Explosion At Karon Hotel - At least 30 tourists injured at Phuket Orchid Resort

[Trouble]

This thread has gone all over the place. Basically a chlorine gas explosion in which no reporting has been put forward as to the cause. But it's a good thing that all the experts here on Thai Visa know the cause of the explosion. Without any evidence whatsoever a number of people have automatically blamed the staff for NOT knowing thier job.

It is like this with every news item that crosses this web site. Everyone has a half-assed opinion of something based on a couple of lines of news clip wherein nothing more has been said other than that an incident happened.

I am sure glad many of these folks are not on a jury. The hang'em high crowd would have arrested, convicted, and sentenced people based on only their own twisted opinions with no evidence whatsoever.

How can a reported incident with so little information generate 4 pages of comments, only one or two of which afforded information about chemicals involved in chlorinating swimming pools. Anyone who has ever added chemicals to a swimming pool is well aware (from reading the labels) that one does not mix certain chemicals together. Why not just wait and let the reporters report the cause once investigation is complete instead of all the baseless conjecture?

[Jimi007]

This thread has gone all over the place. Basically a chlorine gas explosion in which no reporting has been put forward as to the cause. But it's a good thing that all the experts here on Thai Visa know the cause of the explosion. Without any evidence whatsoever a number of people have automatically blamed the staff for NOT knowing thier job.

It is like this with every news item that crosses this web site. Everyone has a half-assed opinion of something based on a couple of lines of news clip wherein nothing more has been said other than that an incident happened.

I am sure glad many of these folks are not on a jury. The hang'em high crowd would have arrested, convicted, and sentenced people based on only their own twisted opinions with no evidence whatsoever.

How can a reported incident with so little information generate 4 pages of comments, only one or two of which afforded information about chemicals involved in chlorinating swimming pools. Anyone who has ever added chemicals to a swimming pool is well aware (from reading the labels) that one does not mix certain chemicals together. Why not just wait and let the reporters report the cause once investigation is complete instead of all the baseless conjecture?

While I agree with you post, I hope there is a follow up story. So many articles I've read are just attention seeking headlines that aren't ever followed up, unfortunately...

[ScubaBuddha]

Explosion At Karon Hotel....

At least 30 tourists injured in Phuket resort explosion.

Dozens injured in Phuket resort pool chlorine ‘blast’

“It was not a bomb,” said one resort worker.

“This is not about a bomb at all" said resort general manager Philip Raiss.

“It was not a bomb. There was no explosion,” Lt Col Boonlert explained to the media, “It is about the wrong form of chlorine being mixed. It was an accident, not a bomb.”

He also criticized sensational reports of the incident. “The media should check their facts first before reporting there was an explosion,” District Chief Supachai told the press.

-------------

So when are the Gazette and Thaivisa going to print thier retractions and make a public correction and apology for thier innacurate, sensationalist, (hit generating) headlines? Just becaues they are in Thailand doesn't mean they need to adopt Thai media ethics. Shameful.

[squirrelboy]

Taking advice from foreigners or simply someone younger is just never gonna happen here. In fact, I doubt anyone from within the fence would dare show up a "superior" by making a suggestion to the contrary. Herein lies the problem that affects nearly every organisation and operation in Thailand. To make a difference you need incredibly BIG trousers. Even better if they come with some kind of vintage, period styling - maybe then you'll be heard;)

All people are equal - some are just more equal than others.

[chooka]

Why are people still trying to lay the blame squarely at the feet of Thai's on this one. Sure Thailand has a lot to be critisized for but not this one. How about blaming the singapore company who owns the resort for thier bad training, maintenance,safety and management methods.

[SantiSuk]

I'm not always a Thai apologist but it seems to me that this country seems to have far fewer accidents of this nature involving tourists than Spain did 40 years ago, when it was going through an equivalent stage of tourist development. There were always stories in the UK press about hotel accidents, building collapses etc.

[Briggsy]

How much are you paying a night at the Phuket Orchid?

[chooka]

How much are you paying a night at the Phuket Orchid?

