Two Swedes Electrocuted In Krabi

[webfact]

Two Swedes Died on Krabi

A man (25) and a woman (23) died Saturday 2 April 2011 in their hotel room in Ao Nang in the Krabi province.

According to Aftonbladet, the couple would take a shower together and somehow they were electrocuted in the shower.

”We have yet to see the technical report from the Police, "says Per-Anders Andersson, Consular Officer at the Embassy in Bangkok to ScandAsia and tells that the Swedish Embassy are working together with the insurance company and the relatives in Sweden to make sure the victims will return to Sweden.

Aftonbladet tells that the Swedes were travelling together in a small group, a total of four persons planning to stay in Asia until June.

Now the two survivors will cancel their holiday and return to Sweden.

Source: http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=se&news_id=8620

-- SCANDASIA.COM 2011-04-04

[webfact]

'Electric shower' kills two Swedes in Thailand

A Swedish couple were killed in Thailand at the weekend after being electrocuted in the shower of their hotel on the island of Krabi.

The 25-year-old man and the 23-year-old woman had decided to take a shower together on Saturday evening, the Aftonbladet newspaper reported.

Friends staying in the next room rushed in to the couple's room after hearing a scream.

"One of the friends ran in, but found both of them dead. When she tried to revive her friend, she received an electric shock," a family friend told the newspaper.

The Swedish foreign ministry has confirmed the deaths. [more...]

Source: http://www.thelocal.se/32990/20110404/

-- The Local 2011-04-04

[sirchai]

According to Aftonbladet, the couple would take a shower together and somehow they were electrocuted in the shower.

Very sad...May they RIP.

A common thing in Thailand is that units are not grounded, or earthed. :jap:

[Oberkommando]

A common thing in Thailand is that units are not grounded, or earthed. :jap:

Electrics here are very, very dangerous. Be very careful having an electric shower in Thailand, those units, usually poorly installed or ageing are the source of a great many preventable deaths.

[AzarovDmitriy]

I can not believe that they were so young only 23 and 25 years. How us to avoid the similar situation? What we have to do before to take a shower?

[TAWP]

Make sure a proper electrician install your unit. (Yes, that is harder arranging than one would think.)

[Baxer]

I can not believe that they were so young only 23 and 25 years. How us to avoid the similar situation? What we have to do before to take a shower?

One thing i did after reading this was to press the test button on the hot water unit in my room, and it did work.

If you are to scared, just switch of the fuse for the heater and have cold showers.

[dukkha]

A few years back we were staying at a resort on Koh Chang....my friend showered and was thrown on the ground....we called for manager and no body came for ages...when we were checking out there was a couple, and she too was thrown in the shower by the electricity not being earthed, and taken to hospital for an ECG...my friend pestered them by email from australia and they offered a free holiday at the same resort....No way Jose..

[Oberkommando]

Make sure a proper electrician install your unit. (Yes, that is harder arranging than one would think.)

I still haven't found one in Thailand unfortunately after 27 years and several house builds and wiring jobs.

We recently installed a hot water heater and rain shower in the bathroom and the breaker kept tripping. Several electricians later and the problem was still ongoing so I asked an English guy I knew with a modicum of experience and he fixed it within hours.

[asiawatcher]

A common thing in Thailand is that units are not grounded, or earthed. :jap:

Electrics here are very, very dangerous. Be very careful having an electric shower in Thailand, those units, usually poorly installed or ageing are the source of a great many preventable deaths.

Always look for the 'earth' - green wire, on water heaters within showers. Never a safe idea to have it near water, and make sure you NEVER handle anything metallic like metal (chrome) taps handles or pipes. Make sure there are plastic handles. and also remember, under Thai building code () there is no actual necessity to used a licensed electrician once power has entered the house - from the street to the house - yes - but not from that point on. Also getting your house earthed at all power points is almost impossible after construction. Better if you are building - even in condos', get the sparky to do the job or expect a few jolts.

Standing in water and touching anything electric, no chance of survival.

Edited April 4, 2011 by asiawatcher

[lunatic02]

It's true that it's not easy to find a good electrician or plumber here... Every time I tried someone new, there was always something wrong, got bored quickly.

I personally do these things by myself now, easy to make it better and faster.

[robint]

FWIW

All electrics in LOS must be treated with suspicion. There is no regulation earthing system in force. Some building will use an earth spike driven into the ground but this is not much help if the ground dries out - best place is near to a septic tank. Other systems Ive seen

anchor a wire to a steel rebar in the structure. This should work but Ive never test its integrity.

