20-Year-Old Briton Electrocuted To Death On Bangla Road, Phuket

[MaxYakov]

Thailand is an electrical nightmare. None of the houses I've lived in here have been grounded and I've had lots of shocks just from touching appliances. This outdoor socket isn't the exception, it's normal for Thailand. Don't hold your breath on anything changing soon.

Yes, I had a Canadian friend who had to complete earth ground himself in more than one apartment. My room has earth ground, but discovered by getting tingles from my microwave and a PC that the cheaper power strips I'd purchased at Tesco/Lotus had not completed the earth ground internally (even though they had three-prong receptacles) so I had to buy the more expensive ones. Thailand is a long way from having ground-fault isolators.

Sadly, this death and the injuries of the would-be saviors who tried to pull him away were totally unnecessary. Use an insulator, such as belt or by kicking them when attempting to pull someone off a closed circuit where they are the completing element.

[witsawakorn]

I remember that about 10 years ago government decided that all electrical main wires should be underground within 5 years all oiver the country????

I also remember that last yea the then government decided that all main electrical wiring should be underground within 10 years startring with Bangkok/ Has anybody seen any progress?

I know there is one street in Chiang Mai (thae pae road) who has most lines now underground but further????

I remember visiting the United states a couple of years ago most electrical lines where above ground, not as messy as here but still.....

Sorry for the live of this young guy. May he rest in peace. Strenght for his family.

To respond to your question there has been some progress in putting distribution cables in BKK underground. The MEA are putting cable tunnels under Klongs where possible so that there are no right of way issues and minimal disturbance to traffic etc.They use laser guided tunnel boring machines and pipe jacks to produce tunnels of 2.6m internal diameter. 230kV and 115kV power cables are laid on cable trays inside the tunnels and provision is made for future expansion. Obviously this is very early days in getting all the power cables laid underground and the costs are enormous but a start has been made

. Fortunately the generation and transmission of power in Thailand is very reliable but local distribution is exposed due to overhead cabling therefore bad weather can interupt supplies for a while

Edited August 25, 2011 by witsawakorn

[stephanienyc]

First off, my condolences to this guy's friends and family members.

But I want to know why this young man was sitting on the floor in the first place. I would NEVER sit on the floor of ANY outdoor urban area. Great way to expose yourself close up to all manner of filth. Yuck.

Also, all this talk about how Thailand lacks electric safety and the Thais being "uneducated animals". Whatever happened to common sense? Stay away from electrical ANYTHING when it's raining or it's rained. Don't touch dangling wires. Don't touch electrical devices with wet hands, especially ATMs and other things like that outside.

Here in the USA we have a lot of "cowboys" doing their own electric - and I've gotten "bitten" by ATMs where the current has been leaking to the metal frame of the machine. It's not just Thailand. It's not just Asia. It's EVERYWHERE. I'm sure it happens a lot in lily-perfect Europe also, even with all your grounding and over-designed plugs and what-not.

I know this was an accident and this guy probably slapped his hand on the floor (yuck) without seeing what was there first. This time it was a light socket. It could just as well have been a dog turd or a spent heroin needle or anything. It was just his time to go.

Lesson in life is, don't sit on the outside floor and always be vigilant of where you put your hands down.

[snooky]

I had a ground wire installed and completed the wiring with a new switch box after lightning struck my 11 story building and had to take my flat screen for repairs . Also lost the router box for the internet and the then UBC box which were replaced for free.. Thais living there thought I was nuts but I am happy with it now and test it every so often to make sure that metal water pipe still running down to the ground.

Walk down Silom between soi 6 and Rama IV and there are all kinds of wires on the street, often running more than 60 feet to a plug, then try to avoid them while trying to creep through the 2 feet of open sidewalk that is left between the stands. Have not seen any Tourist Police around lateley, they don't have their setup at the foot of Patpong any more that I have noticed. Maybe it would be cheaper to put a small tax on the tourist and pass it to the police so they will do their jobs in keeping a somewhat open lane along that footpath and they would still get their tea money but that is probably a lost cause with the local so called mafioso running things. People walking there don't have a chance and the government never has cared - except on Mondays when they chase them off - except in the area around soi 4, which are the worse offenders. T.I.T

[schvonsky1]

Absolutely and totally correct somebody shud hang for this !!!

