Siblings Burned To Death After Electricity Was Cut Off: Phisanulok

[espinoza]

It's a very sad story. You can't blame the electricity company, that's the way it works here and cutting the power sometimes is the only way to make people pay their bill. Can't blame the mother either for sure, 9 and 13 yo are old enough to stay on their own if the mother was working. The kids should have put the candles out before going to sleep, but everyone here is so afraid of the dark and of the ghosts...

You can blame the electricity company !!! And everybody should !!! Do you mean that money are more important than human life ? It`s xxxxxxx cruel world we are living in.

Edited May 22, 2013 by metisdead

[espinoza]

If someone think they are capable of selling something, they should before starting their business think very careful through their plan. Can anybody get hurt, can anybody die because of my business practice ? If they did not think about the consequences before they started the business, they should take the full responsibility of their actions. The electric company killed this two innocent childs.

[SteeleJoe]

So very sad...

[BrianCR]

Excuse me, does anyone have any idea of how a Thai single parent has to live in order to support a family? I think not!

[SteeleJoe]

Disgusted with the electric company. They also do not consider that maybe in some houses people might be on vital medical equipment. Recently I got cut off, never got a bill, was in the house my phone number on the meter. No questions asked no service. Immediately went to pay; it took them 5 hours to re connect. It would make life easier for them and the users if there was a warning service.

It's not the Electric company's fault.

Not that we need to point fingers at every tragic even but leaving a 9 and 13 year old child at home for any lengthly amount of time isn't going to win any parent of the year awards, work or not.

In your award winning essay, you would have us believe that it would be better if the mother stayed at home and they all starved to death? Why do they let people like you interfere with the Thai way of life?

I'm not a fan of the guy's post but yours baffles me...

"Why do they let people like you interfere with the Thai way of life?"

Who is "they"? How is that poster interfering with anyone's way of life? What is this "Thai way of life" you speak of? (Going to work is the Thai way of life?)

[SteeleJoe]

Excuse me, does anyone have any idea of how a Thai single parent has to live in order to support a family? I think not!

Why do you think not?

[GentlemanJim]

If someone think they are capable of selling something, they should before starting their business think very careful through their plan. Can anybody get hurt, can anybody die because of my business practice ? If they did not think about the consequences before they started the business, they should take the full responsibility of their actions. The electric company killed this two innocent childs.

Absolute BS. The Electric company did not kill these children. What do you recommend, free electricity for everyone? because that is what happens the moment you let one person not pay and have a free service. Will you go to work for no salary? Try thinking clearly before you post rubbish like this, or does the name hint that you are from a socialist country where everyone should be given everything for free? The children died because the mother could not afford to pay the bills as a single parent. They were forced into actions that they were clearly not used to. It was a tragic accident, that's it.

[Greer]

Sad indeed. But it's the parents and children's fault. Circumstances can change of course... but far too many people who can't afford children have them. If you can't afford to pay your electric bill, you're in that category.

Sorry - that's rubbish - you even said that circumstances change - a woman who may well have been married to a successful businessman for all anyone knows, but times change, she ends up alone with two children to rear, doing her best to support them in whatever way she can, and then the unfeeling ar**holes at the electricity authority cut off the electricity - would it kill them to wait, or issue a reminder... no, but the circumstances that action caused did kill two children.

My heartfelt condolences to the mother at this dreadful time.

The loss of children, the loss to our society, the lost potential of two wonderful and innocent children, can never be underestimated.

So very sad.

[Greer]

at first a couple of parents tryed that,but wife said kids only

wife loves haveing the young lady's around,

we have a rule here that only english is spoken in the house,most have learned to speek english fairly well

we'v been doing this for about 4 years now

Well done and good luck to you. Just one massive word of caution. It is through having done genuine acts of kindness in the community that many a farang has been set up by the parents of kids, trying to make a quick buck. Be very very careful, your situation is exactly as others have described it who ended up facing horrendous allegations and charges, thats all i'm saying.