It does not come cheap. You can pay around 7,500 baht per night for an average room in the peak season up to 15,000 baht for top rooms then there are all the add on including taxes. ie;

The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.

• Airport shuttle fee: THB 1,000 per person (one way)
  
• Fee for wireless Internet in business center: THB 100 (for 30 minutes, rates may vary)
  
• Fee for wireless Internet in all public areas: THB 100 (rates may vary)
  
• Fee for in-room wireless Internet: THB 100 (for 30 minutes, rates may vary)
  
• In-room safe fee: THB 50 per day
  
• Rollaway bed fee: THB 800 per night
  

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

[Markaew]

... you know, this sounds as improbable that this was a bomb ... be sure, the Thai government will emphasize that in official statements again, and again, so authoritative and utterly empty.

... and I want to believe it was not a bomb, but with all the deceits and cover-ups for which the Thai government is now notorious (regardless of political stripe), I just cannot bring myself to believe anything they say ... even when it might be the truth ... who really knows?

... after over a decade here, I am conditioned to reflexively believe that if a Thai government official's lips are moving, they are lying ... I will believe it only after a foreigner, any foreigner, announces their view.

... I hate this, and what Thais have done to me in this regard.

Don't blame the Thais for that, blame yourself.

Elaborate on your "blame yourself" comment.

I found swillowbee's statement to be reflective and most likely honest. Not a bad summation of the side effects of living in Thailand for many years.

[Galong]

Explosion At Karon Hotel....

At least 30 tourists injured in Phuket resort explosion.

Dozens injured in Phuket resort pool chlorine ‘blast’

“It was not a bomb,” said one resort worker.

“This is not about a bomb at all" said resort general manager Philip Raiss.

“It was not a bomb. There was no explosion,” Lt Col Boonlert explained to the media, “It is about the wrong form of chlorine being mixed. It was an accident, not a bomb.”

He also criticized sensational reports of the incident. “The media should check their facts first before reporting there was an explosion,” District Chief Supachai told the press.

-------------

So when are the Gazette and Thaivisa going to print thier retractions and make a public correction and apology for thier innacurate, sensationalist, (hit generating) headlines? Just becaues they are in Thailand doesn't mean they need to adopt Thai media ethics. Shameful.

Perfectly stated and EXACTLY what I was thinking. Speculative journalism is worse than no journalism at all. I've given up on the Gazette entirely for accurate information and only look here to listen to expats whinge.

Mentioning a bomb without ANY proof should be a crime. At the very least it's highly unethical.

[george]

Explosion At Karon Hotel....

At least 30 tourists injured in Phuket resort explosion.

Dozens injured in Phuket resort pool chlorine ‘blast’

“It was not a bomb,” said one resort worker.

“This is not about a bomb at all" said resort general manager Philip Raiss.

“It was not a bomb. There was no explosion,” Lt Col Boonlert explained to the media, “It is about the wrong form of chlorine being mixed. It was an accident, not a bomb.”

He also criticized sensational reports of the incident. “The media should check their facts first before reporting there was an explosion,” District Chief Supachai told the press.

-------------

So when are the Gazette and Thaivisa going to print thier retractions and make a public correction and apology for thier innacurate, sensationalist, (hit generating) headlines? Just becaues they are in Thailand doesn't mean they need to adopt Thai media ethics. Shameful.

Perfectly stated and EXACTLY what I was thinking. Speculative journalism is worse than no journalism at all. I've given up on the Gazette entirely for accurate information and only look here to listen to expats whinge.

Mentioning a bomb without ANY proof should be a crime. At the very least it's highly unethical.

If you look at the very first posts and news reports in this thread, the word 'explosion' what was we had from several sources, and this news thread was named as such. When the story is developing we get updated information posted as soon as he have it available.

Thaivisa does not write its own news, we syndicate several news stories and publish them as we get them. We have never used the word 'bomb' in here.