It reminds me of a similar case when a young British guy was electrocuted in the rain by a loose power cable in Theppisit. Totally unacceptable.

Another young life wasted in a country that seems to have such little regard for safety but is so dependent on tourism.

Condolences to the family.......

Para

[witsawakorn]

"Some of us used to walk barefoot around here, but now we all wear rubber soles all the time," she said.

The Thai logic of enforcing health & safety, wait until it happens before you take precautions !!

RIP young man.

Actually its human logic rather than a Thai thing.Western safety standards are all driven by such logic. Its called learning from our mistakes. I was electrocuted as a kid after I touched an uninsulated live conductor on a British Standard Electrical fitting. Thihe standards have improved since then but I wonder how many people had to die before the problem was sorted?

[manarak]

For Thai authorities there is only one possible thing to: the person responsible for the plug has to be liable to the full extent of the law.

[rich54321]

Shocking!!!! excuse the pun - with no safety inspectors carrying out inspections of premises frequented by the public this will happen time and time again - ridiculous!!

Another young life lost in Phuket

[taxin]

"Some of us used to walk barefoot around here, but now we all wear rubber soles all the time," she said.

The Thai logic of enforcing health & safety, wait until it happens before you take precautions !!

RIP young man.

Actually its human logic rather than a Thai thing.Western safety standards are all driven by such logic. Its called learning from our mistakes. I was electrocuted as a kid after I touched an uninsulated live conductor on a British Standard Electrical fitting. Thihe standards have improved since then but I wonder how many people had to die before the problem was sorted?

Witsawakorn, you obviously don't live in Thailand...

Unless you are a caveman in the western world, they do make every effort to prevent such accidents before they happen, here in Thailand they don't. Accidents are meant to happen in Thailand, its merely seen as bad luck and something that will inevitably happen to us. They dont know the meaning of preventing accidents before they happen.

Mods: sorry about the word "they", I dont mean to generalize. Normally I never respond to the "it happens all over the world" type of poster.

[Huey]

Damm, RIP.

What a horrible waste. If they didn't fix that outlet, whoever is responsible for that building should be punished.

[ToffeEFCpower]

Well put mate and I bet that most of the Einsteins on here if at the scene when it happened would have frozen with shock except for a bit of knee trembling. For once they should show some respect for the victim plus the Thais that risked their own lives genuinly trying to help. R.I.P.

[jsflynn603]

<br />I mean how could an electricity socket covered in water be so dangerous<br />

Simple, 220V reversed polarity with no grounding.

Therefore the box itself was probably energized for ages. A dry person touching it would be become energized, but would feel nothing, nor be harmed.

A wet person on concrete allows a path through the body to the concrete.

People write that they have been shocked by energized appliances, in this case the reason that they have not died is that there was no "good" route to ground. When in Thailand I will never, ever touch a water heater while in the shower, or a stove, while the other hand touches a faucet. The next time I travel I'm bringing a small multimeter. Set it to voltage, touch one probe to a metal part on the stove, the other to a faucet, turn the burners on, one by one, it should read zero volts. You can do the same with the wall mounted water heaters.

Reversed polarity, and omitted grounding causes almost all the deaths in Asia. It's common to see electrical panel boxes within a foot or two of pools, so common sense just does not exist, I guess people do not understand.

I noticed that recently small appliances (blenders, etc.) have been coming through with a grounded plug, though very oddly, the third or ground blade does not come with the appliance, apparently one has to buy the blade and stick it in the plug itself. It was probably done this way because there are very few grounded electrical outlets. At least someone is thinking.

[slipperx]

.......