The nasty system is when your monkey hammers a masonary nail into a concrete column and then wraps the earth wire around. Wouldnt put my money on that one but its common practice.

My take - never use an electric shower of the older type that doesnt have a safety cutout. Even then press the test button before using the shower. These cutouts do fail particularly in electrical storms. If you see a shower unit connected only by two wires (no separate earth wire visible) then I wouldn't use it. Even if it has an earth wire you can't be sure the earth wire is properly connected (see above) so its chancy.

A safer way is to put the shower head in a bucket and fill it up with hot water. Then switch off the shower at the main switch and have a splash shower.

BTW this is a much safer option with children who are much more vulnerable to electric shock. Keep any electric wires plugs , equipment off the floor and away from toddlers reach. If a kid gets a shock its totally silent no scream or warning cry and you wont know unless you were there instantly. You just find a dead child

If you are staying in an appartment for some time and are faced with an older shower unit without a safety trip then look around for circuit breaker switch nearby. A safety trip switch is generally available as a direct replacement for the simple breaker and will fit inside the existing cover and is easily identified by having a little test button. These cost around B400 from an electrical wholesaler and is a moment's work with a screw driver to change over. Make sure you can switch power off at the main switch first - not always present. If not then its a live changeover and if you are not competent then get an electrician to do it for you. You can always change it out for the original when you leave the appartment so you cant get blamed for anything by the landlord. Thats what I used to do.

If you really want to alarm yourself, carry a simple neon screwdriver around with you. You will be amazed at how much stuff is live - even though it doesnt seem to give you a shock.

Of course the shower is the worst case scenario. Wet bodies large area of contact

A sad accident RIP but a very common one in LOS.

FYI - all electrical circuits leak, there is no perfect insulator, its all a matter of how much leakage there is

A swimmer in sea water can be electrocuted by a little as 8 volts head to toe.

You can get a shock from a 12 volt car battery if your hands are wet from sea water (as in a boat for example)

Another common example - rice cookers - they all leak

My gf went to take out the aluminium bowl full of cooked rice from the cooker. She was standing on the kitchen concrete floor bare footed - as you do. She grabbed the pot and received a nasty jolt causing her to scream obscenities at me and blame me of course. I put a rubber mat on the floor after that cos you cant tell thais anything cos you are a flang and what do you know. Several villagers and children to my knowledge have been electrocuted in this manner.

I have received shocks from the most unlikely sources

A garden wall, where the lamp on top of the wall was leaking

A domestic bakelite light switch which was outside facing sea breezes. The salt spray had built up a microscopic conducting film

A pvc flexible cord attached to a standard lamp - rats had eaten away at the insulation - why do they like PVC?

Have a nice day

Robin

[slapout]

Homes I have had built here have had gas heated hot water piped to the showers, etc. The first time I saw a electric heater in the shower, I used cold water and still did not feel comfortable. With the experience and understanding I have observed with local sparkies, I will stick to cold water shower vs using electric heaters.

[Phatcharanan]

A swimmer in sea water can be electrocuted by a little as 8 volts head to toe.

Doubt that very much.

Voltage does not kill.

[appropriate]

Thai electwissy okay, no need Earth.

I was told that once.

Guess it isn't true.

[PoorSucker]

Homes I have had built here have had gas heated hot water piped to the showers, etc. The first time I saw a electric heater in the shower, I used cold water and still did not feel comfortable. With the experience and understanding I have observed with local sparkies, I will stick to cold water shower vs using electric heaters.

A relative of mine thought it was a good idea to use propane in the gas heater although it says LPG.

RIP

[transam]

When l built my place l told the builder l want 3 pin outlets and EVERYTHING earthed. They laughed and , but after feeling my wrath it was done. I wired the electric showers myself and have the appropriate trip switches.

[PattayaParent]

Look out for this type of installation

[SteeleJoe]

OK, now I'm well scared (for my kids).

For you guys who seem to know what you are talking about (I'm afraid that I know the answer to this but hope I'm wrong):

Would you say that if I'm using a relatively new unit (brand new when we installed it) and it hasn't given us any problems since we put it in last year, we are safe?

[appropriate]

I'm using a relatively new unit

This isn't exactly an overload of information on your part.

[SteeleJoe]

I'm using a relatively new unit

This isn't exactly an overload of information on your part.

No, it isn't. Didn't know that an overload was required!

