Canadian Tourist Dies After Slipping on Stairs at a Jomtien Beach Resort

[BigStar]

2 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

What a load of cobblers. What about other religions, Muslims, Seikhs, Rastafarians etc.

 

Notably, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster:

 

Welcome to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

 

 

[BigStar]

54 minutes ago, madone said:

 

 

 

thank heaven for ASEAN now

 

The ANF Excuse Industry is one of the marvels of today's social media.

[KannikaP]

7 hours ago, gargamon said:

They probably had just washed the stairs and they sere still wet. That slippery when wet tiling should be outlawed.

Or POSSIBLY, someone had spilt something, his shoes WERE wet or worn out, it had rained or there was dew on the steps.

[richard_smith237]

44 minutes ago, dddave said:

7 hours ago, jacko45k said:

More close to home, getting into The Bangkok Bank Branches..... particularly the one on second near soi 6!

I had Bangkok Bank in mind actually, especially one branch in Rhamkhamheng, Bangkok with a straight run of 30 steps up to it's entry, no handrail.  I once saw an old woman descending sitting on her bum, down one step at a time.

 

You mean this one ?? (photo below)

While I recognise that the steps can be difficult - there seems to be a lot of 'faux-confirmation-bias' in these discussions with a bit of made up information...   they all have hand-rails.

 

I agree that really, everything should be 'wheel-chair accessible'... But, its not as if there are no alternatives..... If the steps are an issue, there are plenty of Banks accessible within the Malls or at 'ground level' with small wheel-chair ramps.

 

 

[Yagoda]

3 hours ago, dddave said:

I had Bangkok Bank in mind actually, especially one branch in Rhamkhamheng, Bangkok with a straight run of 30 steps up to it's entry, no handrail.  I once saw an old woman descending sitting on her bum, down one step at a time.

 

Yup, Angkor was a challenge for me also but turned into a nice story.  I had neglected to bring a walking stick.  One of the Cambodian maintenance workers clearing brush near one of the temples saw me struggling on an uneven walkway. He signaled me to wait, then went into the bushes.  He soon emerged with a stout stick, nicely trimmed by his bush knife, even a hand grip quickly carved into it.  He refused my offer of a tip for his efforts.

Nicest people in the world 

[BigStar]

11 hours ago, gargamon said:

They probably had just washed the stairs and they sere still wet. That slippery when wet tiling should be outlawed.

 

I think he may have been distracted by a fly he was trying to swat.

[BigStar]

4 hours ago, dddave said:

I realized that the open toes of sandals are much more prone to catching any kind of snag while closed, rounded shoe toes are more likely to ward of such hazards.

 

Good point and one I myself take to heart. I wear Merrell trekking shoes as my personal foot armor. Great traction & stability; impervious to Thailand's countless pavement & road hazards.

[Moonlover]

10 hours ago, iLuvThai said:

I know you guys don't like to be reminded of this but it's my duty as a Christian to tell everyone. As tragic as this was, it's an accident in thru the eyes of the world but in reality it's a appointment with destiny. Everyone dies. It's just a good thing we don't know when or how. So being prepared to meet the creator is the best thing any of us can be. 

 

Hebrews 9:27-28 KJV

[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: [28] so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

 

 

The stairway to heaven eh!

[JemJem]

Sad. 

 

Man, falls can be really dangerous. I am sure most of us have had at least a couple of such instances. For example, once, I had a bad fall in Sydney, Australia. Must have been 1997. About to enter a danceclub in King's Cross. A basement club. Slipped on the stairs. Was literally in the air and then fell on the hard stairs. Luckily not on my head but on my waist. I was already drunk by then. Still went in there. Danced nonstop for some hours and possibly had great fun. Hey, I was in my twenties 🙂 From next day on, my waist hurt for at least a couple of weeks though. 

 

Anyway, life can be fragile. Who knows what would have happened if I had struck the back of my head. 

