Two Australian Brothers In Critical Condition After Balcony Collapse

[kaiwatnok]

i have just spoken to someone in my office and they have told me this hotel was warned 1 year ago to improve safety as a young toddler broke through the railings on the balcony and suffered a seroius complaint from the parents due to safty of the balcony!

did it get done NO!

no doubt they paid off the right people to get the safety certificates (if they in fact have any)..... as a rule, always give the railings a good kick before you lean on them....anywhere !!

spain is also notorious for having shoddy building work. it is not just an Asian problem.

....very sad story

[emmaloo]

I know both the websters, Guys in my year at school and Jeremy was in my brothers. Biggest shock at school today and really want to know if they are ok (so would the whole school). Guy loves dancing so its really sad and Jeremy is really nice. Hope to see them home soon and well.

[imjustagirl]

As usual am sure no one will be held accountable....if accountability was standard then we would all be a lot safer.

My best wishes and a fast recovery for the lads, poor things. What a horrible thing to have happen and doubly so on Mums birthday!

[PeeKay]

Yet another PRIME example as to why my darling wife and I decided to pack our bags and leave the Kingdom.

Our next step is to bring our girls back to Oz and then bounce between the two countries, hopefully wiser for having lived and worked in both countries, exposed to the 'variances'.

Whilst not often lost for words, this terrible incident is one of those moments.

Our heartfelt wishes to the family and a speedy recovery to the boys.

Sadly, in the end, there appeared only one reality to us, in respect to Thailand and it's spelt, B, A, H, T!!!

Anyway, Thailand will always remain a magically enchanting country.

How I wish for the days of old Siam, as in the King and I, with Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner and Rita Moreno.

Somewhat delusional maybe, but romantically enticing and surely far from where everything is at, at the moment.

A good weekend to all, filled with happiness, safe times and exceptionally special moments.

PK.

[Boo]

Hi emmaloo, hopefully your school will hear some news on both of them soon & that news will be positive.

Be assured though that the private hospitals in BKK are as good as any at home so they will be receivig top care .

[GRIFF33]

My heart goes out to this family and as a health and safety officer here in Thailand I can tell you that this is not the only hotel with this problem- only two months ago on checking a hotel with the same design I almost fell to the ground by leaning against a balcony - The hotel was instructed to close the room immediately and check all other rooms- Their response ? We are fully booked.

What is the cost of human suffering versus the costs of having regular health and safety checks ? The hotel in question was given a quote 49 Baht per room per day based on a annual safety check

I rest my case - and to anyone else out there who knows they are running an unsafe establishment - Please take action TODAY!

We do not need anymore negative publicity in Thailand particularly when the tourism industry is just recovering from the last blow in December -

[Syl]

Speedy recovery to both boys..

Stainless steel nuts & bolts or screws & nails should have been used in the construction.

Syl

Edited January 30, 2009 by Syl

[dumball]

Stainless steel fitments are not known for thier ability to prevent wood rotting .

[sriracha john]

I know both the websters, Guys in my year at school and Jeremy was in my brothers. Biggest shock at school today and really want to know if they are ok (so would the whole school). Guy loves dancing so its really sad and Jeremy is really nice. Hope to see them home soon and well.

Welcome, Emmaloo.

Perhaps your classmates could mail some "get well" cards to Guy and Jeremy at the hospital? That would lift their spirits to know their buddies and classmates were thinking about them.

And please be sure to share any new information that comes through your way, ok? The media is not always reliable nor timely here.

A lot of people are wishing them well. It's good that family is there assembled, as well. They will have a long and difficult recovery.

Edited January 30, 2009 by sriracha john

[bobbysan124]

The number of times railings on balconies have collapsed and people have been seriously hurt are few and far between from where I come from. Don't try to whitewash the guilt here by comparing apples and oranges. Statistics of accidental falls...yeah, that one is really applicable.

Hope these two young guys recover well and quickly. But, unfortunately, these things happen everywhere. Am in U.S. and a balcony in Chicago collapsed and many more people were affected, some fatally. Not an excuse, just a fact. Shoddy workmanship or maintenance is never acceptable nor is it confined to LoS.

