Report Drowning Deaths in Thailand Average 10 Per Day — Working-Age Adults Most at Risk

[Georgealbert]

 

File picture courtesy of Amarin.

 

Contrary to popular belief that drowning is a hazard primarily for young children, new data from The Department of Disease Control under the Ministry of Public Health reveals that the highest number of drowning deaths occur among adults, particularly those aged 45 and above.

 

Alarming National Statistics

 

Over the past decade, more than 36,870 people in Thailand have lost their lives to drowning, averaging over 3,600 deaths annually, or approximately almost 10 people every single day. These figures raise serious concerns about water safety awareness and prevention across the country.

 

While the number of child drownings has significantly decreased, from around 1,500 per year to approximately 560, it remains well above the national target of 290 deaths per year set in the 20-Year National Strategic Plan (ending in 2037). Most child victims are under the age of 15, with an average of nearly two children drowning daily.

 

A Rising Threat Among Adults

 

Since 2014, the 45–59 age group has overtaken children as the demographic with the highest rate of drowning deaths, followed by the elderly aged 60 and above. The steady rise in fatalities among adults highlights an often-overlooked public health risk.

 

Common Causes and Locations

 

In children, drownings frequently occur due to unsupervised play near water, accidental falls, or slipping into bodies of water. For adults, especially in rural areas, drownings are often linked to occupational activities such as fishing, foraging or gathering aquatic plants. Incidents also occur due to slips and falls, particularly near agricultural water sources.

 

The most common sites of drowning include irrigation ponds, canals, swamps, reservoirs and weirs. Both children and adults face heightened risks in these environments, with a worrying trend that most victims were not wearing life jackets.

 

Preventive Measures

 

Authorities recommend several key safety practices to reduce drowning incidents:

 

• Avoid walking or standing close to pond or canal edges to prevent accidental falls.

• Install clear warning signs, barriers or markers to indicate water boundaries.

• Children should never be allowed to enter water without adult supervision.

• Avoid swimming in unfamiliar waters where currents, depth, or underwater conditions may change.

• If water entry is necessary, always wear a life jacket or strap an empty plastic container to the body with rope for emergency flotation.

 

Drowning is a silent killer that claims thousands of lives in Thailand each year, not only children but a growing number of adults as well. Public awareness, stronger safety measures and community education are essential to reversing this troubling trend.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-08-01

 

 

 

[motdaeng]

10 people drown every day in thailand ... compared to that, the 60-80 traffic deaths per day almost don’t seem as bad ...

it is really sad to see that thailand is on the top in so many negative statistics, and no change is in sight ... 

 

[henryford1958]

Hard to understand how anyone can drown, except maybe in rough open seas. Even a basic knowledge of how to swim would keep you afloat.

[ChrisY1]

What!!...Staggering numbers that simply should not be happening in 2025.

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, Georgealbert said:

Thailand have lost their lives to drowning, averaging over 3,600 deaths annually, or approximately almost 10 people every

This is so sad. 

 

In Australia we had swimming as a compulsory subject.

When I was in Primary school students were not allowed to progress to the next year level if you were unable to swim. 

[Olmate]

20 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

This is so sad. 

 

In Australia we had swimming as a compulsory subject.

When I was in Primary school students were not allowed to progress to the next year level if you were unable to swim. 

Next level what? Schooling or swimming. Never heard that story before. Swimming was never a.must do. school subject.

[SAFETY FIRST]

10 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Swimming was never a.must do. school subject.

Maybe your school it wasn't, where did I say I was talking about your school? 

 

I remember reading..... Aren't you one of those imported half Aussie guys, Pommy parents? 

 

[SurferDave]

1 hour ago, henryford1958 said:

Hard to understand how anyone can drown, except maybe in rough open seas. Even a basic knowledge of how to swim would keep you afloat.

Your post is self fulfilling. Everyone who drowned also thought it “hard to understand” how anyone can drown. Highly recommend you stay far away from bodies of water like those described in the article. 

[henryford1958]

1 minute ago, SurferDave said:

Your post is self fulfilling. Everyone who drowned also thought it “hard to understand” how anyone can drown. Highly recommend you stay far away from bodies of water like those described in the article. 

 

Thanks for the advice i will stay away from any ponds.