[Hawaiian]

13 hours ago, billd766 said:

I have osteo-arthritis in both knees and I have to use a walking stick for anything more than about 20 metres.

 

I agree 100% though in the big village near to where I live there are few buildings with steps. I use a walking stick and handrail or not, I make sure that I walk slowly (I have little choice) and that when I climb or descend steps, both feet are on each step before I move to the next one.

 

TBH I find that ramps are much harder than steps, especially when I go down. If my wife or anyone else is with me on ramps, I use my left hand on their shoulder for extra support.

 

Fortunately out here there are always Thai people who are willing to help. The lady at the local pharmacy always helps me down the 3 steps from her shop, as does the manager at the post office which has 6 steps plus a handrail.

Yes, people here have always offered to help.  The guy with the vegetable truck even walked me back to the front door of the house on one of my bad days. 

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

You mean this one ?? (photo below)

That appears to be another one... I meant here.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zVrR2jdTq9LzAy3s7

Not much chance for the disabled is there?

 

[john donson]

20 hours ago, dddave said:

It took them 15 years but thankfully, yes.  most stations now have lifts for both directions.  They did seem to make it a point to place them at the furthest ends of the station limits but better than before.

 

the elevator at lat krabang airport link, out of service for a whole freaking year... a sign is cheaper than repairs

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

That appears to be another one... I meant here.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zVrR2jdTq9LzAy3s7

Not much chance for the disabled is there?

 

 

I was referring to dddave's comment (regarding  the Ramkamhaeng branch), there are also handrails in the photo you show...    

Thus the comments that there are no hand-rails are an exaggeration - I was highliting the point that there is no need to make such exaggerations to make a point that is already strong.

 

I agree with both and dddave that standard of accessibility to these banks is terrible. 

... As someone who spent a few-months this year locked in a plastic-recovery-boot, the steps up to many of these banks present a somewhat ominous prospect and clearly these banks and much of Thailand is designed without disabled access in mind.... 

... But there are still plenty of options in Malls etc (with the added benefit of them remaining open beyond 3pm)

[Ebumbu]

On 12/6/2024 at 7:56 AM, iLuvThai said:

Hebrews 9:27-28 KJV

[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: [28] so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

 

 

 

Sorry to bother you, but do you have 10 minutes to spare to discuss Shai Hulud?

[billd766]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

That appears to be another one... I meant here.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zVrR2jdTq9LzAy3s7

Not much chance for the disabled is there?

 

If you are confined to a wheelchair there is no chance there at all. If you can walk using a stick, it may be possible to climb and descend the steps on the right. For me, I think that I would have to have a break at the top of the first set, assuming that the a**hole in the white SUV has not parked too close, and is not in a disabled parking slot (assuming that there actually is one).

[dddave]

53 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I was referring to dddave's comment (regarding  the Ramkamhaeng branch), there are also handrails in the photo you show...    

Thus the comments that there are no hand-rails are an exaggeration - I was highliting the point that there is no need to make such exaggerations to make a point that is already strong.

 

I agree with both and dddave that standard of accessibility to these banks is terrible. 

... As someone who spent a few-months this year locked in a plastic-recovery-boot, the steps up to many of these banks present a somewhat ominous prospect and clearly these banks and much of Thailand is designed without disabled access in mind.... 

... But there are still plenty of options in Malls etc (with the added benefit of them remaining open beyond 3pm)

If Bangkok Bank has indeed installed handrails at it's Rhamkhamheng branch and other branches as well, I'm happy for it's users.  Only took them more than 20 years and perhaps the arrival of the new transit line to fulfil a long standing need.

[Will B Good]

 

 

I think the employee who looks after the hotel CCTV killed him with the statue, deleted the video and will return soon with a look of shock that the video has mysteriously not recorded the event or just disappeared into the ether.