[khundon]

Tragic, we wish you both a speedy recovery, our thoughts are with you, and your parents.

[Westerner]

I know it's early days yet, but if anyone has an update as to how the lads are doing it would be greatly appreciated. Can't get them out of my head.

[lo456]

I know it's early days yet, but if anyone has an update as to how the lads are doing it would be greatly appreciated. Can't get them out of my head.

hey i know the boys... was such horrible news...

i heard that guy is improving well and has stablised.

jeremy is also improving and is stabilizing... though they are concerned for him as he his injuries were extremely severe and aren't sure what the damage to his brain is...

lets hope we hear more soon!!

[emmaloo]

Wow thats so great to hear about Guy!

I hope so bad for Jeremy that his head injuries are not that bad. I hope he stabilises soon! Plz post more if you find out, everyones busting to know.

[Westerner]

I know it's early days yet, but if anyone has an update as to how the lads are doing it would be greatly appreciated. Can't get them out of my head.

hey i know the boys... was such horrible news...

i heard that guy is improving well and has stablised.

jeremy is also improving and is stabilizing... though they are concerned for him as he his injuries were extremely severe and aren't sure what the damage to his brain is...

lets hope we hear more soon!!

Thanks for that lo456. Please let us have any news as you receive it.

[aussimike]

I hope the lads pull through, and their Mother manages to put the shock behind her (though it cannot help but take its toll on her).

There is a lesson here for all travellers.

When you travel, you take the risk that you may be misled by the assumptions that you bring with you.

What you have got used to (in this case, building safety standards protecting you by making railings safe to lean over) may not be the same in another country.

As a young man, I went from the UK to work in Canada and twice I was nearly killed in Montreal because I looked right before stepping off a kerb (as one does in the UK) rather than left (as one needs to do in Canada, where they drive on the other side of the road).

In Nepal, we used to get fed up on the Everest Trek with Europeans (often young Germans) who were critical of the slow service in the lodges (because the owner only had the one wood fire on which to cook and so had to cook the meals in succession). I wish I had a gold coin for the number of times that I have growled: "If you wanted it all to go like clockwork, you should have gone to Switzerland, to the Alps, and not come to the Himalaya".

Getting back to the case in point, it is particularly difficult now to spot when you are 'standing into danger' in overseas touristy areas, as there are efforts made to get you to think, particularly when you are reading the brochures and about to make your purchase decision, that the place you will be going to is not alarmingly different from your home surroundings.

Those railings were built to be photographed looking 'Aussie'.

Had the lads been up on the balcony of house in a village in Isaan, they would not have been lulled into any sense of security that would have caused them to 'do an Aussie thing'. The sensing that they were somewhere 'strange and new' and needed to be cautious would have been in their minds.

Every tourist brochure should be thought of as lacking a warning notice:"This place has different hazards from what you are used to" in the manner of the warnings on ciggy packs.

well !!! thanks for the very long winded off topic details of your experiences in Canada n Nepal, but hey I'am somewhat confused - would u care to explain the meaning of "'do an Aussie thing'. and looking "Aussie" - u must have another long story about this also - you sure lost me with this one - I might be confused but the topic is about 2 young Aussi boys who were injured in a fall from a 2nd floor balcony - so please if its not too much you could enlighten us as to this comment --

[Arkady]

The police usually go after the architect and the civil engineer first in this sort of case, if they go after anyone at all. It usually only gets to the owners if a lot of Thais, particularly wealthy ones, are killed or injured. Let's see how this one progresses. I think the government is at fault by not imposing proper safety standards on commercial buildings. It doesn't occur to them that they risk losing tourist dollars by not bothering.

I hope the boys make a speedly recovery from this tragic accident that could have easily been avoided by proper safety standards and enforcement of them.

[chiang mai]

There is a lesson here for all travellers.

When you travel, you take the risk that you may be misled by the assumptions that you bring with you.