[Gottfrid]

3 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Over the past decade, more than 36,870 people in Thailand have lost their lives to drowning, averaging over 3,600 deaths annually, or approximately almost 10 people every single day. These figures raise serious concerns about water safety awareness and prevention across the country.

No, they raise concerns over peoples stupidity combined with the lack of proper swimming education.

[WHansen]

A truly shocking statistic. When given the chance at an early age it is so easy to learn and can save your and others lives.

[Rimmer]

I am just surprised there are not more. 

 

When we had our pond dug we had a big excavator reaching out to the middle and down around 2m, the sides inevitably become a very steep 45 degree slope and when combined with slippery clay on the bottom, a person who can not swim has no chance, only solution is education of the dangers, swimming lessons at schools for school kids, and a fence all around or big 'Danger No Swimming' notices.

 

No swimming pools at schools do I hear you say, Hotels have swimming pools that could be hired out for a couple of hours and children could be bussed to them, we were bussed once a week down town to public pools from the outskirts of Sheffield and everyone learnt to swim.  

 

Another extremely avoidable death event the can be easily avoided for small cost.

[Bday Prang]

1 minute ago, Rimmer said:

I am just surprised there are not more. 

 

When we had our pond dug we had a big excavator reaching out to the middle and down around 2m, the sides inevitably become a very steep 45 degree slope and when combined with slippery clay on the bottom, a person who can not swim has no chance, only solution is education of the dangers, swimming lessons at schools for school kids, and a fence all around or big 'Danger No Swimming' notices.

 

No swimming pools at schools do I hear you say, Hotels have swimming pools that could be hired out for a couple of hours and children could be bussed to them, we were bussed once a week down town to public pools from the outskirts of Sheffield and everyone learnt to swim.  

 

Another extremely avoidable death event the can be easily avoided for small cost.

I asked my mrs why they don't teach the kids to swim, she said its because there are no swimming pools nearby . Ok I said why not use one of the numerous ponds that they play (and drown) in ?   cannot she said "water not the same" 

Same answer regarding why getting wet from the rain will cause one to catch there death from a cold, but a soaking during Songkran is perfectly ok.    Bless her

My mates mrs claims rain water all belongs to the king, work that one out

[spidermike007]

When I was a kid my father taught me how to swim and it took about 10 minutes. For those that are afraid of water you just simply face your fear, and it's astonishing how easy it is to learn how to swim. 

 

And it's also incredible how scary water is if you don't face your fears and learn very basic swimming. 

[Bday Prang]

6 hours ago, henryford1958 said:

Hard to understand how anyone can drown, except maybe in rough open seas. Even a basic knowledge of how to swim would keep you afloat.

total rubbish.  staying afloat requires control of breathing, impossible when panicking

As usual your comment reflects having to say something rather than having something to say

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, Bday Prang said:

I asked my mrs why they don't teach the kids to swim, she said its because there are no swimming pools nearby . Ok I said why not use one of the numerous ponds that they play (and drown) in ?   cannot she said "water not the same" 

Same answer regarding why getting wet from the rain will cause one to catch there death from a cold, but a soaking during Songkran is perfectly ok.    Bless her

My mates mrs claims rain water all belongs to the king, work that one out

 

It's not simply about learning to swim - it's about understanding basic water safety.

 

Drowning is the leading cause of death among children under 15 in Thailand. The sheer number of these tragic incidents suggests a widespread lack of awareness about the dangers water can pose. It’s not about swimming laps; it’s about knowing how to stay safe around water.

 

More broadly, Thailand suffers from a glaring absence of basic safety education - something that could, and should, be addressed in schools.

- Water Safety

- Road Safety

- Electrical Safety

 

These are everyday realities for every Thai citizen.... far more relevant to most people’s lives than, say, trigonometry or more obscure academic subtopics. It’s hard to argue against the importance of establishing a core “Life Skills” subject in schools - and not just in Thailand, but globally.

 

Teaching children how to navigate real-world risks could save countless lives. It’s practical, it’s necessary, and frankly, it’s long overdue.

[gerrybpattaya]

5 hours ago, Olmate said:

Next level what? Schooling or swimming. Never heard that story before. Swimming was never a.must do. school subject.

