School Children Injured In 6th Floor Pattaya Hotel Lift Plunge

[tropo]

can't believe any school would let kids stay at a hotel on Soi 8

I can't believe that it wasn't until post #22 that someone questioned what a bunch of school kids were doing in Pattaya on Soi 8. Although it was pointed out that you can't see the bars from that hotel I'm sure you would see a lot of scantily dressed women walking around with a number of farang. And why was it that the school children had to use the service lift? Didn't want them to see all the goings on in the lobby? Easier to bypass hotel staff if something illicit is going on? I know that it is school break right now so the kids are out of school until 1 November.

Where was this mathematics competition taking place? There are many other hotels outside of central Pattaya where they could have stayed. This all sounds a little skeptical to me. I agree with the poster that said as a parent they would never allow their children to go on this type of activity being held in Pattaya.

Obviously Thais don't have the same opinion and don't consider the going's on in Soi 8 and other adjacent Sois to be any big deal. You really need to stop looking at things from your own narrow point of view.

I'll give you a prime example of different thinking: Ladyboys are quite well accepted in Thai society whereas they cause a lot of distress to many Farang. Perhaps you haven't quite caught on to the fact that Thai society is rather tolerant toward many things that may upset you and other visitors.

[thomo]

Another one....certainly perfectly maintained to international standards, just like everything in Thailand.

I guess Otis did not account for Thai "engineers" bypassing the safety mechanism. It does say in the actual article that this was a maintenance lift, so I guess it's possible that there was no perceived need to maintain that to the same standard as passenger lifts.

You are right it should be impossible for a lift to plunge. The system as you described has been relayed to me many times by maintenance crews working in buildings I was responsible for.

Another one....certainlyperfectly maintained to international standards, just like everything in Thailand.

perfectly maintained to Thai standards more like!

What level of reality are ye guys living in?

Just google 'Lift plunge'

http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#sclient=psy&hl=en&site=webhp&q=lift+plunge&aq=f&aqi=g4g-o1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=499faa430ac3503f

Here, the Empire state building plunging 40 stories in 2000. Just to begin it.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/forty-storey-empire-state-lift-plunge-drama-727155.html

Want more, just click the google link.

It's a pity that western engineers don't follow Thai H&S.

Edited October 22, 2010 by thomo

[Roachiebkk]

Eleven students, teacher and hotel staff injured as lift freefalls at Central Pattaya Hotel

PATTAYA: -- Eleven people were injured after a hotel lift plunged 6 floors. The incident occurred at the Sunbeam Hotel in Central Pattaya on Thursday Night and involved a service lift which was being used by a group of students from Chachensaow Province who are here in Pattaya to take part in a Regional School Mathematics Contest. 100 students and 12 teachers are staying at the hotel and they claim they were given authorization to use the larger service lift to allow for quicker transport from their rooms to the ground floor.

Full story HERE

-- Pattaya One 2010-10-22

Another failed lift apparently traveling to the ground at freefall speed. Surely a 6th floor freefall would have killed everyone in the lift. Any scientist with a theory on this?

I lived in a compound in Dusit where they had an external lift travelling to the 5th floor. One day the lift went past our window with the occupants of the top floor (family of three) waved to my daughter as they went past. Seconds later the cable broke and sent them back to the garden causing horrific injuries, broken limbs and injuries you wouldn't believe. My wife first on the scene told the compound staff and owners now spectating that they should call an ambulance. They called a taxi instead! The lady was 5 months pregnant, her 9 yo daughter and husband and herself had multiple severe fractures and were incredibly lucky to survive. The owners pointed out the sign saying it was just for the staff, although nobody ever stopped anybody from using the lift. I used to even take my daughter for a jolly up and down that lift and the owners and staff just looked on. Horrible horrible standards of responsibility apply in Thailand. We'll never forget the incident.

I hope all those injured recover fully and the owners penalised suffuciently

Roachie

[moe666]

Most deaths from falls happen 4 feet or less. majority of injuries 2 feet. If you fell 6 stories and lived lucky man.