People write that they have been shocked by energized appliances, in this case the reason that they have not died is that there was no "good" route to ground. When in Thailand I will never, ever touch a water heater while in the shower, or a stove, while the other hand touches a faucet. The next time I travel I'm bringing a small multimeter. Set it to voltage, touch one probe to a metal part on the stove, the other to a faucet, turn the burners on, one by one, it should read zero volts. You can do the same with the wall mounted water heaters.

Reversed polarity, and omitted grounding causes almost all the deaths in Asia. It's common to see electrical panel boxes within a foot or two of pools, so common sense just does not exist, I guess people do not understand.

I noticed that recently small appliances (blenders, etc.) have been coming through with a grounded plug, though very oddly, the third or ground blade does not come with the appliance, apparently one has to buy the blade and stick it in the plug itself. It was probably done this way because there are very few grounded electrical outlets. At least someone is thinking.

Nothing to do with reversed polarity. Most plugs here are two pin - you can put them in either way. Grounding is rarely provided in the wiring because it is cheaper that way and who gives a toss if you are not going to be the one frying, so most developers and clients don't bother to provide them. There are few if any electrical standards that are mandatory. Most appliances are not double insulated (where you can use ungrounded plugs) and those that require grounding especially water heaters in the shower are just not wired up with an earth (although most are I think double insulated). As for the guy who thinks UK plugs are over designed - well I guess everyone is entitled to an opinion but mine is that at least they don't drop out of the socket and at least everything is properly grounded as required by statute and there is a legal responsibility on building owners if they cut corners (plus the building would never pass a final test by the local authority allowing it to be occupied). Thailand needs to improve its legislation on the building codes, setting out legal responsibilities and require grounding to every new or refurbished building. In fact it could well do with creating a building code to deal with a framework on how to build a house - like the Building Regulations in the UK (although those are too strict and inflexible in my opinion). One cannot expect everything to be put right overnight but making a start would be a good step forward on the road to change.

While the corruption is so widespread here I don't hold out a lot of hope for things changing much as people seem to do whatever they want and just pay whoever might be able to stop them to allow them instead. That is no reason though not to start legislating. No journey can start without a first step.

RIP to the young guy who just came here to have fun - such a waste of life.

[rmacdon61]

The one thing thai or farang can not do about electric shock is bring this unfortunite soul back. CPR works in about 5% or less. One can hope his passing is not in vane and we (as in I) learn from this. I love thailand as thailand, with faults and beauty. As a builder I noticed the electric first thing and act cautious, but life is fragile in any country.

God bless his soul.

[bkkjames]

As per usual, the news will come tomorrow by a local agency that 'inspections are planned to ensure public safety', like the recent condo fire here in bangkok in a posh neighborhood that had it's fire sprinklers dismantled-the list goes on....

[brimacthai]

Our thoughts and prayers to him, his friend (what a terrible way to lose a mate, not that there's a good way either), and his family.

[Richb2004v2]

I plugged my Thai laptop in the other day and heard a crackling sound and smelt burning. I then saw smoke coming from the plug at the wall. I quickly turned off the power at the socket. Oh dear. I'm in the Uk but the adapter was from Thailand. Just when I thought I'd escaped the poor electrical system I realized that I'd actually bought a little part of it with me. I bought a replacement for a pound and all is well again.

[kevbap]

"A masseuse who works in the Ocean Plaza forecourt said today that she had heard about the incident, but was not aware that the man had died.

“We knew about the power socket, but we didn’t know that it could be so dangerous. Some of us used to walk barefoot around here, but now we all wear rubber soles all the time,” she said."

Amazing Thailand ! RIP buddy !

[chooka]

It is already a miracle that nobody who tried to help the poor Briton was not killed also from electrocution.

I learned already in primary school that before helping a person, victim of electrocution, one must cut off the power first or use insulated equipment

I agree Rule N# 1 never touch a victim of electricution before the area has been isolated. It appears everyone is taught that from day one except Thai's . You hear so many stories of farangs being electicuted in Thailand (swimming pools, hotwater heaters and just walking around) how many thais are dying daily from eletricution? Electricity and Thai's are a bad combination, just walk along any street anywhere in Thailand and look at the disasters just waiting to happen. Every footpath cafe' and eatery you will see wires laying on the ground with plug after plug piggybacking each other on the ground, rain pouring down. 1/2 the time they don't even use plugs just 2 bare wires stuck into the points. The concept of earthing hasn't even been considered in Thailand as yet. Do they actually have local government safety inspectors who monitor all these roadside establishments and enforce strict safety standards. Thier public liability insurance must be through the roof if they could even get it.

