach condo.

 

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth office, alone with ABTA has often urged British nationals to take care on balconies and this even prompted the FCO and ABTA to launch a campaign warning of the dangers.

It was reported that three thousand British people fall off balconies each year while abroad.

Spain has a similar problem

Spain is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Britons, but recent deaths and accidents after Britons have fallen from balconies have forced the FCO to update their travel advice for the country.

Spain has been a top holiday spot for years, but a spate of deaths and serious accidents in the country has forced the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to issue new travel advice.

Could it be the low construction heights?

Apparently, most balconies in Thailand have barriers that are about 700 or 800 mm high - for the shorter Thai people - and there is little or no policing of building regulations. 

 

Whereas in Australia there is a one-meter minimum for example on building balconies over there.

Therefore, if a tall Expat (over 5.10) stands next to a 700 mm railing, it only reaches their thighs.  

Now take an old man drinking and losing balance a bit and over they go. It happens – there are many incidences of accidental falls.  

Sadly some of course are not and can be linked to concerns over many issues including finances and depression.

But maybe the time has come to at least force the Thai developers to raise the height of balconies in the future.

 

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[Chris.B]

The key word here is "fall" or "jump"?

 

I don't think many do fall, I think most jump. I also think most jump because they have run out of money.

 

PS. In the UK I believe balcony heights are 1.1 m.

 

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by Chris.B

[Blumpie]

Is this a serious article?  

I think we all know why there are so many expats that "fall".  

[Chelseafan]

19 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

The key word here is "fall" or "jump"?

 

I don't think many do fall, I think most jump. I also think most jump when they run out of money.

 

PS In the UK I believe balcony heights are 1.1 m.

 

 

I think some are pushed ????

 

[ThailandRyan]

Have not seen or heard of anyone joining the "Flying" club lately, but then it used to be common practice.  I was actually at Suvarnabhumi International airport when a man took to flying off the top floor in October of 2019.

 

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2019/10/07/finnish-man-jumped-floor-suvarabhumi-airport-bangkok-authorities-died-hospital-10th-person-since-opening/

[Albert Zweistein]

Could it have something to do with alcohol ? Perhaps ?

[daveAustin]

People top themselves everywhere, Thailand’s not special in that regard. However, it does have an inordinate number of pi$$heads which is not a good combo on midget balconies. Thai authorities just don’t want to own up to the latter. ????

[OneMoreFarang]

I see at least two reasons:

 

If someone wants to kill himself how can he do that? Thailand has huge amounts of high floor balconies. That makes this already an "attractive" option. It is a much easier and "securer" way to go than i.e. a traffic "accident", pills, drowning or whatever alternative. And it doesn't even requite much climbing with the the low barriers .

And the decision can be made an execute within seconds. From the moment "I don't want to live anymore" to execution can be seconds. If people want to die without balconies they have often much more time to think twice and change their mind.

 

And then there are those people who are not sure about their life anymore. They take more risks. Part of that is that they don't deliberately want to kill themselves. But maybe they are still tired of life. So if it "happens" then it happens. One famous example was a former bar owner in Bangkok a couple of years ago. The story is that be wanted to climb from one high balcony to another. And he failed. And in the weeks before that he took a lot of risks. Was it an accident? Kind of...

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by OneMoreFarang

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, daveAustin said:

People top themselves everywhere, Thailand’s not special in that regard. However, it does have an inordinate number of pi$$heads which is not a good combo on midget balconies. Thai authorities just don’t want to own up to the latter. ????

I have to agree.  In California the Golden Gate Bridge is a favorite place for those people who want to go in a spectacular 200' drop to the cement like top of the water.  It is also the number one place for suicides in the world. Those that do not die instantly are turned in basically a bag of jelly as all of their bones are broken.  I worked as a LEO covering the Bridge back in the late 90's and we had Suicides and then many attempted suicides where our folks or the hostage negotiators from SFPD would do the best to talk them back over the rail.....

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19797444/

[Sunnny]

I think it is an excessive curiosity to be blamed. “Tilak, look what is down there, no, no, there, look tilak, there, there”…

[harada]

Another hub in the making ?

[Thunglom]

It's a health and safety thing. I notice many balcony rails in Thailand are a lot lower than in UK and EU - due to building regulations. There don't seem to be te same height regulations in Thailand. ... or at least they're not enforced

Put that together with the expats age, weight and propensity for alcohol consumption, it's hardly surprising....