Regarding the OP, this is a dreadful tragedy. I sometimes wonder about the media over here, who released photos that are now appearing on FB of the two charred bodies of these children, the young girl was tiny. The photo's are simply not needed and how can the family ever find any piece with material like that on the net.

This is terrible news - I totally agree, the Thai media MUST start to realise the impact that this sort of gutter reporting has on the relatives. To see such material in the public domain must be horrendous. I totally banned anyone from bringing that local garbage Thai Rath into the house for exactly this reason - I don't need my children seeing graphic images of death.

[meatboy]

Sad indeed. But it's the parents and children's fault. Circumstances can change of course... but far too many people who can't afford children have them. If you can't afford to pay your electric bill, you're in that category.

oh my god what hole did you crawl out of,go and find the father if he's alive,he might have something do do with those 2 children comeing into this world.rip in heaven little ones.

[Heng]

Sad indeed. But it's the parents and children's fault. Circumstances can change of course... but far too many people who can't afford children have them. If you can't afford to pay your electric bill, you're in that category.

Sorry - that's rubbish - you even said that circumstances change - a woman who may well have been married to a successful businessman for all anyone knows, but times change, she ends up alone with two children to rear, doing her best to support them in whatever way she can, and then the unfeeling ar**holes at the electricity authority cut off the electricity - would it kill them to wait, or issue a reminder... no, but the circumstances that action caused did kill two children.

My heartfelt condolences to the mother at this dreadful time.

The loss of children, the loss to our society, the lost potential of two wonderful and innocent children, can never be underestimated.

So very sad.

One can hypothesize or spin all they like about these situations and they might be just as far off as this single mother being the widow of a successful husband.

-Say if the entire slum burned down and hundreds were killed, I think the electric company would be taking less flak then (with more finger wagging at the one parent who couldn't pay their electric bill).

-What if we threw in... the mother spent 1,500 a month on the underground lottery (anyone keeping it real here would agree that that would be a good bet) every month.

-Or if you just added 6-7 years to the children's ages.... then we'd be 'blaming' irresponsible young adults.

In the end, being poor and downtrodden isn't an excuse to throw common sense out the window or set your house on fire.

[Heng]

Sad indeed. But it's the parents and children's fault. Circumstances can change of course... but far too many people who can't afford children have them. If you can't afford to pay your electric bill, you're in that category.

oh my god what hole did you crawl out of,go and find the father if he's alive,he might have something do do with those 2 children comeing into this world.rip in heaven little ones.

Yeah, I did say 'parents' didn't I?

[meatboy]

Sad indeed. But it's the parents and children's fault. Circumstances can change of course... but far too many people who can't afford children have them. If you can't afford to pay your electric bill, you're in that category.

oh my god what hole did you crawl out of,go and find the father if he's alive,he might have something do do with those 2 children comeing into this world.rip in heaven little ones.

Yeah, I did say 'parents' didn't I?

yes you did say parents but if you read it through you will see its said she is a

SINGLE PARENT.

[webfact]

UPDATE:

Their Majesties aid mother after children die in fire
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Their Majesties the King and Queen yesterday graciously granted a relief kit and cooking utensils to a family who lost two children when their house burned down on Tuesday night.

Pol Colonel Neramit Dusitakorn delivered the supplies to Chutikarn Pholnok, 39, the mother of Sanphit, 13, and his sister Natthapapha Pholnok, 9, who burned to death at their home in Phitsanulok's Muang district while she was working at a restaurant nearby. The Huaro Tambon Administration Organisation also gave her Bt50,000.

Chutikarn said that because she was unable to pay her Bt441 electricity bill the power to her house had been cut of and she had to buy candles for her children to use while doing their homework.

Later, she said, her neighbours rushed to tell her that her house was ablaze and though she went back to rescue her kids, she could not reach them as the flames were too strong. She is being treated for burns at the Buddhachinaraj Hospital.

Police say they are investigating to determine the cause of the fire.