How very true that is in every respect.

[ianh68]

I hope the lads pull through, and their Mother manages to put the shock behind her (though it cannot help but take its toll on her).

There is a lesson here for all travellers.

When you travel, you take the risk that you may be misled by the assumptions that you bring with you.

What you have got used to (in this case, building safety standards protecting you by making railings safe to lean over) may not be the same in another country.

As a young man, I went from the UK to work in Canada and twice I was nearly killed in Montreal because I looked right before stepping off a kerb (as one does in the UK) rather than left (as one needs to do in Canada, where they drive on the other side of the road).

In Nepal, we used to get fed up on the Everest Trek with Europeans (often young Germans) who were critical of the slow service in the lodges (because the owner only had the one wood fire on which to cook and so had to cook the meals in succession). I wish I had a gold coin for the number of times that I have growled: "If you wanted it all to go like clockwork, you should have gone to Switzerland, to the Alps, and not come to the Himalaya".

Getting back to the case in point, it is particularly difficult now to spot when you are 'standing into danger' in overseas touristy areas, as there are efforts made to get you to think, particularly when you are reading the brochures and about to make your purchase decision, that the place you will be going to is not alarmingly different from your home surroundings.

Those railings were built to be photographed looking 'Aussie'.

Had the lads been up on the balcony of house in a village in Isaan, they would not have been lulled into any sense of security that would have caused them to 'do an Aussie thing'. The sensing that they were somewhere 'strange and new' and needed to be cautious would have been in their minds.

Every tourist brochure should be thought of as lacking a warning notice:"This place has different hazards from what you are used to" in the manner of the warnings on ciggy packs.

Excellent post, especially the bit about health warnings on tourist brochures.

[notime]

This is just horrible, there is no accountability here in this country for anything. You would think the property owner would be concerned about dangerous balconies but I doubt it ever crossed their mind.

I hope these boys can recover from this, prayers out to them and family............................

I hope the best for this family, but accountability in Thailand??? LOLOL oh my.... I guess next someone will ask for taking responsibility, and hark!!! might consequences on the horizon??? Ah, doubt it because giving the appearance i.e. saving face is foremost along w/ profit.

The hotel will surely blame it on other Farang guests who broke their railings and checked-out without reporting to avoid the payment. Am I getting Thai enough after 3 years in here or what????

Very very sorry to all the people affected. Sorry for the lack of compassion in Thailand that supposed to be such a Buddhist thing to feel. And how else being greedy with repaires or screwing up construction work in the name of quick $$ can be described if not the lack of compassion to people/guests/customers who use the product later?

[Netfan]

Be strong fellas, our thoughts are with you both.

I bet the resort will take no responsibility for this incident.

If anything they will blame it all on a maid.

Hope the boys recover!

[JamesMemphis]

Critical ... Jeremy (top) and Guy Webster.

Sydney teen boys critical after Thailand balcony collapse

TWO Sydney teenage brothers are fighting for their lives in a Bangkok hospital after plunging 5 meters when a rotten balcony railing collapsed.

Jeremy Webster 18, and brother Guy, 14, from Ingleside, were celebrating their mother Linda's birthday at Baan Samui Resort at Koh Samui.

The family was having breakfast when the railing gave way and the boys fell two storeys. Both were rushed to a local hospital before being flown to Bangkok.

Jeremy sustained head injuries and a possible spinal injury while Guy was to undergo surgery overnight for a shattered femur.

"They had just given me breakfast," Ms Webster said last night. "They came out to talk to me about what they had organised for me today - I was to have a massage.

"Then they went to the edge, looking downstairs to talk to my daughter and as my older son leant on the railing it just gave way and my other son went with him. He hit his head on a rock when he fell and my other son ended up in a pond."

Her sister Julianne Vincent said Jeremy had just turned 18 and was celebrating finishing his HSC at Northern Beaches Christian School. She said Ms Webster and her daughter Kelly, 20, were forced to fly on a commercial aircraft to Bangkok because there was not enough space in the medical helicopter.