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, dddave said:

If Bangkok Bank has indeed installed handrails at it's Rhamkhamheng branch and other branches as well, I'm happy for it's users.  Only took them more than 20 years and perhaps the arrival of the new transit line to fulfil a long standing need.

 

The handrails have always been there, you just imagined they weren't...      nevertheless, its hardly wheelchair accessible or accessible for those with mobility issues, so your point remains valid without the exaggeration.

[dddave]

5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

The handrails have always been there, you just imagined they weren't...      nevertheless, its hardly wheelchair accessible or accessible for those with mobility issues, so your point remains valid without the exaggeration.

Not imagining it at all.  I used that Rhamkhamheng branch many times in the early 2000s and I can assure you, there was no handrail at that time.

[Ebumbu]

Plot twist: The statue was a memorial to the last farang who fell down the stairs. 

[BigStar]

On 12/6/2024 at 5:38 PM, BigStar said:

 

Good point and one I myself take to heart. I wear Merrell trekking shoes as my personal foot armor. Great traction & stability; impervious to Thailand's countless pavement & road hazards.

 

Case in point:

 

An American tourist was killed when he slipped on a wet sidewalk and was electrocuted by a faulty streetlight in Phuket, authorities said on Friday.

 

Thura Kyaw, 33, from New York, was walking with his girlfriend to a seafood restaurant in Don Jom Thao Road in tambon Thep Krasattri of Thalang district at 9.30pm on Thursday when he fell and tried to steady himself on a light pole, the New York Post reported.

 

The pole, which might have had a live wire, shocked the man into unconsciousness and he was rushed to a nearby hospital, Pol Maj Thanom Thongpaen told Thai media.

     --https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2915672/american-tourist-electrocuted-in-phuket

[lordgrinz]

On 12/6/2024 at 12:40 PM, richard_smith237 said:

It seems some folk are looking for liability, or want to blame 'Thailand' (or a facet of Thai safety culture for this), but realistically, this is just 4 steps... 

 

It was a tragic accident, just like tripping over your slippers....    100% of incidents can't be protected against 100% of the time.

 

There's a line in the sand where safety is concerned, and while many aspects in thailand fall on the 'wrong side of that line' I think this is just one of those 'freak incidents'....    tragic consequences.

 

 

What are the alternatives... remove all steps, handrails everywhere, remove swimming pools as they are a drowning risk etc etc...    I don't think this incidence falls on the 'wrong side of that safetly line in the sand', its just a tragic freak incident. 

 

 

 

I'll accept useable sidewalks for now, especially for wheelchair usage, as I gasp at watching wheelchairs being pushed down a busy road because there is no sidewalk access for them. Saw one today being pushed on a busy stretch of road (Tiwanon Road-Highway 306) fully in a lane of traffic.

[jimmybcool]

On 12/4/2024 at 8:45 PM, dddave said:

I Have arthritic knees.  Going up and especially down stairs is always a challenge, made much more difficult in Thailand by a scarcity of properly placed handrails. Looking at the photo of the scene of the unfortunate man's fall, I see no visible handrail on the steps from which he reportedly fell.  

The near complete lack of any kind of liability in Thailand for such lapses does not encourage building owners to consider such necessities.  Not just small businesses.  I've had to negotiate long flight's of stairways with no handrails in many public buildings, especially banks which seem to feel the need for magisterial stairways leading to their portals.

I hate the need for a cane but sometimes it's a lifesaver descending long staircases, especially those at various Bangkok BTS stations. Going downstairs, one is fighting gravity all the way and with nothing to hold onto, it can be a perilous journey.

Also missing in Thailand is this thing called slip free surfaces.  For a nation that gets lots of rain they use a lot of slippery flooring materials. 

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, billd766 said:

If you are confined to a wheelchair there is no chance there at all. If you can walk using a stick, it may be possible to climb and descend the steps on the right. For me, I think that I would have to have a break at the top of the first set, assuming that the a**hole in the white SUV has not parked too close, and is not in a disabled parking slot (assuming that there actually is one).

