Foreigner slips and breaks his neck on mossy seawall steps at Thailand beach

[snoop1130]

 

A 55 year old foreign man slipped on some mossy steps and “broke bones in his neck” at Cha-am Beach in Phetchaburi province, Thailand, his wife reported on Friday.

 

On Friday, the Facebook page ‘Beach for life‘ was contacted by a Thai woman seeking justice for her foreign husband who is still being treated in hospital after an incident at Cha-am Beach on March 19.

 

In the late evening, the foreign man was walking along the beach when he slipped on the steps of the seawall which are covered in moss.

 

She said there are no lights in the area and no warning signs to say the steps could be slippery, causing her husband to slip, hit his head, and break bones in his neck. Nearly one month later, he is recovering but is still at Ratchaburi Hospital where he continues to receive treatment for his injuries.

 

The woman said she wants the owner of the seawall project to accept responsibility for the incident. So far, there has been no remedy from the project owner, “who has changed the environment at Cha-am beach into a dangerous, moss-filled seawall,” she told ‘Beach for life.’

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/foreigner-slips-and-breaks-his-neck-on-mossy-seawall-steps-at-thailand-beach

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-04-10

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

[Myran]

"She said there are no lights in the area and no warning signs to say the steps could be slippery"

 

Neither are there signs proclaiming that the ocean can make you wet. Sometimes you'll just have to use some common sense.

[OneMoreFarang]

12 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

She said there are no lights in the area and no warning signs to say the steps could be slippery, causing her husband to slip, hit his head, and break bones in his neck

And what do smart people do if they don't see and don't know where they go?

They don't go there. It's not really that difficult. 

[richard_smith237]

9 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And what do smart people do if they don't see and don't know where they go?

They don't go there. It's not really that difficult. 

The smart people make sanctimonious comments on this forum don’t they !!!... 

 

 

Those steps look like they’d be perilous when wet....    With the amount of poor lighting are you so sure you’ve never stepped where you aren’t 100% sure you’d have perfect footing ???

 

Never stepped on a drain cover only to read later in the day that someone went through a drain cover (or similar) and scraped up their legs ???

 

I was in a very poorly designed pool the other day... dangerous with tiles 1” under the waterline and sloping down slightly, then underwater steps which couldn’t clearly be seen and underwater seating which couldn’t be clear.... I wonder how many people have slipped and hurt themselves, jumped in and hurt themselves etc...       Still, I very nearly slipped over... lethal...   (and this was at what may be considered a higher end resort). 

 

This is Thailand and we have to ‘expect’ that its dangerous...   But, I think ‘victim blaming’ is unfair in this case... the old fella was only walking down the steps.

 

[Pink Mist]

Troll posts have been removed.

[KannikaP]

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Those steps look like they’d be perilous when wet....    With the amount of poor lighting are you so sure you’ve never stepped where you aren’t 100% sure you’d have perfect footing ???

Yes.

 

[KannikaP]

30 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

She said there are no lights in the area and no warning signs to say the steps could be slippery,

If there were no lights, how could they see any warning signs anyway.

[dick turpin]

Let's see how his insurance company handles

this one......yes, you've guessed. 

[OneMoreFarang]

13 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The smart people make sanctimonious comments on this forum don’t they !!!... 

 

 

Those steps look like they’d be perilous when wet....    With the amount of poor lighting are you so sure you’ve never stepped where you aren’t 100% sure you’d have perfect footing ???

 

Never stepped on a drain cover only to read later in the day that someone went through a drain cover (or similar) and scraped up their legs ???

 

I was in a very poorly designed pool the other day... dangerous with tiles 1” under the waterline and sloping down slightly, then underwater steps which couldn’t clearly be seen and underwater seating which couldn’t be clear.... I wonder how many people have slipped and hurt themselves, jumped in and hurt themselves etc...       Still, I very nearly slipped over... lethal...   (and this was at what may be considered a higher end resort). 

 

This is Thailand and we have to ‘expect’ that its dangerous...   But, I think ‘victim blaming’ is unfair in this case... the old fella was only walking down the steps.

The area in the picture looks like it is not near to any road. And it's not an area where someone has to walk to come from A to B. It looks very much like an area where people only go if they want to go there.

