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

[sirineou]

3 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

Could it have something to do with alcohol ? Perhaps ?

Alcohol and gravity do not mix well.  

[Barefootknobby]

Higher ing the balcony fence would help. I’ve stayed in hotels here where the balcony hardly reaches the top of my legs

[dallen52]

Its known as The Pattaya Parachute Club..

 

The last jump.

Sadly 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

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

A mixed bag, some are drunk, some are depressed some are pushed.

[spidermike007]

Since there is nothing in the way of investigative reporting here, and the police work is low quality, unmotivated, highly partial, bottom of the barrel stuff, we just don't know. Safe to presume most are suicides, but likely a fair amount of foul play too. 

[steven100]

I guess Thai authorities don't want the world to known the truth that most top themselves after been cheated, fleeced and milked completely by Thai folks and particularly the gf.

These Thai people play games with farangs lives,  they don't care one bit about their scams and lies and how it affects the victim.  Scum comes to mind ......????

[Blumpie]

28 minutes ago, cobra said:

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.

They certainly are short and I"ve noticed that for many years.  

Why do people jump?  Any number of reasons.  Trouble with the locals, the law, a bad diagnosis, depression, money problems, drunk, <deleted> off girlfriend, in the end the reasons don't really matter.  It's just sad really.  

Just edited to add that I am not making fun of this in any way nor do I think that many (or any) people are here.  This must be very sad for some who are reading and this has affected them.  

Edited February 22, 2022 by Blumpie

[Dmaxdan]

This is precisely the reason why we built our bungalow without a balcony...

[CARLO BALDASSARRE]

I think alcohol and finally found out that thing between the bar girls legs was surgically removed and now a boy is a girl an oh.my darling ,I love u.

..

 

[placeholder]

4 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

I think some are pushed ????

 

Well, if the comments posted by so many expats here are representative of the expat community's attitude towards Thai culture and people, I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

[NemoH]

Are we being politically correct to call “committing suicide” as “falling off balcony”?? 
Missing the woods for the trees?
The issue is that expats do go into depression too and become suicidal. so the real issue is the mental issues in society that infects everyone 

[Skeptic7]

2 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

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

Yes, coupled with old age and/or ill health. Broken heart, depression ????. 

[Skeptic7]

Most are jumpers IMO. Followed by accidentally falling.

[amexpat]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Could it be the low construction heights?

Ya think?  This thread doesn't bring out the best posting. It seems many only read the title and started opining that the rails are too low - as stated in the sub-heading of the op quoted here and repeated and repeated. 

 

Others are obsessed with the barstool stories of 40kg girls throwing 100kg falangs off the balcony. 

 

OK, I'm off  to seek 'higher level' commenting on other threads. Carry on, as you were, peace out. 

Edited February 22, 2022 by amexpat

[krobert6]

I live in a bungalow on Chiang Rai - safe friom falling and Tsunami's

[Dcheech]

Pattaya in particular, and Thailand in general, has a higher than average number of westerners who are depressed/alcoholic/skint/mental and suicidal.  Still that doesn't explain a lot of the deaths. Suicide does provide 'an explanation', no further investigation is needed by the BiB, making it a popular method of disguise. It is interesting Asean/Thaivisa posts up this story. In the past they have blocked comments on a couple jump stories, one was quickly removed, as if they knew something was hinky.  

 

[sammieuk1]

I live in the first bungalow of a cul de sac and cycle no more my risk of drowning has increased but falling is zero ????

[bluejets]

Piston broke.????

[RubbaJohnny]

1 hour ago, bbko said:

baseless

the nub in the hub

[Boomer6969]

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thailand has huge amounts of high floor balconies. That makes this already an "attractive" option.

Indeed, reckon TAT could use this for their next campaign to attract western retirees. Could be a real winner as it would cater for the needs of both locals and foreigners.

[hellohello123]

700mm!?!?!
I just measured that, and im not tall guy it came up to beneath my groin area

but far out, i would topple over completely sober

 

that is quite scary

[Hervey Bay]

Speaking of balconies, does anyone recognize where this might be ? Bangkok, or Jakarta ?

[mtls2005]

2 minutes ago, Hervey Bay said:

Speaking of balconies, does anyone recognize where this might be ? Bangkok, or Jakarta ?

Do you not know where you are?

 

Maybe check your phone?

 

 

Reminds me of the joke, "Do you know who I am?"

[RichardColeman]

There's no balcony on my ground floor bungalow/house. I like it better that way. I've seen Thai hotel construction, and I'd say you'd be nutty to want to trust the structure, let alone the balcony rail

[Gandtee]

It's a better way to go than the way a bar owner in Soi Post Office Pattaya went, about twenty years ago. A plastic bag over his head and hands tied behind his back. Suicide???? Yeah. OK.????

[mvdf]

Knee-high balcony could be one reason?

[wombat]

I was always under the assumption it was a terminal desire to ride the Air Condo airline?

I could of course be wrong.

[Enzian]

4 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...

Probably this is the guy from Dollhouse in soi Cowboy. The famous Stephen Leather posted the news item on FB recently and I thought it was new, turns out it was from 2016. The original article can still be accessed by doing a search on the Bangkok paper we cannot quote.

[wombat]

50 minutes ago, Dcheech said:

In the past they have blocked comments on a couple jump stories, 

 

I had noticed that as I quickly scrolled down to get my dry humor for the day but alas twas not to be.

[JonnyF]

Most are suicides sadly. I suspect there will be quite a few more this year as the economic destruction caused by Covid restrictions continues to devastate businesses and livelihoods.