There is a car parking area at the rear but it is usually full...... to the point of it being difficult for even able bodied people to be able to get in and out of vehicles. There is also access into the bank from there but I can't remember if there are steps. 

[billd766]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

There is a car parking area at the rear but it is usually full...... to the point of it being difficult for even able bodied people to be able to get in and out of vehicles. There is also access into the bank from there but I can't remember if there are steps. 

Thank you. I have never been there and I am looking at it from the point of view of a man who cannot walk far even on level ground without using my walking stick.

[richard_smith237]

13 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

I'll accept useable sidewalks for now, especially for wheelchair usage, as I gasp at watching wheelchairs being pushed down a busy road because there is no sidewalk access for them. Saw one today being pushed on a busy stretch of road (Tiwanon Road-Highway 306) fully in a lane of traffic.

 

When my son was an infant...  we travelled all over (Japan, NZ, Aus, Europe) but living in Thailand and getting around without a car was pretty much impossible....   

Taxi's had no car seats so that was never an option.

When we wanted to go just 1 KM down the road, using a push-chair was never an option as the pavements were simply un-navigable... I attempted it once and the Motorcyclists would get annoyed at being held up on 'their' footpath !!!!... 

 

From then on, it was 100% car use wherever we went.

Even walking down the footpath with a 5 year old is hazardous enough, we food vendors boiling oil at face height etc, street dogs, electrocution risk of street lamps etc etc I was suddenly on full on heightened alert to the safety issues. 

 

But, trying to get anywhere with pushchair here highlighted how difficult it must be for those with mobility issues, particularly wheel-chairs.... 

... Thats why I think 'fair play' to the guys on mobility scooters using the roads to get around... they have little alternative, but have to read the 'ayholish' comments from miserable folk on these forums who refuse to accept these folk deserve their freedom of mobility too.

[Joebuzzz]

On 12/6/2024 at 7:56 AM, iLuvThai said:

I know you guys don't like to be reminded of this but it's my duty as a Christian to tell everyone. As tragic as this was, it's an accident in thru the eyes of the world but in reality it's a appointment with destiny. Everyone dies. It's just a good thing we don't know when or how. So being prepared to meet the creator is the best thing any of us can be. 

 

Hebrews 9:27-28 KJV

[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: [28] so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

 

 

And the Buddha says "Fret not, you'll be back in no time".

[Joebuzzz]

On 12/5/2024 at 10:45 AM, dddave said:

I Have arthritic knees.  Going up and especially down stairs is always a challenge, made much more difficult in Thailand by a scarcity of properly placed handrails. Looking at the photo of the scene of the unfortunate man's fall, I see no visible handrail on the steps from which he reportedly fell.  

The near complete lack of any kind of liability in Thailand for such lapses does not encourage building owners to consider such necessities.  Not just small businesses.  I've had to negotiate long flight's of stairways with no handrails in many public buildings, especially banks which seem to feel the need for magisterial stairways leading to their portals.

I hate the need for a cane but sometimes it's a lifesaver descending long staircases, especially those at various Bangkok BTS stations. Going downstairs, one is fighting gravity all the way and with nothing to hold onto, it can be a perilous journey.

Your complaint about hand rails isn't valid as even in regulation heavy USA, handrails would not be "REQUIRED".  Note that there are four steps. In the US typical rise is 7 inches. If these steps are close to that, let's say about 30 inches or less.  No handrail required under 36 inches. Yeah, I was a building inspector.  So the blame is nowhere other than, in my opinion, bad luck for that guy. When it's your time, it's your time.  RIP traveler.

[balo]

Our head and brain is the most important part of our body.  Yes sounds very strange to fall like that, maybe a stroke.  If you fall forward you should have time to adjust your body but who knows what happened. 

 

A few years ago someone slipped in the shower and died when the head hit the floor.