Condolences to family and friends of this latest victim. To the Thai's that tried to help, a little foolish but at least you tried to do something.

[toenail]

Every country has its advantages and disadvantages, but in Thailand (and is may be the norm in DEVELOPING COUNTRIES) is the negligence of good workmanship. Western countries sometimes seem to be "overboard" on safety - along with their strict ordances and safety codes; but Thailand seems to neglect being "pro-active". Why? No one is held accountable.

I live in Pattaya and could point out electrical dangers on every block of this city... A few years ago a British guy was walking in the rain and stepped on a mud puddle that had a "live" wire in it. He died. Did this tragedy enforce electrical safety inspections? *ell no.

[Siamslim]

Shocking !!!!

I remeber a while back there was also a story of a guy electricuted in the shower of a hotel that uses those tiny electric wall mounted heaters. It apparently had a short...

I guess you can't sue in Thailand....

SiamSlim

[softgeorge]

So are they going to fix it!?! Or mai bpen rai?

What a tragic end for the tourist victim.

Fix What? Is it broken? Here we have a country in a tropical area that basically has 2 seasons, wet and dry, When it rains here it really rains and a lot of areas are prone to flooding. Why on earth would anyone put a power point in such a position. Where were the building and safety inspectors who were suppose to sign off on this.

[Scott]

My condolences to the family and friends of the victim. A sad and unnecessary end to a young life.

[shadiadi]

When the Tessaban gives planning permission every house has to have an earth unfortunately they never inspect any work that has been done. Alot of electric sockets are not earthed and use 1.5mm instead of 2.5mm cable which is a potential fire hazard. Also alot of bathroom shower units are not earthed only having 2 wires and some houses don't even have a basic earth from the breaker box. Thai electricians cost alot more than mr fixit and have no idea about earth wires. Cambodia is even worse has anyone seen the metal pylons on every street that carry the elecricity that is super scary.

Condolences to the guys family RIP

[AngelofDeath]

Some people mentioned that people died from electrocution in swimming pool in Thailand. I read the shower heat accident before, but how do you get electrocuted in swimming pool in Thailand?

Rip to the kid. Lesson learnt: We need to be aware of our surroundings.

Edited August 25, 2011 by AngelofDeath

[BuffaloRescue]

If you get the tingling shock of your computer or another appliance, what you should do is take the plug out of the wall and turn it upside down and plug it in again - reversed polarity

You will then not get the shock again

[PaulHamon]

In Thailand there is no health and safety standards that are internationally recognized. People should be aware of when visiting Thailand one should be over cautious and sharp minded with focus to one safety. My heart goes out to the young mans family - Tragic indeed!

Agree with this, it is sad// but people need to be super aware that they are NOT AT HOME.

The problem is and I'm not say this guy was, people go out get blind drunk and stop paying attention to this different world.

A world which is nothing like the place they grew up in, no safe guards, no bubble wrap.

Sad but Expected

[BuffaloRescue]

Also that doesnt sound like AC current? Its usually high vold DC current that makes you drop or cant release something when shocked it contracts the muscles. AC was introduced because it makes you jump i you get a shock, jump away and release the wire/plug etc

[rotary]

I have noticed all over Thailand from Golf Course club houses to 5 star hotels poor quality electrical wiring. No joke for years I have thought "Gosh someone will get killed with this wiring"

A few days ago I was at a high grade golf course with a massive fancy club house and it looked like a 3th grader had wired it in some places.

[Misterwhisper]

Bears the question: Who is responsible for designing (and having installed) a FLOOR-mounted power socket in an OPEN-AIR area in a country that is frequently exposed to heavy DOWNPOURS?