Pictures courtesy of Amarin.

 

Tragedy struck in Udon Thani on the afternoon of 15 July, when a Vietnamese man and a Thai woman lost their lives after being electrocuted in floodwaters outside a massage parlour. The incident occurred following heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding across the city.

 

At around 16:30, the Udon Thani Municipality’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Unit received an emergency report that two people had been seriously injured from an electric shock in standing water outside a Thai massage parlour on Non Phibun (Khitthakawi) Road, in the heart of the municipality.

 

On arrival at the scene, emergency responders found water levels reaching up to 50 centimetres. Bystanders had already pulled the victims, a man and a woman, from the water and were administering CPR. Both victims were unconscious.

 

They were later identified as Ms Siriphaksorn 25, a receptionist at the massage parlour and a local resident of Nong Na Kham subdistrict and Mr Jackie 29, a Vietnamese national who was a customer at the shop. Despite the efforts of bystanders and rescue workers, both victims were pronounced dead after being transported to Udon Thani Regional Hospital.

 

Eyewitnesses captured video footage of CPR attempts, which quickly circulated on social media.

 

Officials sealed off the area to prevent further incidents, citing concerns that currents could damage nearby homes. Electricity authority workers checked lamp posts, power lines, and signage, ultimately finding damaged and exposed wiring on the shop’s illuminated sign.

 

According to Mr Phanudet Wongkaew, 28, who witnessed the scene, he initially noticed his parked motorcycle was submerged. As he moved it to safety, he heard a scream and saw the two victims unconscious in the water.

 

“My girlfriend said someone might be drowning or suffering an electric shock,” he told reporters. “At first I hesitated, afraid I’d get shocked too. But I tested the water with my foot and didn’t feel anything, so I pulled them out.”

 

He added that Ms Siriphaksorn was pulled into the shop, where someone began CPR, while Mr Jackie was placed on a sand pile to keep his head above water until rescuers arrived.

 

At around 19:00 that evening, Udon Thani Mayor Kittikorn Teekhatananon, along with officials from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), inspected the scene. The massage parlour was closed, and water levels remained high.

 

Mr Wanmongkol Lueangwanta, head of operations for the Provincial Electricity Authority in Udon Thani, confirmed that the fatal shock did not originate from PEA infrastructure, but rather from faulty private wiring connected to the shop’s illuminated sign.

 

“The electricity leak came from signage outside the customer’s premises, not from public infrastructure,” he said. “We urge the public not to approach metal lamp posts, power poles or CCTV posts when roads are flooded. Avoid walking through floodwaters near electrical sources. Always choose routes without standing water to stay safe.”

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-07-17

 

 

 

But I tested the water with my foot and didn’t feel anything   🤣

They are checking the shop's sign - still lighted up. Not smartest way to assess if that was the cause 

I guess circuit breakers on the power board are another 30 years and 30,000 lives away

11 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

“The electricity leak came from signage outside the customer’s premises, not from public infrastructure,” he said. “We urge the public not to approach metal lamp posts, power poles or CCTV posts when roads are flooded. Avoid walking through floodwaters near electrical sources. Always choose routes without standing water to stay safe.”

Safety last... 

On 7/17/2025 at 5:29 AM, Georgealbert said:

“We urge the public not to approach metal lamp posts, power poles or CCTV posts when roads are flooded.

 

I avoid these things even when it's dry! Better safe than dead.