If someone decides to go to a lonely area, what does he or should he expect? Should he expect bright light? Should he expect a sign in multiple languages which explains that there could be sharp objects in the sand and waves and maybe other danger?

If anybody is in doubt, then don't do it. Or maybe go at daytime when the light is good and open your eyes and expect the unexpected.

[richard_smith237]

27 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

34 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Those steps look like they’d be perilous when wet....    With the amount of poor lighting are you so sure you’ve never stepped where you aren’t 100% sure you’d have perfect footing ???

Yes.

 

Well done... you’re the only person in the world who’s never, slipped, tripped or fell !!... 

 

Cast your sanctimony at an injured person with the prideful knowledge that nothing similar could ever happen to you !!... 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

29 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The smart people make sanctimonious comments on this forum don’t they !!!... 

 

 

Those steps look like they’d be perilous when wet....    With the amount of poor lighting are you so sure you’ve never stepped where you aren’t 100% sure you’d have perfect footing ???

 

Never stepped on a drain cover only to read later in the day that someone went through a drain cover (or similar) and scraped up their legs ???

 

I was in a very poorly designed pool the other day... dangerous with tiles 1” under the waterline and sloping down slightly, then underwater steps which couldn’t clearly be seen and underwater seating which couldn’t be clear.... I wonder how many people have slipped and hurt themselves, jumped in and hurt themselves etc...       Still, I very nearly slipped over... lethal...   (and this was at what may be considered a higher end resort). 

 

This is Thailand and we have to ‘expect’ that its dangerous...   But, I think ‘victim blaming’ is unfair in this case... the old fella was only walking down the steps.

 

If on a resort it's a different cup of tea.

But even in your pool example if are you saying that every step in a pool has to be clearly marked it seems a bit over the top. If I am in a pool I expect there to be a transition from shallow to deep and up to me to make sense of it the first time.

But if it is steps leading to the sea surely someone knows it will be potentially slippery and that they need to take care. You would know the tide will mean it may have been wet.

It looks like a long set of steps and to say there needs to be permanent lighting on the off chance someone wants to walk at night seems a bit over the top too.

Hope he gets better. 

[richard_smith237]

17 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The area in the picture looks like it is not near to any road. And it's not an area where someone has to walk to come from A to B. It looks very much like an area where people only go if they want to go there.

If someone decides to go to a lonely area, what does he or should he expect? Should he expect bright light? Should he expect a sign in multiple languages which explains that there could be sharp objects in the sand and waves and maybe other danger?

If anybody is in doubt, then don't do it. Or maybe go at daytime when the light is good and open your eyes and expect the unexpected.

Yup... dripping with sanctimony....    I don’t know what it is with some AN posters who insist on passing such judgement.... 

 

I tend to agree that we ‘should be careful’... but public area’s should also not be so treacherous and IF they are the blame should not solely be placed at the foot of the injured.

 

 

I was driving near Sa Keaw a few weeks back... the road was ’slick’ and I mean, shiny slick. 

New concrete had be laid and for some reason the contractor had laid the concrete in such a manner it was extremely smooth and shiny.....  The last time I saw concrete so smooth I couldn’t get up the slight incline to my condo on my motorcycle while it was raining, the rear wheel would spin and slide...  the front wheels on the car would also spin it was so slippery. 

The surface looked as if it would be incredibly treacherous in the wet.... IMO a 100% guarantee of skidding cars...  SO.. what did authorities do about it ???... They put up signs every 100% ’road very slippy when wet’....     IMO, they [the authorities] are accountable for every single accident that occurs on that stretch of road (the most hazardous I’ve ever seen in Thailand)...  

 

In the same manner, the public have a right to accept a basic level of standards and safety when out on public property... and that means not having surfaces that are going to be be walked on which are so slippery that this happens (looking at the steps I bet this is not the first time this has happened). 

 

So...  while I agree with the sentiment that we have to take extra caution when out and about in Thailand, unlike you OneMoreFarang... I’m not blaming the victim here - I’m blaming the Authorities who would have known about the slippery steps in this area and have simply chosen not to care.

