Photo via Facebook: ข่าวสารชลบุรี

 

Three people were rescued from a glass lift at a Pattaya hotel early on December 26 after being trapped for nearly an hour. Rescue teams responded to a distress call at a hotel on Soi Yensabai, South Pattaya, finding two hotel employees and a foreign guest stuck on the ground floor. They were freed by breaking the lift's glass panel after initial efforts to open the doors failed.

 

The incident began when a foreign guest attempted to pay a taxi fare. Accompanied by a security guard and a Thai woman, they entered the lift to retrieve cash but the taxi driver exited due to a weight warning. Once the doors closed, the lift malfunctioned and remained stuck, prompting hotel staff to seek external help after internal attempts failed.

 

Rescue workers arrived at around 4.10am, finding the individuals visibly fatigued and struggling to breathe. After assessing the situation for about 10 minutes, they used a fire extinguisher to break the lift’s glass and rescue the trapped people, who subsequently received on-site medical attention.

 

This incident highlights concerns over lift safety in Thailand, following another tragic lift accident that resulted in a worker's death in Bangkok. Experts suggest routine maintenance checks to prevent future malfunctions and ensure passenger safety. The hotel has yet to release an official statement regarding the lift's status or planned measures to prevent recurrence.

 

Looking ahead, authorities are likely to investigate the cause of the lift's failure and evaluate safety protocols within similar establishments. The rescued individuals, though shaken, are expected to recover without long-term effects, and local businesses may review their emergency response plans following this incident, reported The Thaiger.

 

Key Takeaways

• Three people rescued after being trapped in a Pattaya hotel lift.
• Incident underscores lift safety concerns following a related fatality in Bangkok.
• Authorities expected to review safety protocols in response.

 

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-12-26

 

 

 

"Experts suggest routine maintenance checks to prevent future malfunctions and ensure passenger safety."

 

Wise words, but will it fall on deaf ears?? Probably?

High up?

4 people and the weight alarm activated? The 3  victims look rather light, probably under 200kg combined. How heavy was the taxi driver? 🙃

10 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

"Experts suggest routine maintenance checks to prevent future malfunctions and ensure passenger safety."

 

Wise words, but will it fall on deaf ears?? Probably?

'If it works, don't fix it' more commonly heard. 

7 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

4 people and the weight alarm activated? The 3  victims look rather light, probably under 200kg combined. How heavy was the taxi driver? 🙃

Yes, and did he get paid??

Where are the experts?

What happens in case of power outage?

A question that sometimes comes to my mind when entering an elevator/lift.

Power outages in Pattaya not so frequent but experienced more than once.

How do people on the 35th floor think about it?

I had this in a lift in Havanna, Cuba, once. Terrifying experience

I am in CNX and in my building this happens at least once a month. The elevators (yes it also a lift) are old and they bounce and make grinding noises. When one of the old  elevators gets stuck (always between floors) the only people who come to make the "rescue" are the cleaners and sometimes the security guard. At times it is comical to watch several tiny women and a single male guard try to force the doors open. I have learned not to get involved because it appears they are offended by my offer of assistance.   Most of the time the "unstuck" situation is resolved in 30 to 60 minutes.  I intentionally picked a unit on the 3rd floor and 99% of the time I take the stairs. I cannot imagine living on high  floors of  any old building in the "Land of Smiles". Things like this are not supposed to happen in newer buildings?

 

"Just another day in paradise", Phil Collins. 

In Pattaya, I used to stay in a beachfront hotel that had two large private apartments on one side of it. The owner kept one for herself and the other I rented. It had an elevator just for the two apartments, separate from the hotel elevators.

It was Saturday and I needed to pop down to the shops. Decided that I didn't need to take my phone with me...

Got into the elevator and of course, it got stuck between floors. Staff weren't due to enter my part of the building until Monday and the owner was in Bangkok. Great... decided to just focus on staying calm until Monday morning.

Saw an alarm button and gave it a try, a few times. Not too long afterwards, a security guard came along and together we managed to get me out of there. 

I still don't bother to take my phone out with me most times.

 

16 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

"Experts suggest routine maintenance checks to prevent future malfunctions and ensure passenger safety."

 

Wise words, but will it fall on deaf ears?? Probably?

The lead article and this response seems rather flippant don't you think? Its not just a suggestion or wise words, its the law.

Never take lifts in TH.

 

Stairs are there for a reason.

 

Suck it up and get yo arxse moving.

5 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

What happens in case of power outage?

 

Not much. The lift motor loses power, and the lift slows down to a stop.

 

Lifts have elctro-mechanical brakes. This means that electricity is required to release the brake. If power is lost then the brake instantly applies itself mechanically. This very quickly slows the lift to a stop and holds it securely in place.