[Hanuman2547]

can't believe any school would let kids stay at a hotel on Soi 8

I can't believe that it wasn't until post #22 that someone questioned what a bunch of school kids were doing in Pattaya on Soi 8. Although it was pointed out that you can't see the bars from that hotel I'm sure you would see a lot of scantily dressed women walking around with a number of farang. And why was it that the school children had to use the service lift? Didn't want them to see all the goings on in the lobby? Easier to bypass hotel staff if something illicit is going on? I know that it is school break right now so the kids are out of school until 1 November.

Where was this mathematics competition taking place? There are many other hotels outside of central Pattaya where they could have stayed. This all sounds a little skeptical to me. I agree with the poster that said as a parent they would never allow their children to go on this type of activity being held in Pattaya.

Obviously Thais don't have the same opinion and don't consider the going's on in Soi 8 and other adjacent Sois to be any big deal. You really need to stop looking at things from your own narrow point of view.

I'll give you a prime example of different thinking: Ladyboys are quite well accepted in Thai society whereas they cause a lot of distress to many Farang. Perhaps you haven't quite caught on to the fact that Thai society is rather tolerant toward many things that may upset you and other visitors.

Tropo: Actually, some middle class Thais do know what is going on Soi 8 in Pattaya and although they don't say much publicly they certainly do privately. Ladyboys are tolerated, much more than in the west, but as far as accepted, that is a different matter. Just because they are tolerated doesn't mean that Somchai is all smiles that his darling Somchai jr. grew up to be a ladyboy.

Pattaya isn't a representation of Thailand much like Las Vegas isn't a representation of the USA, or King's Cross is of Australia. That I have a "narrow view" in your eyes is laughable given that you know nothing about me. I've been involved with Thais & Thailand for 30 years, lived in Bangkok for 10+ years, have two university educated adult luk-krung sons with their PhD western educated Thai mother, and I speak rather fluently Thai although my reading and writing can use some work. Yeah, I don't know crap about Thais & Thailand.

[britmaveric]

Yeah, I don't know crap about Thais & Thailand

No worries mate you shouldnt be so hard on yourself - you can't possibly understand how everything works in thailand. I applaud you for recognizing your short comings. :jap:

Edited October 22, 2010 by britmaveric

[tropo]

. That I have a "narrow view" in your eyes is laughable given that you know nothing about me. I've been involved with Thais & Thailand for 30 years, lived in Bangkok for 10+ years, have two university educated adult luk-krung sons with their PhD western educated Thai mother, and I speak rather fluently Thai although my reading and writing can use some work. Yeah, I don't know crap about Thais & Thailand.

Wow, highly experienced but still befuddled as to why children are doing a math contest in Soi 8 out of choice when their parents are well aware of what goes on in Pattaya.

I didn't need a 10th of your vast experience to understand it - the Thais just don't care or actually enjoy the uniquenss of the location...afterall it was Thailand and the Thais who ultimately gave us this amazing wonderland to begin with. Their amazing tolerance would have been the catalyst to get the ball rolling.

Have you ever wondered into the new Central Festival shopping mall on a weekend or Thai holiday? Perhaps you'd wonder why the restaurants are packed with middle class Thais when such shopping malls and restaurants are scattered throughout the region.

At least I gave you an excuse to list your rather impressive credentials. I shall never doubt you again.

[finner]

can't believe any school would let kids stay at a hotel on Soi 8

Maybe they were just dressed like students

[tropo]

can't believe any school would let kids stay at a hotel on Soi 8

Maybe they were just dressed like students

Yet no one mentions we have a Marriot Hotel and soon a Hilton Hotel in virtually the same location right amongst the bars. Who stays at these type of hotels? 3rd class peasants?

I can't see any reason why children should be prevented from staying in Pattaya. They even have a school right near Walking Street in one of the most raunchy areas of town.

[diehard60]

You are right it should be impossible for a lift to plunge. The system as you described has been relayed to me many times by maintenance crews working in buildings I was responsible for. Will we see a result eminating from an inquiry ? I very much doubt it ,in the meantime use the stairs.

One Question! What were school kids doing in a hotel at 8.30pm?

[LennyW]

One Question! What were school kids doing in a hotel at 8.30pm?

Can you not read? "a group of students from Chachensaow Province who are here in Pattaya to take part in a Regional School Mathematics Contest. 100 students and 12 teachers are staying at the hotel"

[kimamey]

I assume the word "plunge" is just bad translation from Thai. I remember my girlfriend describing the road north from Bangkok to Chiang Mai as having an abyss on one side.