Not sure what one would need to know or what I could provide: it's a "Fujika" and it's less than a year old. That's about it.

I just assumed that what was relevant was the age of the machine and how it was installed. I know next to nothing about the latter. I thought that maybe if it was going to kills us due to improper installation etc it would have done so already and the fact it hasn't might be evidence that it was installed correctly.

What other info should I have given?

[ginjag]

I can not believe that they were so young only 23 and 25 years. How us to avoid the similar situation? What we have to do before to take a shower?

Before I get bashed, I'll say it----"It happens anywhere not just in Thailand"-- who fits showers in Thailand, answer anybody in general, electric cable, and switch.... then install and connect to the water supply, HEY presto shower installed.

To give a crazy and unsuitable answer, wear a rubber waterproof suit.

[searcher22]

Does anybody know if wearing rubber gloves and/or rubber sandals while taking a shower lessens the risk?

[appropriate]

I just assumed that what was relevant was the age of the machine and how it was installed.

How was it installed?

[doglover]

No, it isn't. Didn't know that an overload was required!

Not sure what one would need to know or what I could provide: it's a "Fujika" and it's less than a year old. That's about it.

I just assumed that what was relevant was the age of the machine and how it was installed. I know next to nothing about the latter. I thought that maybe if it was going to kills us due to improper installation etc it would have done so already and the fact it hasn't might be evidence that it was installed correctly.

What other info should I have given?

Don't worry about that right now. Go to the DIY forum and do search on something like 'water heater grounding'. Even though you have not been electrocuted yet does not mean all is 100% safe. Do some reading homework and then you will have the knowledge to check your installation and supervise any work required of an 'electrician'. You must ensure your heater is properly grounded and installed on an appropriately rated RCD (residual current device) which will trip the ciruit in the event of a ground fault much faster than your breaker ever will. All the best.

[Sojourner]

No telling what went into or what was left out of an electrical installation in a hotel or apartment building but if it's your own house or condo then a Safety Switch (GFI) breaker wired in front of the breaker panel is a must. If nothing else, a GFI breaker should be in place for any outlets or appliances in the kitchen or bathrooms. An ungrounded system isn't uncommon but must have a GFI system in place. All emergency rooms and operating rooms in American hospitals use ungrounded system. This is due to the presence of pressurized oxygen in the rooms where a spark of any kind would cause a flash fire.

Edited April 4, 2011 by Sojourner

[bbradsby]

The newer shower water heaters have a ground fault circuit interrupter - though they are called something like ELSD here. you can recognize them by their "test" & "reset" buttons and adjacent 'trip" light. test & reset often, maybe before each shower it seems. very sad indeed, RIP.

[SteeleJoe]

appropriate:

Allow me to qoute myself: "I just assumed that what was relevant was the age of the machine and how it was installed. I know next to nothing about the latter." In other words, I can't tell you how it was installed. The guy hooked it up and it works. We have a cutout (I guess that's what it is -- get the impression I don't know anything about such things?)

doglover:

Thanks.

[doglover]

The newer shower water heaters have a ground fault circuit interrupter - though they are called something like ELSD here. you can recognize them by their "test" & "reset" buttons and adjacent 'trip" light. test & reset often, maybe before each shower it seems. very sad indeed, RIP.

Yes but the ELCB in the shower unit should only be a failsafe. Even if it trips there is still power in the unit, just not to the heating element. An RCD at the electrical panel will open the circuit at the panel, much safer. Do not forget. You STILL need to ground/earth the water heater and this extremely important. Read up on it in the DIY forum.

EDIT grammar

Edited April 4, 2011 by doglover

[surayu]

One thing i did after reading this was to press the test button on the hot water unit in my room, and it did work.

If you are to scared, just switch of the fuse for the heater and have cold showers.

Well, your post just made me recall as a "flash-back" one strange thing i experienced in a guesthouse in Pattaya, this was a few years before i had discovered ThaVisa and that's why i never posted about it, unfortunately i can't remember the name of the place, but i remember more or less the location.

So, what happened is, for some reasons i can't remember too now, i had a close look at that button for testing the shower, maybe the external mask of the shower heater was falling or whatever else, anyway, the thing is that there was no electrical connection between that button and the rest of it, looked like it was working (but the electricity was still there and heating the water) because it made move some parts with a loud "clack" sound, but it was all a mechanical thing with a spring in it, nothing about safety at all, weird stuff, the country of provenience was not visible too but it's probably an easy guess...