[SPIKECM]

Children doing a mans job. The level of technical expertise in Thailand is scary. So many people are doing jobs they are not qualified for, or do not understand. I was speaking to someone the other day, who was referring to the lack of expertise when it comes to getting a question answered about wine, at a restaurant in a 5 star hotel. They are charging 300 baht per glass, and the only details they understood was that there were two kinds of wine in the world. Red and white. Only the GM of the hotel had any detailed knowledge about varietals. How about water management? When the US Marine Corp offered early last year to teach the Thai engineers about water management techniques they were told that Thailand will never suffer major floods, as they had a lot of experts in water management. How much longer can Thailand keep up this charade? People are going to notice this sooner of later, right?

That's exactly it. THEY DON'T TAKE ADVICE FROM ANYONE! And people are perfectly aware of it and accept it!

Bit much like queensland australia really,they wont take advice either!!

....and if you are British, "you can always tell a Yorkshireman... but you can't tell him much"!

Edited February 19, 2012 by SPIKECM

[madmitch]

This thread has gone all over the place. Basically a chlorine gas explosion in which no reporting has been put forward as to the cause. But it's a good thing that all the experts here on Thai Visa know the cause of the explosion. Without any evidence whatsoever a number of people have automatically blamed the staff for NOT knowing thier job.

It is like this with every news item that crosses this web site. Everyone has a half-assed opinion of something based on a couple of lines of news clip wherein nothing more has been said other than that an incident happened.

I am sure glad many of these folks are not on a jury. The hang'em high crowd would have arrested, convicted, and sentenced people based on only their own twisted opinions with no evidence whatsoever.

How can a reported incident with so little information generate 4 pages of comments, only one or two of which afforded information about chemicals involved in chlorinating swimming pools. Anyone who has ever added chemicals to a swimming pool is well aware (from reading the labels) that one does not mix certain chemicals together. Why not just wait and let the reporters report the cause once investigation is complete instead of all the baseless conjecture?

While I agree with you post, I hope there is a follow up story. So many articles I've read are just attention seeking headlines that aren't ever followed up, unfortunately...

For some reason the mods have not published the follow up from the Gazette. There is a link in PIB's post at the bottom of page three.

[george]

This thread has gone all over the place. Basically a chlorine gas explosion in which no reporting has been put forward as to the cause. But it's a good thing that all the experts here on Thai Visa know the cause of the explosion. Without any evidence whatsoever a number of people have automatically blamed the staff for NOT knowing thier job.

It is like this with every news item that crosses this web site. Everyone has a half-assed opinion of something based on a couple of lines of news clip wherein nothing more has been said other than that an incident happened.

I am sure glad many of these folks are not on a jury. The hang'em high crowd would have arrested, convicted, and sentenced people based on only their own twisted opinions with no evidence whatsoever.

How can a reported incident with so little information generate 4 pages of comments, only one or two of which afforded information about chemicals involved in chlorinating swimming pools. Anyone who has ever added chemicals to a swimming pool is well aware (from reading the labels) that one does not mix certain chemicals together. Why not just wait and let the reporters report the cause once investigation is complete instead of all the baseless conjecture?

While I agree with you post, I hope there is a follow up story. So many articles I've read are just attention seeking headlines that aren't ever followed up, unfortunately...

For some reason the mods have not published the follow up from the Gazette. There is a link in PIB's post at the bottom of page three.

Mods does not normally post news items, it's done by our news team. An updated story will soon be published.

Thanks.

[animatic]

Explosion At Karon Hotel....

At least 30 tourists injured in Phuket resort explosion.

Dozens injured in Phuket resort pool chlorine ‘blast’

“It was not a bomb,” said one resort worker.

“This is not about a bomb at all" said resort general manager Philip Raiss.

“It was not a bomb. There was no explosion,” Lt Col Boonlert explained to the media, “It is about the wrong form of chlorine being mixed. It was an accident, not a bomb.”

He also criticized sensational reports of the incident. “The media should check their facts first before reporting there was an explosion,” District Chief Supachai told the press.

-------------

So when are the Gazette and Thaivisa going to print thier retractions and make a public correction and apology for thier innacurate, sensationalist, (hit generating) headlines? Just becaues they are in Thailand doesn't mean they need to adopt Thai media ethics. Shameful.

Perfectly stated and EXACTLY what I was thinking. Speculative journalism is worse than no journalism at all. I've given up on the Gazette entirely for accurate information and only look here to listen to expats whinge.