You would be unlikely to see any damage outside as the lift cage is inside. Probably didn't freefall anyway. I just hope everyone is OK.

[Basil B]

It was a few weeks ago that a similar accident event at the Welcome Jomtien Hotel, anybody know if anyone is to be prosecuted over that incident, clearly there is human error factor somewhere that needs addressing.

[JetsetBkk]

I assume the word "plunge" is just bad translation from Thai. I remember my girlfriend describing the road north from Bangkok to Chiang Mai as having an abyss on one side.

You would be unlikely to see any damage outside as the lift cage is inside. Probably didn't freefall anyway. I just hope everyone is OK.

Free falls 6 floors? Absolute BS. They'd all be dead. Just deliberately sensationalised mis-reporting from Pattaya Zero.

[tropo]

I assume the word "plunge" is just bad translation from Thai. I remember my girlfriend describing the road north from Bangkok to Chiang Mai as having an abyss on one side.

You would be unlikely to see any damage outside as the lift cage is inside. Probably didn't freefall anyway. I just hope everyone is OK.

Free falls 6 floors? Absolute BS. They'd all be dead. Just deliberately sensationalised mis-reporting from Pattaya Zero.

I estimate that to be about a 50 foot drop assuming the ground floor is counted as floor 1. A survivor or 2 is possible, but with extremely serious injuries.

[sunanta]

Elevators and escalators kill about 30 people and injure 17,000 each year in the US. In 2003, a particularly nice doctor in a Houston hospital was decapitated. Yes, lots of safety stuff but sometimes those digital chips just fail badly. Don't revert to stairs though, the stats per user per hundred feet of elevation are worse.

It's kind of like driving when you are afraid of flying. You aren't doing yourself a statistical favour by switching.

Then there are motor scooter taxis in BKK! I hope there are no stats on them, I don't want to know.

I think I will stay home and watch TV until some wannabe bomber screws up next door.

I wondered while I was peeing in the toilet during an insane lightning storm a few weeks back, what it would be like if the water pipe got hit by lightning. Urine has a lot of electrolytes and may conduct electricity much better than water, ouch! Perhaps my singing would improve in the upper range. Of course I might only get one note out before I achieved a state of enlightenment.

I love Thailand! Everyone was very tolerant of me until I learned to speak Thai.

FOOL IT WAS WHEN YOU RAN OUTTA MONEY....

[SAW]

I hope Pattaya Tower's lift is safe imagine that free falling from the top, horrific!

[Randee]

Another lift failure...strewth!!!

Ridiculous isn't it

[Randee]

can't believe any school would let kids stay at a hotel on Soi 8

Maybe they were just dressed like students

I can't see any reason why children should be prevented from staying in Pattaya.

You are definately not blessed with brains

[tropo]

can't believe any school would let kids stay at a hotel on Soi 8

Maybe they were just dressed like students

I can't see any reason why children should be prevented from staying in Pattaya.

You are definately not blessed with brains

I think you're the one short of grey matter. If this forum wasn't so well moderated I'd tell you were to go.

If you wish to debate, make your point instead of assuming that a poster is dumb just because they don't agree with you.

As I aleady explained, there are plenty of schools in Pattaya, so a large number of Thai parents don't agree with your narrow-minded point of view.

Edited October 26, 2010 by tropo

[Utterlyuseful]

tropo don't resort to the straw man argument..that be low end...obviously Pattaya has many good spots to host school kids, soi 8 is not one of those places...stand down son.....

can't believe any school would let kids stay at a hotel on Soi 8

Maybe they were just dressed like students

I can't see any reason why children should be prevented from staying in Pattaya.

You are definately not blessed with brains

I think you're the one short of grey matter. If this forum wasn't so well moderated I'd tell you were to go.

If you wish to debate, make your point instead of assuming that a poster is dumb just because they don't agree with you.

As I aleady explained, there are plenty of schools in Pattaya, so a large number of Thai parents don't agree with your narrow-minded point of view.