"All we are trying to do is just try to get them some help," Ms Vincent said last night.

A Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman confirmed the Australian consulate in Thailand was aware of the incident but he had no further details: "We are aware of it and our post in Thailand is checking it out."

Baan Samui Resort is popular tourist destination along Chaweng Beach and boasts that all suites lead to balconies overlooking the beach.

Source: The Daily Telegraph / 2009-01-29

God Be with thses boys...Get well soon

[pacovl46]

another typical case of "thai hammer and nail"

nice birthday present the lady got.

i wish the guys all the best and a speedy recovery!!!

[animatic]

A wooden railing going rotten in the tropics, who could imagine this.

So it MUST be the architects fault. Baan Samui's been here awhile,

now doubt time for some wood rot checks around the facility.

A shame, I hope the kids recover fully.

And I hope the resort insurance pays

ALL their medical bills in full and free rooms to the parents

till the kids can travel again.

[thaibkk]

well, it does not come to a shock here

in the 'village' where i live, they are still building new houses

they do not seem to build something to last long...

the concrete is manufactered in a big bucket that they surround with some would and then poor their low quality liquid concrete in it...

also when they put the foundations... the machinery is so ancient drilling by forcing it into the ground, i have no idea how much of it is left once completly into the ground

[DonGato]

God save and guard those two innocent boys and their families...

Amazing how -the lack of responsibility and attention- can turn a nice vacation time into a nightmare...

Sad indeed...

[JatujakShopper]

Best wishes to those boys for a speedy recover!!!

-And 40 years of bad luck and suffering to those that built shoddy, maintained poorly, and took no responsibility.

[Maestro]

Off-topic posts about building construction and related accidents in other countries have been deleted, as well as the replies to these posts.

--

Maestro

[samuibeachcomber]

My heart goes out to this family and as a health and safety officer here in Thailand I can tell you that this is not the only hotel with this problem- only two months ago on checking a hotel with the same design I almost fell to the ground by leaning against a balcony - The hotel was instructed to close the room immediately and check all other rooms- Their response ? We are fully booked.

What is the cost of human suffering versus the costs of having regular health and safety checks ? The hotel in question was given a quote 49 Baht per room per day based on a annual safety check

I rest my case - and to anyone else out there who knows they are running an unsafe establishment - Please take action TODAY!

We do not need anymore negative publicity in Thailand particularly when the tourism industry is just recovering from the last blow in December -

interesting post,as i never realised there was such a thing as a health and safety officer here in thailand.do you have the power to close a resort down that does not adhere to your recommendations for repairs and maintenance?

[cymruambyth1]

My heart goes out to this family and as a health and safety officer here in Thailand I can tell you that this is not the only hotel with this problem- only two months ago on checking a hotel with the same design I almost fell to the ground by leaning against a balcony - The hotel was instructed to close the room immediately and check all other rooms- Their response ? We are fully booked.

What is the cost of human suffering versus the costs of having regular health and safety checks ? The hotel in question was given a quote 49 Baht per room per day based on a annual safety check

I rest my case - and to anyone else out there who knows they are running an unsafe establishment - Please take action TODAY!

We do not need anymore negative publicity in Thailand particularly when the tourism industry is just recovering from the last blow in December -

interesting post,as i never realised there was such a thing as a health and safety officer here in thailand.do you have the power to close a resort down that does not adhere to your recommendations for repairs and maintenance?

We have worked for some time with a company called Safety In Asia regarding the addition of "clean air" systems into a lot of hotels nationally.

As soon as I saw this post I called the lady in question that operates this H&S company on behalf of UK tour operators. She was so angry and frustrated as this kind of thing is reported back to the hotels by her REGULARLY...and quite often nothing ever happens.

my thoughts are with the 2 boys and as others have said: be strong guys, good luck.

PS - apologies if this is appears a gratuitous plug for her company, but as the above poster stated: "...I never realized there was such a thing as a health & safety officer here in Thailand". They are here, and they are mightily frustrated!