Mentioning a bomb without ANY proof should be a crime. At the very least it's highly unethical.

It may have not been and intentional bomb,

but it effectively was a 'chemical concoction that caused a explosion', AKA a Bomb.

non-nuclear bombs are chemical reactions that cause explosions.

someone was an idiot a made a chem bomb inadvertently.

[george]

UPDATE:

Chlorine gas guests return safely to Phuket resort

Phuket Gazette – Saturday, February 18, 2012

Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Boonlert Onklang points

to the pump room where the chlorine gas cloud originated.

'It was not a bomb,' he said. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

All the guests have returned safely to the hotel. Some even started

swimming in the pool again. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- All the guests affected by the chlorine gas cloud at the Phuket Orchid Resort in Karon this morning have safely returned to the resort, it was announced at a press conference this afternoon.

“Every single person taken to hospital has returned to the resort. Not a single person has checked out. They are all okay,” said resort general manager Philip Raiss.

“This is not about a bomb at all, and the resort will cover all medical expenses incurred from today’s incident,” he said.

The tourists released from hospital include the 30-week-pregnant woman treated for breathing difficulty at Bangkok Hospital Phuket.

“However, she will need to return for a medical checkup by a registered pediatrician,” Dr Kanin Keeratipongpaiboon of Patong Hospital told the Phuket Gazette.

Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Boonlert Onklang clearly confirmed the nature of the incident.

“It was not a bomb. There was no explosion,” he said.

Lt Col Boonlert explained to the media, “It is about the wrong form of chlorine being mixed. It was an accident, not a bomb.”

Muang District Chief Supachai Pochanukul went on to explain that the incident was caused by the powered form of chlorine – not the liquid form – being added to a mixing tank used to clean the pool water at the resort.

He also criticized sensational reports of the incident.

“The media should check their facts first before reporting there was an explosion,” District Chief Supachai told the press.

Paisarn Choomphol, human resources officer at the resort, told the Gazette that the incident was caused by pool technician Piyapat Nawee adding the wrong mix of chlorine.

“He has been working with us for 18 years. This morning he saw the chlorine level was getting low, so he wanted to add some more. The problem was that he is supposed to add liquid chlorine, but there was no liquid chlorine left. So he added powdered chlorine directly to the tank.

“That caused a chemical reaction,” he said.

Nannaphat Namboon, front desk manager at the resort, said, “Nobody has checked out and everything is back to normal. The guests seem happy and people are back swimming in the pool.”

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-02-19

[spidermike007]

Lack of training and awareness of what safety is constitutes one of Thailand's weakest facets.

Thailand has dismal safety records, not only in traffic, electrocutions and safety of tourists and food poisoning, but also in civil defense (flood preparedness, standards for electrical public wiring and/or installations, building and zoning, etc.). Add to that and their laid back attitude regarding personal safety, and that of others. It is becoming common knowledge in the world no matter what TAT says. Thailand is not a safe place for a pedestrian tourist. Motorcycles riding on sidewalks, motorists oblivious to the presence of pedestrians at crosswalks even at red lights, motorcyclists riding with one hand, while on the mobile phone, without helmets and with 2 or more people on board: all at the same time! That should make any sane person cringe. The list of what ails this country is long and sad and can bring about a recession.

Taking for granted the success in tourism of yore is one of those ailments. This country has a rich culture, good decent people as a whole, and potentially can have a better future. Alas, Thais are reactive and not proactive. Thailand may become one of those countries that could have been but didn't...

I agree completely. I believe that all of these issues will catch up to thailand in the long run. they keep getting black eyes in the press, worldwide. the secret is out. I love Thailand, but I have to hold my nose and bear some of these issues from time to time. Eventually, it will catch up. I expect tourism to decline over the next 20 years, and some places like Samui run the risk of becoming vacated tourism museums.

[Patron]

To all you Thai bashers.This happens all over the world.It just happened by my U.S.home

in november. google... L.A.Fitness pool chemical mishap

The is nothing new.

