British student dies in Chiang Mai balcony fall

[virtualtraveller]

An extraordinary number of people die in Thailand falling off balconies but actually this was not one of them. Tragic malarky from a drunken lad, could've happened in Ireland too.

[mopar71]

Chiang Mai police attended an address at Huay Kaew Road where the body of the deceased, Stephen Timothy Clifford was found. Mr Clifford was a British citizen, from Carryduff, Belfast, born 26 September 1991, aged 21 years, who had arrived in Thailand 30 May 2013.

WARNING! Graphic images

Full story: http://farangdeath.tumblr.com/post/55471987828

OMG, what a website.

[harrry]

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London confirmed staff were providing assistance to Mr Clifford's family.

"We can confirm the death of a British national on July 14 in Thailand," he said.

"We are providing consular assistance to his family at this time."

[Sparkles]

Was drinking at a pub at 5am !!!!says it all doesn't it.I thought all licensed premises, by law, were supposed to be closed hours before that.I hope the pub gets a visit from those supposedly employed to monitor licensed premises.

[darren84310]

Another tragic waste of life and my condolences to the family.

I think it is getting to the point where Thailand need to introduce new building regulations for high rise hotels. Regulations like having the balconies enclosed to prevent accidents like this.

This was NOT a fall from a balcony.... He fell through the roof of a shopping mall that he tried to enter when it was closed.

[metisdead]

Bump:

I believe that is enough nitpicking posts regarding his nationality. It is clearly established on his passport. Further such posts will be removed as they add nothing to this topic.

More posts bickering about nationality have been removed and will continue to be removed. If your post disappears, it is likely for this reason.

[lee b]

RIP ! A tip for Thailand is neve have a room with a balcony. Something bad always happens, its a well known fact !

[TheShockMaster]

RIP ! A tip for Thailand is neve have a room with a balcony. Something bad always happens, its a well known fact !

I've owned an apartment with a large balcony for 7 years. Nothing bad has ever happened in any of the apartments in my condo. Where are you getting your facts? I think if you looked at the overall number of balconies to the number of balcony related deaths, the number of balconies will heavily outweigh the number of deaths.

[chooka]

Another tragic waste of life and my condolences to the family.

I think it is getting to the point where Thailand need to introduce new building regulations for high rise hotels. Regulations like having the balconies enclosed to prevent accidents like this.

This was NOT a fall from a balcony.... He fell through the roof of a shopping mall that he tried to enter when it was closed.

You will have to take that up with the OP, the heading stated "BALCONY" and the attached story never mentioned Kad Suan Kaew. It was only with the assistance of other members on here that further details came to light. I only commented on the original story.

cheers

Edited July 16, 2013 by chooka

[Suradit69]

Another tragic waste of life and my condolences to the family.

I think it is getting to the point where Thailand need to introduce new building regulations for high rise hotels. Regulations like having the balconies enclosed to prevent accidents like this.

This was NOT a fall from a balcony.... He fell through the roof of a shopping mall that he tried to enter when it was closed.

You will have to take that up with the OP, the heading stated "BALCONY" and the attached story never mentioned Kad Suan Kaew. It was only with the assistance of other members on here that further details came to light. I only commented on the original story.

cheers

Yes it seems British journalists find the facts as irrelevant to a story as do some regulars on TV. As someone commented on the newspapers website: "Get your facts together, THEN print the story..." Wise advice indeed.

You have it ALL wrong...He died from falling through a roof, while trying to break into a shopping mall in Chiang Mai, Thailand...NOT from any balcony.. .http://www.chiangraitimes.com/news/17774.html.... Get your facts together, THEN print the story...

[Chicog]

The Belfast Telegraph have now updated their story. The scene of the fall (not a balcony):

[metisdead]

The Belfast Telegraph have now updated their story. The scene of the fall (not a balcony):

Do you have a supportting link for this?

[nachiket]

RIP the soul.

My deepest condolences to the deceased family.

A lots of cases are going on this days of balcony fall.

According to this news report, it was not a balcony fall but an attempted break-in at Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Mall --

http://www.chiangraitimes.com/news/17774.html

Very sad.

[ThaidDown]

Link http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-student-killed-after-plunging-through-the-roof-of-thai-shopping-complex-29421799.html

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Another "shocking" death in Thailand....

[binjalin]

RIP ! A tip for Thailand is neve have a room with a balcony. Something bad always happens, its a well known fact !

with respect to the facts please STOP saying 'balcony' it was the roof of Kaed Suan Kaw shopping center

RIP

a foolish mistake after a drunken row with tragic consequences - there's nothing more to be said frankly - very sad

[BelfastMike]

Terrible news. Carryduff is not far from where I hail from. My heart goes out to the family.

From the reports it sounds like this could have happened anywhere. When the drink's in the whit's out.

I hope the British Consulate can help in dealing with the local authorities and repatriating his remains. Dealing with those arrangements can make a tragedy an even more horrific ordeal.