-- The Nation 2013-05-23

[dighambara]

Disgusted with the electric company. They also do not consider that maybe in some houses people might be on vital medical equipment. Recently I got cut off, never got a bill, was in the house my phone number on the meter. No questions asked no service. Immediately went to pay; it took them 5 hours to re connect. It would make life easier for them and the users if there was a warning service.

It's not the Electric company's fault.

Not that we need to point fingers at every tragic even but leaving a 9 and 13 year old child at home for any lengthly amount of time isn't going to win any parent of the year awards, work or not.

By age 13 every person has an adult's knowledge of right from wrong. Most cultures place 8 as the age of understanding and 13 as the age of adulthood. Only in the West is this considered too young..

[Stradavarius37]

The story is horrific...may the innocent children rest in peace.

[philw]

Sad indeed. But it's the parents and children's fault. Circumstances can change of course... but far too many people who can't afford children have them. If you can't afford to pay your electric bill, you're in that category.

".........it's the childrens fault..............."

What an obscene post.

I pity you.

[cup-O-coffee]

RIP'ing is decent, but it serves no purpose beyond being decent, whilst ignoring the utterly poor choices which lead to the compelling need for one to belch out a RIP and feel decent inside.

I cannot imagine any other situation similar to this, where one might possibly get more favorable consequences, or even positive results over any period of time, which eventually leads to disaster (and it will).

You just can't write this stuff.

Edited May 23, 2013 by cup-O-coffee

[Considered Opinion]

Disgusted with the electric company. They also do not consider that maybe in some houses people might be on vital medical equipment. Recently I got cut off, never got a bill, was in the house my phone number on the meter. No questions asked no service. Immediately went to pay; it took them 5 hours to re connect. It would make life easier for them and the users if there was a warning service.

It's not the Electric company's fault.

Not that we need to point fingers at every tragic even but leaving a 9 and 13 year old child at home for any lengthly amount of time isn't going to win any parent of the year awards, work or not.

Obviously you don't know a lot about THAILAND, Many parents are forced to go out and leave children alone,

I am forced to agree. This is not the West with governments nannying everything you do. Only in the West is it possible to have every second second of your life guided by laws made by people who under normal circumstances you would not feed.

In Thailand one takes responsibilities for one's own actions and is judged according to those actions in terms of merit gained or lost.

This is a most sad situation, but if you go to the w Wat nearest the tragedy, and ask the monks they will tell you that this is Karma and not to be sad.

My heart goes out to the woman in her loss.

[joepattaya1961]

we take in about 10-12 kids a night here.kids don't like to stay in their homes without their parent/parents home

sometimes i think the kids just like to stay at our house because of the aircon/an big screen tv,plus they can take a warm shower

we go thru a lot of soap/shampoo here

some of them stay all night

Edit

So the parents are out at work also I take it?I'm sure it's nice having the kids there but I imagine you have to be careful that the parents down show up and treat your house like a hotel also!

And that's the best that can happen.........at some point one of the parents may find this a perfect opportunity for some money-pitt-activities. In my home never and I mean never a child without an adult (read: father, mother, aunt, uncle, whatever).

I know......very bad thoughts, but that's what I've learned over the time I've been here.

[pacovl46]

This sucks so bad!!!

[johnlandy]

Disgusted with the electric company. They also do not consider that maybe in some houses people might be on vital medical equipment. Recently I got cut off, never got a bill, was in the house my phone number on the meter. No questions asked no service. Immediately went to pay; it took them 5 hours to re connect. It would make life easier for them and the users if there was a warning service.

I agree that this is a very distressing occurrence but at the end of the day the mother for whatever reason is solely responsible for the deaths of her children.

Electricity bills come out regularly and she would have been aware (should have been aware) that one was due.

Natives of the realm are notorious for pushing the envelope too far, not paying their bills on time, living beyond their means, borrowing on one credit card to pay another when it falls due.

Maybe historically she was always late, maybe she had received warnings in the past.

Are we gonna get into the situation where the supply authority has to change the diapers.

People have responsibilities and if they fail to meet or honour them they cannot move their culpability on to someone else.