[spidermike007]

Children doing a mans job. The level of technical expertise in Thailand is scary. So many people are doing jobs they are not qualified for, or do not understand. I was speaking to someone the other day, who was referring to the lack of expertise when it comes to getting a question answered about wine, at a restaurant in a 5 star hotel. They are charging 300 baht per glass, and the only details they understood was that there were two kinds of wine in the world. Red and white. Only the GM of the hotel had any detailed knowledge about varietals. How about water management? When the US Marine Corp offered early last year to teach the Thai engineers about water management techniques they were told that Thailand will never suffer major floods, as they had a lot of experts in water management. How much longer can Thailand keep up this charade? People are going to notice this sooner of later, right?

That's exactly it. THEY DON'T TAKE ADVICE FROM ANYONE! And people are perfectly aware of it and accept it!

Why are some people putting down Thai people in general when some accident has happened. What happened with the chemical also has happened in the west as well , europe over the years in swimmingpools. I can remember some of them. one right in the city where i live in the Netherlands. Accidents with chemicals , in factories, with fireworks, they can happen everywhere and anytime.

Of course accidents happen everywhere. But, the safety standards, enforcement, and training here are amongst the worst in the world. The educational system is terrible, and it is not creating the best and the brightest. I am not so sure the future looks bright for Thailand, despite how earnest many of the people are. The lack of colonialization has created created a stubborn mindset, arrogance, and lack of open mindedness, that sets the country back, time and time again.

[spidermike007]

I've occasionally worked with the Thai Army as a consultant/technical adviser on some US made trucks over the past 10 years.

They've had this equipment for over 20 years. Their level of expertise is at the bottom of the barrel.

Basically they NEVER EVER change or check the oil, so eventually the engine seizes up. They then proceed to remove every single part of the truck, to "re-build" it, when all it needed was a new engine.

I love the country & without fail, everyone I've worked with are the nicest of nice people, but when I try to show them a way that is 100 times more efficient to do something, I get a smile & they just keep on doing what they were doing before.

I often say that it was a kind of curse, that Thailand was never colonized. I know that is a very incorrect thing to say. I realize it could offend a lot of Thai people. But, if you compare Thailand to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and many other countries that were colonized, you see how much more open minded those people are, than the Thais, who are very, very stubborn, and closed minded people. Their way is the correct way, and it is nearly impossible that another way, or especially a fareng way, could be more efficient, better, or more effective, than their way. It is not a productive way. How Thailand became the worlds 22nd largest economy, despite this mindset, is a testament to the Thai spirit.

[spidermike007]

Children doing a mans job. The level of technical expertise in Thailand is scary. So many people are doing jobs they are not qualified for, or do not understand. I was speaking to someone the other day, who was referring to the lack of expertise when it comes to getting a question answered about wine, at a restaurant in a 5 star hotel. They are charging 300 baht per glass, and the only details they understood was that there were two kinds of wine in the world. Red and white. Only the GM of the hotel had any detailed knowledge about varietals. How about water management? When the US Marine Corp offered early last year to teach the Thai engineers about water management techniques they were told that Thailand will never suffer major floods, as they had a lot of experts in water management. How much longer can Thailand keep up this charade? People are going to notice this sooner of later, right?

You do realize that Thailand is a developing (third-world) country, right? If you want wine expertise, go to Europe.

You completely missed my point. If one is paying 10,000 baht per night, at a major five star hotel, one expects an international standard. If I was staying in a bungalow for 500 baht per night, I would not. It is about standards. It is not about being in the 3rd world. If I were staying at a major 5 star hotel in Mexico, Hanoi, Bombay, etc, I would have access to wine experts.

[spidermike007]

“He has been maintaining pools for 20 years. Today, he just did something wrong. It was just an accident,” he said.

This is the best statement about Thai mentality given by a Thai.

The rule worldwide when handling chemicals: Chemicals INTO the WATER.

NEVER Water into the Chemical.

Reason for this rule: when putting water into the chemical there is not enough water for cooling and if the heat created in the mixing gets high enough there can be an explosion.

Typical Thai, for 20-years puts chemical into the water and then one day has a hair crosswise up its ass and puts water into the chemical.

