I just want to warm people. Went to a wedding party. The place was decorated with about six bunches of 50 balloons, bought at a local shop. Children tried to cut the lines of the balloons with a lighter. After the explosion, two children had to be brought to the hospital with burnt faces and forearms. Seems in Thailand balloonshops use highly inflammable gas. The mother of the bride insisted on having balloons because it is fashion nowadays.

I have seen the same happen at a wedding party too but fortunately without the injuries.

One of the Thai guests seemed to think the balloons had been filled with butane.

Hydrogen is cheaper than helium. Unfortunately hydrogen is highly flammable. If you even have a party and want balloons, be sure they are helium filled.

Hydrogen for sure.

Dangerous stuff.

Hydrogen for sure.

Dangerous stuff.

That would explain the hydrogen peroxide blondes. Dangerous indeed.

Okay, dangerous filling gas...

but maybe parents should also take care a bit more... (Children tried to cut the lines of the balloons with a lighter)

I once lost all the hair on my left arm like that, as a kid....

Hope the children heal without any permanent damage. I imagine they will grow up with a very strong fear of balloons. Poor things, must have been a shock. Its hard to keep an eye on kids 24/7, particularly at functions like this. Probably one kid daring another, or wanting to be naughty without any comprehension of the consequences. Im sure the parents feel awful. Thank you for the warning poldebal.

So you have children using lighters??? Sounds like the parents need a course in stupidity management.

So you have children using lighters??? Sounds like the parents need a course in stupidity management.

Correct, but this is nothing new, bet they send the children to a hospital with 4 (3 children and the driver)on one motorbike.

Driver only wearing a helmet.

see safety issues like this every day.

Just have lighter on hight so children can't touch/get it, use your comma sence when have children around.

So you have children using lighters??? Sounds like the parents need a course in stupidity management.

Seems you have not been to many parties in Thailand, especilally on the countryside. I just wanted to warn people who are not aware of the danger of balloons. There were about 150 people at the party. Most of the men were drunk. A few kids grabbed a lighter from a table.

Sounds like you could use a course in understanding the Thai situation.

I saw one balloon vendor near our office and out of curiousity, interogated him about what goes into the balloons. He had a gas generator in this contraption. At first I thought it was acetylene gas that they were putting into the baloons. However, I did not see calcium carbonate. Instead, he had some kind of chemical which he called Soda Fai. I believe it a very strong alkali. I am not that good a chemist to determine what chemical reaction takes place. It is possible that with some other kind of reagent, some light gas is produced - probably H2 (hydrogen gas) which is extremely flamable. The Hindenberg was filled with Hydrogen gas.

So you have children using lighters??? Sounds like the parents need a course in stupidity management.

Seems you have not been to many parties in Thailand, especilally on the countryside. I just wanted to warn people who are not aware of the danger of balloons. There were about 150 people at the party. Most of the men were drunk. A few kids grabbed a lighter from a table.

Sounds like you could use a course in understanding the Thai situation.

I know what supidity is thanks.

There have been several news reports recently about balloon vendors using hydrogen gas with disastrous results. Keep your kids away.

So you have children using lighters??? Sounds like the parents need a course in stupidity management.

Seems you have not been to many parties in Thailand, especilally on the countryside. I just wanted to warn people who are not aware of the danger of balloons. There were about 150 people at the party. Most of the men were drunk. A few kids grabbed a lighter from a table.

Sounds like you could use a course in understanding the Thai situation.

I know what supidity is thanks.

I got to get out of here, this place is really getting to be too much.

I think the kids playing with the lighter is kind of irrelevant, the balloons could have been equally dangerous even if it wasn't kids being stupid, such as got to close to a candle, or someone with a cigarette, or even a static electric shock.

To just say "It's the kids fault" it kind of shortsighted, filling balloons with flammable gas seems to be the root problem.