Fatality Spurs Bangkok Administration To Check Billboards

[webfact]

Fatality spurs BMA to check billboards

THANATPONG KHONGSAI

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- More than 900 billboards across Bangkok will be inspected and if they are found to be unsafe, they will be torn down, Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday.

The measure was announced after Janya Suwannabut, a 50-year-old mason, was killed by a falling billboard on Rama II Road in Chom Thong district on Sunday. Heavy rain and strong winds toppled the billboard.

Manaphan Wisutthiphong was the billboard's owner, police said.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has filed a police report against the owner and will rush to discover the cause of the incident, Sukhumbhand said after his inspection of the scene.

He has ordered the city's 50 district offices to quickly to inspect all billboards, estimated at more than 900.

"If any of them are illegal, they will be demolished," the governor said.

BMA executives would have a meeting today (Aug14) to discuss the safety and strength standards of billboards as well as laws against owners of illegal billboards, Sukhumbhand said. Officials will also aim to find ways to strengthen new and old billboards to prevent further accidents.

Sunday's toppled billboard had received a permit in 2004 but its owner was still in the process of requesting a document guaranteeing its strength.

Janya's head was broken when the billboard fell on her while she was fixing a company's shop. She was rushed to Bangpakok 9 International Hospital, where she later died.

-- The Nation 2012-08-14

[whybother]

It must be that time of year.

Sent from my HTC phone.

[Skywalker69]

Tear them all down.

[Reasonableman]

Along with the blaring LCD video monstrosities, PLEASE!

[Ron19]

They are an eyesore,tear them all down.

[johna]

BMA yawns, and goes back to sleep.

I think that I shall never see a billboard lovely as a tree.

Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I'll never see a tree at all.

Ogden Nash

[asiawatcher]

Bangkok's idea of beautifying it's city to tourists as you come in from the airport - being hit with visual pollution like no other city in the world, and you can bet most are illegal in either location, structure or town planning (and that's a joke!).

[OzMick]

"Sunday's toppled billboard had received a permit in 2004 but its owner was still in the process of requesting a document guaranteeing its strength." Strange - I thought this would be required before construction began, and another inspection after construction but before use.

[Greer]

Bangkok's idea of beautifying it's city to tourists as you come in from the airport - being hit with visual pollution like no other city in the world, and you can bet most are illegal in either location, structure or town planning (and that's a joke!).

Have you driven into Manila from the airport?

[Thai at Heart]

Have they finished the check from the last time one of these fell down?

[Rimmer]

What a shame we have to have to wait until there is a fatality before taking action on these monsters.

[Ron19]

Bangkok's idea of beautifying it's city to tourists as you come in from the airport - being hit with visual pollution like no other city in the world, and you can bet most are illegal in either location, structure or town planning (and that's a joke!).

Have you driven into Manila from the airport?

No,is it same same ?

[ratcatcher]

What a shame we have to have to wait until there is a fatality before taking action on these monsters.

Isn't that S.O.P. in Thailand? Wait until something happens, then react? Cheaper too.

[ratcatcher]

"Janya's head was broken when the billboard fell on her while she was fixing a company's shop. She was rushed to Bangpakok 9 International Hospital, where she later died."

Another victim of criminal negligence and indifference. Perhaps they'll pay her family a few baht to keep quiet?

Always an innocent victim. Let's hope Manaphan Wisutthiphong the billboard's owner will be sued for his responsibility (or lack of)

[carra]

Poor woman, the winds have been very strong the past few days but surely these things should be built to counter the winds.

Being pedantic, can one suffer a broken head?

[Morakot]

"If any of them are illegal, they will be demolished," the governor said

Oh, you mean those which had not dully received site approval and were not built according to relevant building standards?

Demolition companies will have a field day...

Edited August 14, 2012 by Morakot

[airconsult]

Along with the blaring LCD video monstrosities, PLEASE!

Indeed - and the ones next to the motorway are dangerous every night (not just in winds) as they are far, far too bright and distracting.....

[linno2]

Also wonder how many road accidents and pedestrian poked eyes from the obstructing election billboards/posters along every road and footpath. German guy I know in Phi Mai got a THB20,000 fine for having a company brand name icecream banner in front of his shop 35 x100cm. So there must be some billboard control somewhere but not consistently applied.

[bkkjames]

"If any of them are illegal, they will be demolished," the governor said

Oh, you mean those which had not dully received site approval and were not built according to relevant building standards?

Demolition companies will have a field day...

The part (above the part) in italics above = window dressing.

Edited August 14, 2012 by bkkjames

[DGS1244]

Here we go again, every couple of years someone in Bangkok gets killed by a falling billboard and then they go out and inspect them. In all the years this has been happening I remember only one that was removed after being 'inspected'

[sangfroid]

Have they finished the check from the last time one of these fell down?

Spot on. This is an exact repeat of an accident that happened under identical circumstances a few years back. The newspaper report could have been cut and pasted from back then.

[vijer]

Also wonder how many road accidents and pedestrian poked eyes from the obstructing election billboards/posters along every road and footpath. German guy I know in Phi Mai got a THB20,000 fine for having a company brand name icecream banner in front of his shop 35 x100cm. So there must be some billboard control somewhere but not consistently applied.

Well sure, he is a farang so even if he asked for and received a permit he would still be fined. Were as a Thai can put up any piece of shit anywhere and it is accepted as "Thai Culture".

[DoctorG]

What a shame we have to have to wait until there is a fatality before taking action on these monsters.

Isn't that S.O.P. in Thailand? Wait until something happens, then react? Cheaper too.

I doubt there is a Thai word for proactive.

[yourauntbob]

something tells me that bribes will out weight saftey and this will all be forgotten very soon.

[yourauntbob]

Also wonder how many road accidents and pedestrian poked eyes from the obstructing election billboards/posters along every road and footpath. German guy I know in Phi Mai got a THB20,000 fine for having a company brand name icecream banner in front of his shop 35 x100cm. So there must be some billboard control somewhere but not consistently applied.

they will take down your sign unless you bribe the right people. the list includes all officials from the local all the way to national level. I have had experience with this before, we were told that even after paying the "registration" fee, if we did not continually send in money then they would be removed during "road cleanings."

Edited August 14, 2012 by yourauntbob

[Skywalker69]

What a shame we have to have to wait until there is a fatality before taking action on these monsters.

Isn't that S.O.P. in Thailand? Wait until something happens, then react? Cheaper too.

I doubt there is a Thai word for proactive.

This cartoon from the Nation says it all.

[dominique355]

"If any of them are illegal, they will be demolished," the governor said.

What is he talking about? We KNOW that 60% of all billboards are illegal, i.e. have no permit.

Besides that, they are dangerous (see above) and ugly.

[Card]

This happened a few years ago and got the same reaction and the same result.

[GeorgeO]

What a shame we have to have to wait until there is a fatality before taking action on these monsters.

Isn't that S.O.P. in Thailand? Wait until something happens, then react? Cheaper too.

Almost correct. Wait until something happens, issue notice of a "crackdown", and then file it away until next time.

[Farangdam]

torn down will required money who will pay the cost. the thai people will do and the owner of the structure when away and getting richer and happy planning to built another big not last long sign board and make fortune whereby later the people will pay the torn down cost what a good short term business. why not to sue them for neglect to maintain the structures they built