Had similar encounter the other day with a building maintenance employee, 18-years does a fine job then the other day a door would not open. The door had a door closer. The obvious procedure, disconnect the articulating rods and see if the door closer arm can be moved. Simple isn’t it. After 18-years to this Thai all of a sudden it was not that simple. He took out his Power Screwdriver and rattled away trying to tighten the (ALREADY100% THIGHT) Reeden Prince Head screws holding the door closer onto the door with a Philips Head screwdriver and in the process rounded all the heads. He tried, door still did not open. Picked up his tools, walked away, and told the secretary in the office “cannot be fixed”. Over and out. So the job was left for me the owner to do.

Disconnected the articulating rods, tried to move the arm, would not move, piston inside cylinder jammed. Simple, install new door closer.

But it was not that simple because all the screw heads had been rounded. Screws of High Tensile steel, difficult to drill out. Had to drill away the aluminum body of the door closer around the screw heads.

I’m really at 85 getting a bit too old for having to fix the ####ps of Thais. Seriously looking for a buyer or buyers for the properties so I can throw my clothes in my satchel and move on. From previous living there Dalath in Vietnam sounds appealing, Maybe Baguio in Philippines or Bandung, Indonesia, the Indonesians did find out by now that the Dutch weren’t so bad after all.

Yes, I have seen this happen on countless occasions. I was traveling recently, and stayed at a hotel on Samui. Misplaced my room keys. They sent up a maintenance guy. He fooled around with the door, and after 30 minutes could not get it open. I gave him some suggestions. It seemed to me that instead of trying to force the lock open, you could see that if you just eased something into the crack, and coaxed the lever up, it would open. He would not listen. How could a fareng know how to open a door? They sent up other maintenance people, and nobody could open it. Finally, one 18 year old kid with a sparkle in his eyes, and intelligence behind those eyes, walked over, looked at the door and the lock, did exactly what I was suggesting (without me saying anything), and pronto, it was open in 3 minutes. All of the other guys were laughing, and just shaking their heads. But, do you think they learned anything? Will they be more open minded next time? Of course not. My friend refers to the closed minded people, who are unwilling to learn, change, progress, or develop their lives, as the buffalo people.

[animatic]

Welcome to new reporting that changes the story... TIT

[Oberkommando]

18 years 'experience' and the guy makes a mistake that almost causes a disaster.

Thai Police then criticise the media for reporting it, denying their was even an explosion.

There's no end to their deceit and incompetence.

[spidermike007]

Some very good points made here. Especially the ones about the inability of the Thai people to see clearly, and make a rational decision when money is involved.

This is a very good point. I will give an illustration of this. For many years, my friend and I have discussed the fact that the average Thai, was possibly not blessed with particularly high quality genetic brain stock. Some nations, such as the Indians, the Germans, and the Chinese were. The Thais, I do not think so. Think of when was the last time a Thai person won a Nobel peace prize, or a Pulitzer prize, or any other international measure of creativity, or intelligence. I realize this is a terribly politically incorrect thing to insinuate, but the writing is on the wall. Just the other day I went to retrieve a motorbike that I had reserved for a friend of mine, from a bike shop. Turns out he did not hold the bike for us, as we showed up too late in the day. That was after I had left a deposit for it. I asked for the deposit back, and the guy started screaming at me. Very emotional. I have rented from him many times in the past, and planned to continue using him for years to come. I explained that to him, and asked him if he was prepared to sacrifice the years of patronage, for a measly 400 baht? He did not even hear me. The thought of parting with 400 baht today was paramount to him. The future meant nothing. He went nearly hysterical when I requested he give me my deposit back. Is this an intelligent business mind? How many like this have you run into? Where are the brilliant minds? Are they only at the universities? I am a businessman. I will do anything to keep a customer happy, and maintain my excellent reputation. I have given $6,000 cash refunds to make a customer happy. So, I cannot understand when someone like this is willing to sacrifice a good customer, for $13. Beyond my level of comprehension completely.

[Briggsy]

18 years 'experience' and the guy makes a mistake that almost causes a disaster.

Thai Police then criticise the media for reporting it, denying their was even an explosion.