Was for me in the UK 60 years ago.

[Bday Prang]

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

It's not simply about learning to swim - it's about understanding basic water safety

come on man , if you can swim, then by default, you can float, and  you are therefore  very unlikely to drown in a pond or lake   ever

Driving is a different matter altogether as is electrocution

  Although we need to tread carefully re "health and safety" it can get out of control, and be misused  and legislation is no substitute for common sense

[Bday Prang]

3 minutes ago, gerrybpattaya said:

Was for me in the UK 60 years ago.

me too in the UK

[Cabradelmar]

Wtf! That is staggering. I will say, I've personally know a few Thai people that never learned to swim properly and are largely afraid to enter the water above the waist.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, henryford1958 said:

Even a basic knowledge of how to swim would keep you afloat.

That's what's missing.

[angryguy]

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Preventive Measures

 

Authorities recommend several key safety practices to reduce drowning incidents:

 

• Avoid walking or standing close to pond or canal edges to prevent accidental falls.

• Install clear warning signs, barriers or markers to indicate water boundaries.

• Children should never be allowed to enter water without adult supervision.

• Avoid swimming in unfamiliar waters where currents, depth, or underwater conditions may change.

• If water entry is necessary, always wear a life jacket or strap an empty plastic container to the body with rope for emergency flotation.

How about learning to swim?

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, Olmate said:

Next level what? Schooling or swimming. Never heard that story before. Swimming was never a.must do. school subject.

Primary & Secondary school, swimming was part of the mandatory PE classes.

The local community pool was used by the school

 

[Peterphuket]

If you also look at the warnings being ignored on the beaches, especially on Phuket, where I used to be able to look at the beach daily in Patong, I am not surprised by this.

[huangnon]

Considering the amount of natural waterways, and vast coastlines of Thailand, it is pretty sad that swimming lessons aren't mandatory in state schools.

Here in Eastern Thailand alone, many of the beaches have dangerous 'riptides' that account for tourist deaths also.

[Hellfire]

 From my experience, many people underestimate the dangers of swimming. I personally realized this only after I nearly drowned in a 2.5-meter-deep swimming pool. There are countless videos warning about rip currents, but in reality, you don’t need a riptide to drown — even a calm swimming pool can be deadly if you’re not physically fit. Swimming is a bit like being in a state of weightlessness. To exhale effectively, our diaphragm muscles need a point of support. But in water that support is missing. If water accidentally enters the lungs, you need to forcefully exhale to expel it. However, doing this while floating is extremely difficult for somebody not fit enough or already exhausted by swimming , and that’s what makes it so dangerous.

[KhunLA]

I was trying to float in the pool yesterday, and strangely could not.  Something ain't right there.  I'm a bit leaner than couple years ago, but I never had a problem floating before.  Not like I'm in my 20s and not an once of fat, and used to sink like a rock.

 

My love handles and full up lungs weren't enough  🙄

 

On topic, as always, and first thing I taught the kid and wife, aside from never talking to people from forums 😎

[Photoguy21]

This is not meant to be a nasty question but how many of the adult drownings involves excessive alcohol?

[richard_smith237]

56 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

It's not simply about learning to swim - it's about understanding basic water safety

come on man , if you can swim, then by default, you can float, and  you are therefore  very unlikely to drown in a pond or lake   ever

Driving is a different matter altogether as is electrocution

  Although we need to tread carefully re "health and safety" it can get out of control, and be misused  and legislation is no substitute for common sense

 

Come on man....  If there were the resources to teach people to swim, then there would be more people who 'could' swim.... 

 

Water Safety involves a lot more than 'just being able to swim and float'.... 

 

Toddlers left unattended drown in 2" of water ...  Kids that 'can' swim drown in the ponds because they can't climb out of the steep slick sides... no ropes are put across the sides of these ponds, no ladders (even home made) placed up the sides... 

 

Kids drown in the ponds because one child jumps in to save their friend and they both tragically drown, when the could have used a robe, a branch, a floating bottle, then gone to get adult help etc....   This is where water safety really counts.

 

 

I agree that health and safety can go too far...  But not going far enough, or not 'going at all' is a far greater concern.

 

 

 

 

[Dionigi]

ranked 22 in the world, perhaps they can become the regional hub