Two Australian Brothers In Critical Condition After Balcony Collapse

[dee123]

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

In the early years of the "package tours" 60s and 70s and even 80's Spain had a reputation for shoddy workmanship and possibly dangerous buildings,while Spain has improved 1000000% (they also restrict building heights at resort areas)the same can not be said of Thai building safety and more importantly ENFORCEMENT.The enforcement of such rules and regulations can and are being swept under the carpet by the culture of "the backhander" i.e CASH!!!! to suggest the problem between Spain and Thailand is on or near equal concern is just not true at all.Please think again of how to save face.

Edited February 1, 2009 by dee123

[mark lamai]

simple really

coz there is no real penalty for causing harm or injury,

there is no incentive to make something safe.

my experience is that when i have a bad incident thats in no way my fault,

the thai response is.

"you should be more careful"

i.e. it is your fault even if it isn't.

[Boo]

I have removed a post suggesting that this accident is acceptable due to that posters desire to keep Thailand the way it is. I have also removed the (rightly) horrified replies to it.

Do not troll on this thread. These boys were in no way to blame for this terrible accident & if you cannot see that posting the opinion that the world is overpopulated so these kinds of accidents are to be welcomes is sick then you are not welcome on this website.

I hope this is clear.

[Moonrakers]

Is there any update on how they are doing?

[sriracha john]

Sadly, have found no reports after the OP article.

[UncleFrank]

I've spotted safety hazards from time to time and when pointing this out to maintenance personnel... they look at me like I'm crazy. They just don't want to think about it.

[marsteele]

My best wishes to both the boys and thier family.

[Alwaysright]

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

No one to sue for big bucks.

[auserb]

can you please translate this to me

Thank you mak mak

สถานะได้เปลี่ยนไปเป็น จะเก็บเธอไว้ในความทรงจำของฉันตลอดไป

[SmugFarangBore]

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.

Then the UK tour operators have an obligation to recommend other countries as suitable destinations instead if Thai resorts and hotels don't show willingness to comply with safety regulations or to address concerns and complaints.

Thailand has no divine right to tourists.

[ballpoint]

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.

Then the UK tour operators have an obligation to recommend other countries as suitable destinations instead if Thai resorts and hotels don't show willingness to comply with safety regulations or to address concerns and complaints.

Thailand has no divine right to tourists.

Indeed. She should also be careful what she says. If she is reporting dangerous conditions REGULARLY and nothing is being done about it then there should at least be warnings in the tour operators brochures, or preferably the hotels involved should be removed from the tours. If neither of these are being done then, in my unlegal opinion, she and they must also be allocated some of the blame when an accident occurs due to a piece of checked equipment failing. I'd be interested to hear just how many hotels have been removed from tours due to reported safety failures. call me Mr Cynical, but I'll bet not many. It's all about the money. Tour operators know that people want to come to Thailand and if they don't book them another company will. I'd be glad to be proved wrong though.

[emmaloo]

Is there any update on how they are doing?

Ive had some information.

Jeremy is coming in and out of consciousness and the doctors are still not too sure about the damage done to his brain and spine as its hard to tell when they arent awake most of the time, but i do know he has had a plate inserted into his neck.

Guy is now stable and has had his leg operated on.

Its looking promising at this stage but we still hope they will make it all the way and be back to normal =]

Thanks em

[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 -

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?

Yes we do, although we do hope that the hotel management will be concerned enough to take immediate action. And if necessary reallocate guests into other properties- Our responsibility and duty primarily is to ensure the FT0 (Federation of Tour Operators) is informed and they take out their guests immediately until the issue has been rectified. For most hotels they are not aware of health and safety standards especially preventative maintenance, so this is where we assist and I must say some tremendous results have been achieved with all the hotels we work with.

[Tywais]

can you please translate this to me

Thank you mak mak

สถานะได้เปลี่ยนไปเป็น จะเก็บเธอไว้ในความทรงจำของฉันตลอดไป

Nice sentiment. The part in bold I believe says > "Will keep you safe in my memory forever"

[GRIFF33]

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.

Then the UK tour operators have an obligation to recommend other countries as suitable destinations instead if Thai resorts and hotels don't show willingness to comply with safety regulations or to address concerns and complaints.

Thailand has no divine right to tourists.

Indeed. She should also be careful what she says. If she is reporting dangerous conditions REGULARLY and nothing is being done about it then there should at least be warnings in the tour operators brochures, or preferably the hotels involved should be removed from the tours. If neither of these are being done then, in my unlegal opinion, she and they must also be allocated some of the blame when an accident occurs due to a piece of checked equipment failing. I'd be interested to hear just how many hotels have been removed from tours due to reported safety failures. call me Mr Cynical, but I'll bet not many. It's all about the money. Tour operators know that people want to come to Thailand and if they don't book them another company will. I'd be glad to be proved wrong though.

Ideally we need the backing from TAT, THA and the likes and as yet we have not managed to get this, basically becausse it is not compulsory ? very frustrating as we really want to help and facilities ARE available.

For the record we have previously closed 4 hotels in bangkok for a temporary period over the last 3 years with the assistance from tour operators - and the most important thing to note about Health and safety in any establishment is it is an ongoing 24 hour process - tour operators health and safety officers can not be held responsible when an accident happens following a safety check - it is the hotels responsibility to put the systems in place and be aware of any safety concerns at all times.

[ballpoint]

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?

Yes we do, although we do hope that the hotel management will be concerned enough to take immediate action. And if necessary reallocate guests into other properties- Our responsibility and duty primarily is to ensure the FT0 (Federation of Tour Operators) is informed and they take out their guests immediately until the issue has been rectified. For most hotels they are not aware of health and safety standards especially preventative maintenance, so this is where we assist and I must say some tremendous results have been achieved with all the hotels we work with.

That's very good to know. Maybe you should give some advice to the lady who regularly reports unsafe conditions to hotels, but finds that nothing happens. You seem to be able to get good results.

[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?

Yes we do, although we do hope that the hotel management will be concerned enough to take immediate action. And if necessary reallocate guests into other properties- Our responsibility and duty primarily is to ensure the FT0 (Federation of Tour Operators) is informed and they take out their guests immediately until the issue has been rectified. For most hotels they are not aware of health and safety standards especially preventative maintenance, so this is where we assist and I must say some tremendous results have been achieved with all the hotels we work with.

what about compensation regardless of travel insurance?

[samuibeachcomber]

Is there any update on how they are doing?

Ive had some information.

Jeremy is coming in and out of consciousness and the doctors are still not too sure about the damage done to his brain and spine as its hard to tell when they arent awake most of the time, but i do know he has had a plate inserted into his neck.

Guy is now stable and has had his leg operated on.

Its looking promising at this stage but we still hope they will make it all the way and be back to normal =]

Thanks em

thank you for the update,i wonder how the parents are coping?if it was me i'd be so angry with this resort.

[HorseDoctor]

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.

And our respective State Dept's, not wanting to give up their RR sex junkets -on the dole, no less let the tourism ministry get away with the Big Fat Lie that Thailand is a safe destination. Over and over and over.

Edited February 2, 2009 by HorseDoctor

[jackr]

Any updates on this? Nowt in the Oz Telegraph...

[yumidesign]

Any updates on this? Nowt in the Oz Telegraph...

any chance that TV could develop a reference data base for dangerous accom. places based on members personal experiences - i guess the list would be endless

[Westerner]

Can anybody give us an update as to how these two boys are doing.

Thankyou.