3 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

The lead article and this response seems rather flippant don't you think? Its not just a suggestion or wise words, its the law.

Since when did hotels follow the law in Thailand, regarding safety, amongst other things??

2 hours ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Never take lifts in TH.

Why not?

14 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

The lead article and this response seems rather flippant don't you think? Its not just a suggestion or wise words, its the law.

The problem is that in many cases no one cares about the law. In a condo building we have apartment in, the fire alarm does not work properly, the water supply for the fire stations does not work, the anti smoke ventilation system does not work, BMA officials inspected it and found even more problems yet nothing, NOTHING, happens, pressed by my wife BMA officers quit contact to my wife, not want to talk to her anymore...

On 12/26/2025 at 4:48 PM, snoop1130 said:

Three people were rescued from a glass lift at a Pattaya hotel early on December 26 after being trapped for nearly an hour.

 

On 12/26/2025 at 4:48 PM, snoop1130 said:

Rescue teams responded to a distress call at a hotel on Soi Yensabai, South Pattaya, finding two hotel employees and a foreign guest stuck on the ground floor.

 

Name of hotel? 🤔

 

On 12/26/2025 at 4:48 PM, snoop1130 said:

Looking ahead, authorities are likely to investigate the cause of the lift's failure and evaluate safety protocols within similar establishments.

 

I'm sure

I can't remember a hotel I have stayed in in Thailand that didn't have a yearly inspection certificate on the wall of the lift.

No idea about condos or cheaper hotels 

On 12/27/2025 at 7:22 AM, blackcab said:

 

Not much. The lift motor loses power, and the lift slows down to a stop.

 

Lifts have elctro-mechanical brakes. This means that electricity is required to release the brake. If power is lost then the brake instantly applies itself mechanically. This very quickly slows the lift to a stop and holds it securely in place.

Really?

I always though the lift was supposed to go to the ground floor (slowly) and the doors then open

40 minutes ago, Joe Farang said:

Really?

I always though the lift was supposed to go to the ground floor (slowly) and the doors then open

In your dreams, 

10 hours ago, emptypockets said:

I can't remember a hotel I have stayed in in Thailand that didn't have a yearly inspection certificate on the wall of the lift.

No idea about condos or cheaper hotels 

My wife owns a condo and in eight years I have never seen a certificate anywhere, I was wondering is there some regulation about how many lifts there should be per units, One lift is serving 160 units, from what I can see they are getting well used at the moment, 

50 minutes ago, Joe Farang said:

Really?

I always though the lift was supposed to go to the ground floor (slowly) and the doors then open

According to the AI answers I found, when power is lost, most lifts (especially older ones) will come to a stop using failsafe brakes to prevent falling. However some newer ones can move to the nearest floor or ground floor using battery backup.

10 hours ago, emptypockets said:

I can't remember a hotel I have stayed in in Thailand that didn't have a yearly inspection certificate on the wall of the lift.

No idea about condos or cheaper hotels 

My apartment building has a service certificate in the lift, expired June 2023.  I asked the front office about this over a year ago, "we're working on it".  Must be tough work.

Maintenance is not high on the list in Thailand, If it ain't broke then don't fix it, 

As for building regulations they are a few years behind, 

3 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

My apartment building has a service certificate in the lift, expired June 2023.  I asked the front office about this over a year ago, "we're working on it".  Must be tough work.

At least you have one 

24 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

My wife owns a condo and in eight years I have never seen a certificate anywhere, I was wondering is there some regulation about how many lifts there should be per units, One lift is serving 160 units, from what I can see they are getting well used at the moment, 

Tell the condo management to get legal.

17 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

My apartment building has a service certificate in the lift, expired June 2023.  I asked the front office about this over a year ago, "we're working on it".  Must be tough work.

Tell them to get legal. 12 month certication is required

40 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Tell the condo management to get legal.

They would take no notice of me, Thats one of many issues I could find fault with in the building, One funny one, at one side of the building to get to one of the car parks there is a ramp, so now you think thats great for people with a wheel chair or walking aid, when you get to the bottom of the ramp there is 3 steps, 

4 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

They would take no notice of me, Thats one of many issues I could find fault with in the building, One funny one, at one side of the building to get to one of the car parks there is a ramp, so now you think thats great for people with a wheel chair or walking aid, when you get to the bottom of the ramp there is 3 steps, 

Doesn't surprise me at all

In the nearby town to the wife's place is a pedestrian crossing, black and white etc, that stops halfway across the road!

On 12/27/2025 at 3:40 PM, mikeymike100 said:

Since when did hotels follow the law in Thailand, regarding safety, amongst other things??

You are just be silly now. Maybe time for some more senseless political swipes on another thread?