 

This disregard for the safety of the public is an underlying cause for numerous incidents... from people getting electrocuted on a metal lamp-post, to hanging wires garrotting motorcyclists, to very poorly designed road junctions etc...   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The woman said she wants the owner of the seawall project to accept responsibility for the incident.

As a child used to walk in rock pools on/near the beach. Everyone knows seaweed grows in tidal areas. Even the hospitalized guy knows that now.

 

The only responsible person in this instant is the foreigner who's wife, by the sound of it, comes from or has lived in a nanny state.

[zzaa09]

7 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

As a child used to walk in rock pools on/near the beach. Everyone knows seaweed grows in tidal areas. Even the hospitalized guy knows that now.

 

The only responsible person in this instant is the foreigner who's wife, by the sound of it, comes from or has lived in a nanny state.

...and become a very common mindset among those who have been conditioned to blame others, less having responsibility for oneself, for your own faulty misdoings. 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Yup... dripping with sanctimony....    I don’t know what it is with some AN posters who insist on passing such judgement.... 

 

I tend to agree that we ‘should be careful’... but public area’s should also not be so treacherous and IF they are the blame should not solely be placed at the foot of the injured.

 

 

I was driving near Sa Keaw a few weeks back... the road was ’slick’ and I mean, shiny slick. 

New concrete had be laid and for some reason the contractor had laid the concrete in such a manner it was extremely smooth and shiny.....  The last time I saw concrete so smooth I couldn’t get up the slight incline to my condo on my motorcycle while it was raining, the rear wheel would spin and slide...  the front wheels on the car would also spin it was so slippery. 

The surface looked as if it would be incredibly treacherous in the wet.... IMO a 100% guarantee of skidding cars...  SO.. what did authorities do about it ???... They put up signs every 100% ’road very slippy when wet’....     IMO, they [the authorities] are accountable for every single accident that occurs on that stretch of road (the most hazardous I’ve ever seen in Thailand)...  

 

In the same manner, the public have a right to accept a basic level of standards and safety when out on public property... and that means not having surfaces that are going to be be walked on which are so slippery that this happens (looking at the steps I bet this is not the first time this has happened). 

 

So...  while I agree with the sentiment that we have to take extra caution when out and about in Thailand, unlike you OneMoreFarang... I’m not blaming the victim here - I’m blaming the Authorities who would have known about the slippery steps in this area and have simply chosen not to care.

 

This disregard for the safety of the public is an underlying cause for numerous incidents... from people getting electrocuted on a metal lamp-post, to hanging wires garrotting motorcyclists, to very poorly designed road junctions etc...   

Please tell me, what do you expect in areas with jungle in Thailand?

Do you expect warning signs that it is wet and maybe slippery and that there are wild animals?

Do you expect that someone puts nice footpath into the jungle which are not slippery, maybe with ropes left and right and bright lights at night?

Or would it be better if people think about what they (want to) do? And people should be careful. And they should be especially careful when they go to an unknown area. And even more careful when it's dark.

IMHO it is crazy to expect that everything everywhere should be so secure that even idiots can't do anything wrong. Let Darwin do his job. 

 

 

 

[billd766]

1 hour ago, Myran said:

"She said there are no lights in the area and no warning signs to say the steps could be slippery"

 

Neither are there signs proclaiming that the ocean can make you wet. Sometimes you'll just have to use some common sense.

Having looked at the photo, at 78 years old, I wouldn't have got too close to it.

[ThailandRyan]

I have walked on the trail.above the tidal wall there and at Pranburi Beach. There are signs that warn of moss being a hazard.

[Pink Mist]

Was just down in HH, this is a picture of the moss on those steps, or seawall. Downright dangerous even in the daytime.

[onthedarkside]

off topic troll post reported/removed

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

If on a resort it's a different cup of tea.

But even in your pool example if are you saying that every step in a pool has to be clearly marked it seems a bit over the top. If I am in a pool I expect there to be a transition from shallow to deep and up to me to make sense of it the first time.

I'm surprised that someone signed off on the design of the pool. It wasn’t a simple design, I thought the pool design itself was dangerous.

Its not simple steps, its uneven surfaces just below the the waterline, and has ‘features’ positioned below the waterline where people may jump in thinking its deeper water etc...   