 

 

UK - In domestic and residential areas, railings on outdoor roofs and balconies must be at least 1.1 metres high. (= 3ft 7.3 inches) Any railing used on stairs or balconies must have gaps of under 99mm in all directions so that children can't pass between them. Ideally, they will achieve a visual contrast against their surroundings.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Thunglom

[ThailandRyan]

22 minutes ago, harada said:

Another hub in the making ?

Not really, its been a hub for many years.  Do some digging through the records.  Suicide in Thailand is an issue as far as the Flying Farangs go.

[GinBoy2]

I think, and of course I don't know, but there probably is a decent case of burnt bridges going on.

 

The money has run out, surviving on minimalistic street food, family back home not talking, I can see that scenario

[johnbarpic]

Western regulations for balustrade protection are strict,  Thailand probably does not enforce these regulations. And expat’s go admiring the view when under the influence ????????‍♂️????????‍♂️????????‍♂️
 

The centre line of all handrails should be between 900mm and 975mm above the stair or ramp pitch line. For balustrades guarding landing areas and balconies the barrier should be a minimum of 1100mm above FFL, while centreline of the handrail should be between 900mm and 1100mm above Finished Floor Level (FFL).

[LisuLover]

Deception is the main reason. It’s a mixture of self deception followed with deception by the hungry young partner. When realisation overcomes deception, the downward spiral (pun not intended) has begun. Other factors like too much alcohol, too little money and not feeling welcome back home, may speed things up. The little railings just make it easy to do, they don’t cause it. 

[freedomnow]

I think there may be the factor of a/c water pooling on the tiles and people slipping from rubber pipe decay leaks / bad run-off of water from surface being too level/drainage holes backed up...

 

By daybreak it has evaporated from morning sun.

The killer "vanishing without a trace."

[ttrd]

3 hours ago, Chris.B said:

The key word here is "fall" or "jump"?

 

I don't think many do fall, I think most jump. I also think most jump because they have run out of money.

 

PS. In the UK I believe balcony heights are 1.1 m.

 

 

.... or "pushed" - with other words, never make yourself more valuable dead than alive ... 

[Jack West Jr]

Maybe they got a helping hand ? 

[mrmicbkktxl]

3 hours ago, Chris.B said:

The key word here is "fall" or "jump"?

 

I don't think many do fall, I think most jump. I also think most jump because they have run out of money.

 

PS. In the UK I believe balcony heights are 1.1 m.

 

 

Fall,jump,push

[vandeventer]

3 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

I think some are pushed ????

 

It all depends on the girl friend or wife, same get jealous very easy, that's why it is always best to live on the ground floor.

[itsari]

Raise all hand rails to 90 cm high would be a good start . 

Of course drinking plays it's part towards the total  as does suicide .

 

[tonray]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Could it be the low construction heights?

Perhaps the amount of booze consumed prior to stepping into balcony ?

[The Deerhunter]

3 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

I think some are pushed ????

 

Won't eat their darned mushrooms.

[RubbaJohnny]

In addition to al the theories above some discover the only "true attraction " is gravity when teerak finds better stacked ATM

[EVENKEEL]

You'd have to pay alot to live in one of those boxes. 

[farangman]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

. One famous example was a former bar owner in Bangkok a couple of years ago. The story is that be wanted to climb from one high balcony to another. And he failed. And in the weeks before that he took a lot of risks. Was it an accident? Kind of...

 

That would be Darel. I'm not entirely convinced it happened the way the official report said it did.

[cobra]

Most hotel balcony railings in Thailand are ridiculously short, to the point I don't even venture out on to the deck.

 

Discounting anything nefarious, alcohol, plus short railed balconies can be a recipe for disaster.

[bbko]

If we had decent follow up reporting news services, they would investigate and report back (drunk, money problems, mental issues, relationship troubles, etc), instead we get half a story which leads to many board member's favorite pastime; speculations, conspiracy theories, innuendos, baseless assumptions, etc.

[4MyEgo]

I think at the end of their lives, there could be many factors, that we just won't know, some that come to mind.

 

Excessive alcohol consumption.

 

Depression.

 

Loneliness.

 

Relationship breakups.

 

Old age.

 

Terminal illness.

 

Money issues.

 

Reminds me of a Hip Hop song from many moons ago, which I believe would still be relative in todays world.

 

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by metisdead
Trolling video removed.