If all the do-gooders here could come up with some positive "PREVENTATIVE MEASURES" their time might be better spent.

Having said the foregoing, it grieves me to think of these two children, but at the end of the day I didn't create all the problems here and I sure as he!! am not responsible for fixing them.

[meatboy]

Disgusted with the electric company. They also do not consider that maybe in some houses people might be on vital medical equipment. Recently I got cut off, never got a bill, was in the house my phone number on the meter. No questions asked no service. Immediately went to pay; it took them 5 hours to re connect. It would make life easier for them and the users if there was a warning service.

I agree that this is a very distressing occurrence but at the end of the day the mother for whatever reason is solely responsible for the deaths of her children.

Electricity bills come out regularly and she would have been aware (should have been aware) that one was due.

Natives of the realm are notorious for pushing the envelope too far, not paying their bills on time, living beyond their means, borrowing on one credit card to pay another when it falls due.

Maybe historically she was always late, maybe she had received warnings in the past.

Are we gonna get into the situation where the supply authority has to change the diapers.

People have responsibilities and if they fail to meet or honour them they cannot move their culpability on to someone else.

If all the do-gooders here could come up with some positive "PREVENTATIVE MEASURES" their time might be better spent.

Having said the foregoing, it grieves me to think of these two children, but at the end of the day I didn't create all the problems here and I sure as he!! am not responsible for fixing them.

another one with no heart,when my wf.was 13 she had 2brothers and a sister to bring up when her mother died,go and see how young kids are looking after their younger bros. and sisters.either you dont live here or you go about with your nose in the air.

[Heng]

Sad indeed. But it's the parents and children's fault. Circumstances can change of course... but far too many people who can't afford children have them. If you can't afford to pay your electric bill, you're in that category.

oh my god what hole did you crawl out of,go and find the father if he's alive,he might have something do do with those 2 children comeing into this world.rip in heaven little ones.

Yeah, I did say 'parents' didn't I?

yes you did say parents but if you read it through you will see its said she is a

SINGLE PARENT.

Yeah, and there's another one out there somewhere who shares the blame as well whether he knows it or not.

[Heng]

Now, if the electric company cut off this family's power by mistake (for instance cutting off the service to house A instead of ... I'd be all for 'public outcry' and civil and criminal charges.

This is like blaming the phone company for loss of life because they couldn't call the fire department (because they didn't pay the phone bill).

[drdoom6996]

candles in a wood house.......

No education and no parents at home. What would you have done at that age? We can't know as we had schools to educate us and parents that cared about us.

[Frank James]

"Sad indeed. But it's the parents and children's fault. Circumstances can change of course... but far too many people who can't afford children have them. If you can't afford to pay your electric bill, you're in that category. "

There's been a lot of stiff competition, but this remark gets my vote for the most outrageously boorish post of the week, so far.

Sitting on my hands now, so as not to get more personal. This is disgusting.

R.I.P. Little ones, and condolence to the mother.

[SteeleJoe]

Yeah, and there's another one out there somewhere who shares the blame as well whether he knows it or not.

We have no way of knowing that. He could be dead, he could not even know he has kids, he could be unable to find those kids...who knows?

I would have almost certainly found some way to leave my kids with a responsible adult if I went to work at night (as I have done before) - especially if there was no power (and especially if I lived in a wooden house and left them with candles and matches to use). But it is to me unnecessarily harsh to assign blame in such a case when no good comes from it.

[Emdog]

Really just too darn sad. And blame game isn't worth the time.

That said.... "Not that we need to point fingers at every tragic even but leaving a 9
and 13 year old child at home for any lengthly amount of time isn't
going to win any parent of the year awards, work or not."

Surprised mother wasn't admonished for not having hired a nanny.... One solution is "Let them eat cake".... then the sugar high will keep them from falling asleep.

[sonar6ca]

candles in a wood house.......

You got better ideas for poor people? Why don't you tell us? we are all ears.

R.I.P kids.

Edited May 23, 2013 by sonar6ca