 

As with many area's in Thailand, I thought it was a bit dangerous and I’ll have to take extra care (and remind my son to do the same).... BUT, I figured it wouldn’t be long before I see someone slip over... 

 

Certain facets of the ’nanny state’ argument some like to use enters this issue. 

IMO - we should expect a certain degree of common-sense legislation from the authorities to ensure we are protected....  But, there is also an argument that we should lookout for ourselves. 

 

I would argue there is a strong need for both aspects, we lookout for ourselves, but also either the private owners or public authorities should be accountable when area’s are obviously dangerous. 

 

 

12 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

But if it is steps leading to the sea surely someone knows it will be potentially slippery and that they need to take care. You would know the tide will mean it may have been wet.

It looks like a long set of steps and to say there needs to be permanent lighting on the off chance someone wants to walk at night seems a bit over the top too.

Hope he gets better. 

I think this is one of those areas where either the public authorities or the private owner needs to ensure the area is safe - if its so slippery, something needs to be fixed because more people will slip. 

 

I think placing the blame solely on the old guy who slipped over and broke his neck is unfair.

 

 

--------

 

I recall waiting for my Son at his previous school when a 6ft long (10” thick) branch feel from a tree in the playground... I called the head, he called some staff who cordoned off the play area and anywhere under-trees.  The head later e-mailed and told me he’d called in an arborist and ended up cutting many of the branches of many of the trees.... a lot less shade for the kids to play under, but less risk of falling branches.... 

That was an International School.....  Would the authorities have had such a speedy response to falling branches from tree’s in public area’s ????...  

...So, if a branch falls and hurts someone are we to blame the injured party for walking under a tree ??? he should have known the tree looked old or weak, right?... 

 

Perhaps a more extreme example compared to a slippery set of steps, yet I see similarities.... 

The steps are a public area, IF in such a state, I think there is a fair argument that the state is also responsible. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

53 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

As a child used to walk in rock pools on/near the beach. Everyone knows seaweed grows in tidal areas. Even the hospitalized guy knows that now.

 

The only responsible person in this instant is the foreigner who's wife, by the sound of it, comes from or has lived in a nanny state.

We all know that in Thailand there is a risk when walking down a pavement / sidewalk:

.....  an uneven step, a hole, a wonky moving brick or slab can trip us up, or a drain cover gives way, or the oil that the street vendor has thrown on the floor makes it slippery.... .or the hanging live wires etc... etc etc...

 

...    Are authorities completely devoid of any accountability or responsibility when something happens ????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rose33]

5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

We all know that in Thailand there is a risk when walking down a pavement / sidewalk:

.....  an uneven step, a hole, a wonky moving brick or slab can trip us up, or a drain cover gives way, or the oil that the street vendor has thrown on the floor makes it slippery.... .or the hanging live wires etc... etc etc...

 

...    Are authorities completely devoid of any accountability or responsibility when something happens ????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Thailand, a hitman gets paid 2,000 baht for a hit. 

 

i.e., your life may be worth as little as 2,000 baht while you're in Thailand. 

 

In this context, no one has time or money to be worrying about safety in public areas.

 

If you're inside a hotel or a ticketed tourist site, then yes, there MIGHT be some safety precautions and warning signs, because you have paid money to contract yourself OUT of public Thailand and INTO an 'upper class' zone. 

 

Even in the nicest suburbs of Bangkok, the public areas are still underdeveloped. Step outside your 5 star hotel or gleaming shopping mall... the sight of garbage and cracked concrete, and the smell of sewerage will soon hit your nose. By Thai logic, that's your fault for not arranging a private car to pick you up from the entrance. 

 

It's Thailand, not the west. Each person needs to look out for ourselves. Don't offend locals, especially those who are strong/young/drunk/drugged/crazy. Look where you're walking (3D awareness) and keep your wits about you.

 

[tuktuktuk]

Those aren't steps.  That's an integral part of the seawall meant to dissipate incoming wave energy.  If somebody intended for people to access the beach there would be an access point or multiple ones. Preventing algae growth would be an around the clock pressure washing job.

 

Parts of the Galveston seawall used to look like this.  It was eventually rebuilt with a curved design that few people will try to traverse. The Lake Pontchartrain seawall still looks like this.  If you go to the lake on a Sunday you can watch people slip and fall on it all day long.  