Edited October 26, 2010 by Utterlyuseful

[tropo]

tropo don't resort to the straw man argument..that be low end...obviously Pattaya has many good spots to host school kids, soi 8 is not one of those places...stand down son.....

Chasing me around again? Stand down to you? Get real...

Pattaya has many places to host school kids - like on the corner of Pratumnak Road and Pattaya Tai - adjacent to Walking Street and the one of the seediest areas of the whole region.

The point is,don't worry yourself about where Thai parents take their kids. They don't need your assistance and are well aware of the goings-on in Pattaya.

[Randee]

tropo don't resort to the straw man argument..that be low end...obviously Pattaya has many good spots to host school kids, soi 8 is not one of those places...stand down son.....

I think you're the one short of grey matter. If this forum wasn't so well moderated I'd tell you were to go.

If you wish to debate, make your point instead of assuming that a poster is dumb just because they don't agree with you.

As I aleady explained, there are plenty of schools in Pattaya, so a large number of Thai parents don't agree with your narrow-minded point of view.

i thought on a little about this and i guess all the single mums living and working "the pattaya life" who want their kids wit them will definately need a school close by. but apart from all the single working mums with their kid/s (we know their business in pattaya) why would anybody else want to have their child go to a school that is surrounded by prostitutes and sex tourists???? why? it doesn't make sense unless they want them to be influenced by the pattaya way of life.

p.s. if you want to throw an abuse tantrum at me you can pm me. but beware i bite back hard and deep.

[Rimmer]

Thanks for your input on the schools question guys now we have your differing points of views we can move on right

[Randee]

Thanks for your input on the schools question guys now we have your differing points of views we can move on right

what's the conclusion ?

Edited October 27, 2010 by Randee

[britmaveric]

Conclusion is thai people aren't moralistic sillies like some farang.

[tropo]

Conclusion is thai people aren't moralistic sillies like some farang.

...and here we have the very reason why a place like Pattaya exists in the first place.

[tropo]

Thanks for your input on the schools question guys now we have your differing points of views we can move on right

what's the conclusion ?

Surely you can get it (or weren't you blessed with brains)?

The conclusion is that we have differing points of view.

Edited October 27, 2010 by tropo

[Utterlyuseful]

Good lord....this is rather weird. I tried to help you out here and offer an olive branch.

I guess I would call your approach a reverse obsessive compulsive double entendre with a pinch of delusions of grandeur....nice try. The last time I checked you were the one checking my profile and sending me abusive pm's filled with expletives. Sorry mate that is downright creepy and borders on stalking

Back to the point, have to agree with the previous comments, let's stay on topic. I don't see anywhere where I have given any advice to parents anywhere in Thailand or elsewhere...the old straw man argument again....please stay on topic, this is important.

tropo don't resort to the straw man argument..that be low end...obviously Pattaya has many good spots to host school kids, soi 8 is not one of those places...stand down son.....

Chasing me around again? Stand down to you? Get real...

Pattaya has many places to host school kids - like on the corner of Pratumnak Road and Pattaya Tai - adjacent to Walking Street and the one of the seediest areas of the whole region.

The point is,don't worry yourself about where Thai parents take their kids. They don't need your assistance and are well aware of the goings-on in Pattaya.

Edited October 27, 2010 by Utterlyuseful

[Randee]

can't believe any school would let kids stay at a hotel on Soi 8

I can't believe that it wasn't until post #22 that someone questioned what a bunch of school kids were doing in Pattaya on Soi 8. Although it was pointed out that you can't see the bars from that hotel I'm sure you would see a lot of scantily dressed women walking around with a number of farang. And why was it that the school children had to use the service lift? Didn't want them to see all the goings on in the lobby? Easier to bypass hotel staff if something illicit is going on? I know that it is school break right now so the kids are out of school until 1 November.

Where was this mathematics competition taking place? There are many other hotels outside of central Pattaya where they could have stayed. This all sounds a little skeptical to me. I agree with the poster that said as a parent they would never allow their children to go on this type of activity being held in Pattaya.

if you consider the reasons why you havent even posted a reply until now, it may explain to you about other peoples late posts.

anyway why weren't you one of the first to post and bring up this point? (an excellent point btw that i agree with 100%. it is shocking for a "normal" school to send their pupils to pattaya let alone soi 8)