Fire Electric Bicycle Charging Sparks Condo Blaze in Pattaya – Fire Alarm Does Not Sound

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, Nicco said:

This might have been true years ago I think that it is patently ridiculous. If your phone was engineered to fast charge and a fast charger is provided for you especially it can take fast charging lol

I believe you have too much faith in the manufacturers....what is stated is that fast charging degrades the battery. Else there would be little reason for slow charging. 

[BerndD]

23 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I see these foreigners using condominium general power outlets to charge these dangerous vehicles. 

 

 

Oh, I didn´t know, there are different and safe outlets for charging batteries. Not use "condominium general power outlets".  Can you please give me anlink for those safe outlets?

 

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Although it does detract from the convenience of things if one has to sit and watch it for 4 hours. 

My eMTB recharges in 1-2 hours.

It's charging on my patio right now after this mornings 21km ride.

[Purdey]

My home parking is directly under the house. I doubt I will ever buy an electric vehicle for this reason.

[Cabradelmar]

If you are using lithium-ion rechargeable batteries you need a lithium-ion specific fire extinguisher on hand, like those you find in EV garages. To not have one is negligent.

[SLOWHAND225]

On 6/8/2025 at 9:18 AM, KhunLA said:

It's not the batteries, it's where they are charging them, and leaving them unattended.

That uncommon common sense, some folks simply don't have.

 Truest thing ever said on here.  This applies to all of your cordless tools too, I know of 3 shops that burned due to cordless tool batteries catching fire over night. 

I know another guy that travels around the country with his kids in their motorhome racing remote rock crawlers. He had the batteries on the charger under the drivers seat. 3rd degree burns below the hips and lost everything.

[Guderian]

It's not only here, either....

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14792443/Two-boys-four-dead-e-scooter-fire-housing-block-France.html

 

[Espanol]

 

We are filling our homes and garages with battery-powered vehicles that, once they catch fire, cannot be extinguished.

 

 

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Espanol said:

We are filling our homes and garages with battery-powered vehicles that, once they catch fire, cannot be extinguished.

Common sense solves, prevents most oops, or negative effects of.

 

Car ... LFP chemistry, from reputable auto maker (SAIC/MG or BYD), and rare to have a battery fire.  Charge in open air carport

 

MB  ... Buy LFP from reputable dealer (DECO) & charge outdoors

Ebike, same, buy best, and charge outdoors

 

Ours, MG ZS / LFP ... nuff said

MB, 3.5 yrs old, not LFP, charge outdoors ... no issues

Ebike, 3 yrs old (?), not LFP, charge outdoors ... no issues

 

35+ LIPO Battery Drones, Cars, Boats, el cheapo, charge indoors mostly, only 3S 5000mAh batteries, at most.   Abused, and only 1 small pop, while charging battery that should have been discarded yrs earlier ... oops

 

Buy Sh!t, get Sh!t ... Roll the Dice 😎

[pacovl46]

On 6/7/2025 at 10:08 AM, impulse said:

 

 I can't disagree, because I don't know the answer.   But I suspect it's more nuanced.

I'm a big fan of e-bikes and e-scooters and I hope this doesn't lead to mass changes in condo and apartment regulations to ban them.  But there has to be some financial accountability.  "Back home" the e-bike manufacturer would probably be on the hook simply because they have the deep pockets and product liability insurance.  In LOS, I just don't know.

 

The problem is the heat in Thailand. If it's already 33 degrees outside and then you charge the battery it's probably only a matter of time before they blow up. While the batteries are good to be used for temperatures up to 40 degrees, they should be charged between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius. 

[pacovl46]

8 hours ago, Nicco said:

 

Nonsense, these bikes are crap and their batteries are even worse. You shouldn't have to stand by the bloody thing and watch it charge. This would never happen in a western country because this crap can never pass standards

It's the heat in Thailand. Good batteries are ok to be used up to a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, but they shoukd be charged between 10 and 20 degreees. Obviously the charging will heat them up as well. <deleted>ty batteries probably can't handle the temperature. 

[KhunLA]

30 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

It's the heat in Thailand. Good batteries are ok to be used up to a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, but they shoukd be charged between 10 and 20 degreees. Obviously the charging will heat them up as well. <deleted>ty batteries probably can't handle the temperature. 

Those temps are for optimal performance & longevity of battery.   Not for safety or charging temps.

 

... "Many e-bikes can charge within a range of 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F), but charging at the extremes can impact charging speed and battery life " ...

 

As always, buy quality products 😎

[ExpatOilWorker]

Sooner or later this will happen in Thailand 🇹🇭. 

 

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Sooner or later this will happen in Thailand 🇹🇭. 

Sadly I think you are correct..... the attitude in Thailand is it is not a concern until it has happened. Reactive rather than proactive. 

[black tabby12345]

Another time bomb from China; spontaneous combustion cycle.

Storing it inside own home, is the last thing to do.

 

[pacovl46]

21 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Those temps are for optimal performance & longevity of battery.   Not for safety or charging temps.

 

... "Many e-bikes can charge within a range of 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F), but charging at the extremes can impact charging speed and battery life " ...

 

As always, buy quality products 😎

Just because they can be charged outside their optimum temperature range doesn’t mean that they should. Obviously quality gear is better, but the cheapies are a disaster waiting to happen. 

[Kandinski]

On 6/7/2025 at 2:56 PM, impulse said:

On a somewhat related note, I wonder who is financially liable for the damage (and legally if there are injuries). 

 

And I wonder whether there are insurance policies in LOS that would cover that kind of liability?  (Policies that don't have small print on page 48 that would deny coverage...)

 

I had a chat about condo insurance  with the insurance agent while doing other business there and damage from smoke, watet etc to other condoes rest upon the owner. Donno about liability for tennants but would assume any damage are their responsibility; how settlement works is a whole different story

[CallumWK]

On 6/8/2025 at 9:18 AM, KhunLA said:

It's not the batteries, it's where they are charging them, and leaving them unattended.

 

I would never charge my ebike inside the house.  I wouldn't charge my MB inside a garage, if connected to a house, if I had a garage.

 

I don't even charge my drone batteries in the house, if I'm not going to be there. 

 

So charging them inside makes them more prone to catching fire than doing it elsewhere?

[CallumWK]

On 6/9/2025 at 10:09 AM, SLOWHAND225 said:

I know another guy that travels around the country with his kids in their motorhome racing remote rock crawlers. He had the batteries on the charger under the drivers seat. 3rd degree burns below the hips and lost everything.

 

So obviously they were not unattended, since he was in the drivers seat when they caught fire, but once they catch fire there is no way back, attended or unattended

[KhunLA]

21 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

So charging them inside makes them more prone to catching fire than doing it elsewhere?

Now you're just being silly, or can you not think for yourself.  Obviously charging indoors, there are more combustible materials.   Not an ideal environment in case of an oops.

 

Live with your choices.   Although if you're an idiot, maybe you should simply walk, use a pedal bike, and or public transportation.

[CallumWK]

1 minute ago, KhunLA said:

 Although if you're an idiot

 

Keep talking to yourself

[DezLez]

4 hours ago, CallumWK said:

 

Keep talking to yourself

In the mirror as it would seem in your case.