There's no end to their deceit and incompetence.

Not quite. I think the police criticised the use of the word "explosion" when it was in fact a "poisonous gas cloud". So, they have a point. But so do you!

[smedly]

Lack of training and awareness of what safety is constitutes one of Thailand's weakest facets.

Thailand has dismal safety records, not only in traffic, electrocutions and safety of tourists and food poisoning, but also in civil defense (flood preparedness, standards for electrical public wiring and/or installations, building and zoning, etc.). Add to that and their laid back attitude regarding personal safety, and that of others. It is becoming common knowledge in the world no matter what TAT says. Thailand is not a safe place for a pedestrian tourist. Motorcycles riding on sidewalks, motorists oblivious to the presence of pedestrians at crosswalks even at red lights, motorcyclists riding with one hand, while on the mobile phone, without helmets and with 2 or more people on board: all at the same time! That should make any sane person cringe. The list of what ails this country is long and sad and can bring about a recession.

Taking for granted the success in tourism of yore is one of those ailments. This country has a rich culture, good decent people as a whole, and potentially can have a better future. Alas, Thais are reactive and not proactive. Thailand may become one of those countries that could have been but didn't...

and don't mention lifts in hotels and condo buildings - always very well maintained to a high standard .....not - over the years I've heard of many lifts failing

[WarpSpeed]

“It was not a bomb,” said one resort worker.

“This is not about a bomb at all" said resort general manager Philip Raiss.

“It was not a bomb. There was no explosion,” Lt Col Boonlert explained to the media, “It is about the wrong form of chlorine being mixed. It was an accident, not a bomb.”

He also criticized sensational reports of the incident. “The media should check their facts first before reporting there was an explosion,” District Chief Supachai told the press.

-------------

So when are the Gazette and Thaivisa going to print thier retractions and make a public correction and apology for thier innacurate, sensationalist, (hit generating) headlines? Just becaues they are in Thailand doesn't mean they need to adopt Thai media ethics. Shameful.

Perfectly stated and EXACTLY what I was thinking. Speculative journalism is worse than no journalism at all. I've given up on the Gazette entirely for accurate information and only look here to listen to expats whinge.

Mentioning a bomb without ANY proof should be a crime. At the very least it's highly unethical.

It may have not been and intentional bomb,

but it effectively was a 'chemical concoction that caused a explosion', AKA a Bomb.

non-nuclear bombs are chemical reactions that cause explosions.

someone was an idiot a made a chem bomb inadvertently.

Yep, how about ammonium nitrate (aka fertilizer) and diesel fuel? Few sensible people would argue about that one, if you're still not convinced just ask the victims of Oklahoma city..

Edited February 19, 2012 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

I've occasionally worked with the Thai Army as a consultant/technical adviser on some US made trucks over the past 10 years.

They've had this equipment for over 20 years. Their level of expertise is at the bottom of the barrel.

Basically they NEVER EVER change or check the oil, so eventually the engine seizes up. They then proceed to remove every single part of the truck, to "re-build" it, when all it needed was a new engine.

I love the country & without fail, everyone I've worked with are the nicest of nice people, but when I try to show them a way that is 100 times more efficient to do something, I get a smile & they just keep on doing what they were doing before.

I often say that it was a kind of curse, that Thailand was never colonized. I know that is a very incorrect thing to say. I realize it could offend a lot of Thai people. But, if you compare Thailand to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and many other countries that were colonized, you see how much more open minded those people are, than the Thais, who are very, very stubborn, and closed minded people. Their way is the correct way, and it is nearly impossible that another way, or especially a fareng way, could be more efficient, better, or more effective, than their way. It is not a productive way. How Thailand became the worlds 22nd largest economy, despite this mindset, is a testament to the Thai spirit.

Wasn't Thailand colonised by the Chinese?

Still, not being colonized is that something to be proud of or does it say something else about Thailand?

[blows]

from post #8

Dozens injured in Phuket resort pool chlorine ‘blast’

“I heard about three or four ‘explosions’. There were about 100 people around the pool,” he said.

Must have been an explosion to those that were there.