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, rose33 said:

In Thailand, a hitman gets paid 2,000 baht for a hit. 

Love this...  Herd it so many times from old-timer-experts who seem never to have evolved beyond beer bars...  

 

... It's usually just before or after I’m told ’never help out in an accident, you’ll be blamed’...   before being told “the foreigner is always going to be at fault in an accident” and other golden droplet of knowledge that can only be gained though a discerning yet cynical dust and dirt experience of the ‘true heart’ of Thailand...   

... after I’ve been told the same dumb bumf for the nth time... the ex-forces multimillionaire states,... "I never wai Thai’s first...” .... shortly before he Wai's Nok, the leathery tatted up waitress with oversized fake norks before getting on his honda scoppy and wobbling home...   

 

2,000 baht for a hit on a foreigner you say...   Its a good job this forum is anonymous !!. ????

 

 

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, Pink Mist said:

Was just down in HH, this is a picture of the moss on those steps, or seawall. Downright dangerous even in the daytime.

Where would you be trying to go? Into that far more dangerous looking rough water? Why would anyone be trying to traverse down there in the first place?

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Where would you be trying to go? Into that far more dangerous looking rough water? Why would anyone be trying to traverse down there in the first place?

Its not always like that though is it !!.... anyone who’s been to HH knows there is a decent tidal range and the tide can go out quite a way. 

[G Rex]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its not always like that though is it !!.... anyone who’s been to HH knows there is a decent tidal range and the tide can go out quite a way. 

I understand your sentiments , but people need to take responsibility for their actions. This is Thailand , not the West - where people make a (dis)honest living by tripping over at Bunnings,Tesco or Walmart.    I often stumble on broken footpaths , or have issues with my cars/motorbikes traversing potholes deeper than the San Andreas Trench - but the onus is on me to be careful.

There is not the funding in this low taxing, welfare devoid society to fund such issues. 

[josephbloggs]

5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its not always like that though is it !!.... anyone who’s been to HH knows there is a decent tidal range and the tide can go out quite a way. 

That is true. But I also think it is common sense to know it might be slippery.

I am in Samet at the moment and went exploring over the rocks with my son today. I had to remind him to go slowly all the time and watch his footing as they can be unexpectedly slippery. Common sense. If he had slipped and hurt himself I wouldn't look to create a fuss that there was no sign saying rocks can be slippy - it is common sense - we chose to go there.

Sorry for the old fella but really a non issue.

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

That is true. But I also think it is common sense to know it might be slippery.

I am in Samet at the moment and went exploring over the rocks with my son today. I had to remind him to go slowly all the time and watch his footing as they can be unexpectedly slippery. Common sense. If he had slipped and hurt himself I wouldn't look to create a fuss that there was no sign saying rocks can be slippy - it is common sense - we chose to go there.

Sorry for the old fella but really a non issue.

I agree... but the rocks are not a designed flat surface that for the unwitting look perfect for walking along... with rocks etc the danger is obvious and apparent. 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

10 minutes ago, G Rex said:

I understand your sentiments , but people need to take responsibility for their actions. This is Thailand , not the West - where people make a (dis)honest living by tripping over at Bunnings,Tesco or Walmart.    

Agreed... somewhere in the middle would seem appropriate - accountability where accountability generates improvement and better safety without the excessive kneecapping of common sense by lawyers... 

 

10 minutes ago, G Rex said:

I often stumble on broken footpaths , or have issues with my cars/motorbikes traversing potholes deeper than the San Andreas Trench - but the onus is on me to be careful.

Again agreed... But Thailand would be so much better if there were accountability forcing the issue to resolve this... (but first get rid of the motorcycles on the sidewalks !)... 

 

To be fair, I find the roads in Thailand (surfacing at least) for the most part to be pretty decent - the footpaths the opposite....  

.. I never knew quite how perilous they can be until I had a child... 

 

10 minutes ago, G Rex said:

There is not the funding in this low taxing, welfare devoid society to fund such issues. 

Without getting political... yes... a lot of tax is not paid in Thailand and a lot of money which should go into public funds ends up in pockets...