[jingjoke]

The roofing thru which he appears to have stumbled is the typical asbestos-fiber in a weak cement solution, wavy roof panels, widespread throughout Thailand. This panel becomes brittle over time in the heat or sun such that it becomes not much stronger than eggshell. A friend fell through this roofing on a shed immediately his footing left the steel rib below, upon his turning around.

[chooka]

Another "shocking" death in Thailand....

Shocking yes. It also appears from face value that it was his own doing, a little to much piss.

[orosee]

Post #4 corrects the wrong headline and gives plenty of background. It's an interesting revelation of how many posters don't even bother to check page one of a thread before typing their piece. By interesting I mean sad. If this thread ran to 40 pages, we'd still read about the danger of balconies...

[SinglePot]

http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=2064

for the hard of hearing and for people who can not read can we just confirm in bold capitals:

This has nothing to with balconies and Thai building regulations.

What it has to do with who knows.

But it ain't about balconies.

[rbrooks]

Another tragic waste of life and my condolences to the family.

I think it is getting to the point where Thailand need to introduce new building regulations for high rise hotels. Regulations like having the balconies enclosed to prevent accidents like this.

Life is not important enough in Thailand to warrant such a costly and dramatic change to building codes, never happen my friend.

[Maggusoil]

I am truly amazed that I and a number of my mates lived through not only our teenage years, but our twenties and I'm still doing stuff,

that's dangerous 40 years later. Men do that. Its a man's thing. . . You can't legislate against it. Its IN the man at the time.

It seems like a good thing to do at the time. If its dangerous and there a bit of booze about, it also becomes hilarious, until someone dies.

Then it becomes a tragedy for the friends and family. It happens everywhere, but one would have to suspect that people come to Thailand to

party, which is what they do. All the ingredients are here. The grog, the interesting customs, the availability of suitable partners and away we go.

We're gona have a good time, until it becomes not such a good time anymore.

There has to be some booze reality check, where someone has seven double Jack Daniels in a row and want to fight the Thai kick boxer that just said something nice to his g/f. Pull up, Pull up, MAYBE this is not such a good idea etc

[SinglePot]

Yeah. Just don't blame Thai balconies all the time.

[davejones]

Another tragic waste of life and my condolences to the family.

I think it is getting to the point where Thailand need to introduce new building regulations for high rise hotels. Regulations like having the balconies enclosed to prevent accidents like this.

Maybe people should just stop getting drunk and doing stupid things. That's the real cause of many deaths, not unenclosed balconies. There's enough of a nanny state in the West, so best not to start another here. No point inconveniencing many people just because a few stupid ones exist.

I agree with you but how on earth do we protect people from themselves and doing stupid things that are going to cause great pain to their families. My apologies also as I misinterpreted the story as a balcony fall when it is now clearly not. Why on earth was this guy trying to get into Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Centre?

The answer is that it's not possible to protect everyone from themselves, unless you lock everyone in padded cells. People will always do stupid things and cause great pain to others. It's sad, but that's life.

[Briggsy]

This is what drinking to excess can lead to. Death. Let this be a warning to all.

[SinglePot]

Another tragic waste of life and my condolences to the family.

I think it is getting to the point where Thailand need to introduce new building regulations for high rise hotels. Regulations like having the balconies enclosed to prevent accidents like this.

Maybe people should just stop getting drunk and doing stupid things. That's the real cause of many deaths, not unenclosed balconies. There's enough of a nanny state in the West, so best not to start another here. No point inconveniencing many people just because a few stupid ones exist.

I agree with you but how on earth do we protect people from themselves and doing stupid things that are going to cause great pain to their families. My apologies also as I misinterpreted the story as a balcony fall when it is now clearly not. Why on earth was this guy trying to get into Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Centre?

Because he was off his head?

Jeez.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Another "shocking" death in Thailand....

Shocking yes. It also appears from face value that it was his own doing, a little to much piss.

I was referring more to the fact that he reportedly fell to his death onto/into electrical equipment there.

[annabel]

Not really a 'balcony fall' was it.

Dreadful reporting and headlines.

Sad end to a drunken night out.

AS USUAL .... can't report anything in a clear way !

[swordfisch]

May he rest in peace and his family find some kind of solace.

BUT I could not disagree more than with the below thinking. When the heck does common sense take control. Yes we do stupid things but stupid things can be prevented by common sense. Everyone wants regulate this and that to prevent this or that. Enclose balconies? Give me a break. Where there is a way there is a will an some 'person' is still going to take a dive off a balcony. Leap frog from one balcony to another. You can not regulate everything via laws and building codes.

Another tragic waste of life and my condolences to the family.

I think it is getting to the point where Thailand need to introduce new building regulations for high rise hotels. Regulations like having the balconies enclosed to prevent accidents like this.

couldn't agree more with jgm005.

everybody has to suffer because someone is foolhardy?

how bout LESS rules & regulations?

how bout PERSONAL responsibility?

ain't that why we're all ova here instead of our nanny-state nightmares?