Tourists left shocked as transformer explodes, ignites Phuket restaurant

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Tourists left shocked as transformer explodes, ignites Phuket restaurant
Eakkapop Thongtub


Aroi Seafood Restaurant on fire around 1am this morning.

PHUKET: -- A fire started when an electric transformer blew up and damaged the Aroi Seafood Restaurant in Patong around 1am this morning (September 6), causing around half a million baht’s worth of damage.

Pol Maj Jakkapong Lueng'on of Kathu Police said police were investigating the cause of the transformer explosion, which set fire to the top storey of the restaurant.

The owner of the restaurant, Mayawee Saejew, 37, said there was a lot of heavy rain and wind last night and she heard a loud bang sound. She panicked and ran outside to see what had happened. By this time the second storey was on fire.

Six fire trucks were sent to the restaurant, which is located on Soi Paisanee Gao, Taweewong Rd, in Patong. By this time there were plenty of shocked tourists around, who watched as firefighters took around 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

An investigation has been started into details of the cause of the fire.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/tourists-left-shocked-as-transformer-explodes-ignites-phuket-restaurant-41762.php


-- Phuket News 2013-09-06

[laurentbkk]

When you see the quality of electric structures in Thailand , you just wonder why it doesnt happen more often. Not to mention , bad construction for such places etc ..... Good there were no dead ...

[nonthaburial]

Exploding transformers are nasty as they are filled with oil, and that being sprayed on a body is a nightmare. I saw it happen twice in Manila

[Guest]

"Tourists left shocked as transformer explodes, ignites Phuket restaurant"

I demand support groups, support telephone numbers and general mental health consulting for the shocked tourists!1!

Seriously TPN, I know you can do better job with the headlines. This one was ridiculous.

[theblether]

It happened outside my hotel in April, unbelievable noise and force of explosion, in fact several explosions. Half an hour later a guy turned up with a cherry picker, picked out the appropriate wires from the spaghetti, repaired it and drove off.

I don't know how they do it, but hey, TiT.

[Aachen]

I know another restaurant, where you can sit you beside a big transformer... I never use the tables on this veranda...

[bobl]

Exploding transformers are nasty as they are filled with oil, and that being sprayed on a body is a nightmare. I saw it happen twice in Manila

Usually, they explode after the oil is stolen. Daily occurrence in my last home city, Dar es Salaam - and in many other African countries.

They use the oil for cooking, believe it or not...

[Jdietz]

That'll stop quickly once they refill them with the proper mineral oil instead of palm oil..

[merijn]

Exploding transformers are nasty as they are filled with oil, and that being sprayed on a body is a nightmare. I saw it happen twice in Manila

Usually, they explode after the oil is stolen. Daily occurrence in my last home city, Dar es Salaam - and in many other African countries.

They use the oil for cooking, believe it or not...

Maybe in Dar es Salaam but i never heard about transformer oil being stolen in Thailand.

Also it would will be difficult due to their location and the fact that they are sealed and can't be opened when under power unless you want to electrocute yourself.

[p_brownstone]

I'd hate to see the Thai policeman in the process of "investigating the cause of the Fire".

"OK" says he "so this wire goes in here?" (Holds it) "and "this wire goes in here?"

Blinding flash.

Next Investigator, please come on down.

Patrick

[ThaiTrav]

When you see the quality of electric structures in Thailand , you just wonder why it doesnt happen more often. Not to mention , bad construction for such places etc ..... Good there were no dead ...

Oh but it does a lot .........In Pattaya I have personally witnessed 4 and they go off like a bomb. One a chicken flew into and somehow shorted it, it blew up at 5am and the ground literally shook . One went off in Walking street early one evening ,whilst it was within 100 metres of us the walking tourist weren't so lucky with hot metal falling down on them .Seriously they are dam dangerous ,it really is a mass explosion ,pity they can't be checked ,as if safety to the public is of any concern at all ...fat chance! Another Blacked out the whole suburb for nearly a whole day.

[ThaiTrav]

Exploding transformers are nasty as they are filled with oil, and that being sprayed on a body is a nightmare. I saw it happen twice in Manila

Usually, they explode after the oil is stolen. Daily occurrence in my last home city, Dar es Salaam - and in many other African countries.

They use the oil for cooking, believe it or not...

Really!!!!...............yuuukkk

[CMfoodie]

Well yes, only the tourists would be shocked!

[Just1Voice]

On at the entrance of our moo baan blew last night around 5:30. I went to bed at midnight and there still wasn't any power.

Apparently they got it fixed sometime after that because we had power when I woke up at 5:30.

But then it was shut off at 8:30 for "repairs", and didn't come back on till 4:15.

[NomadJoe]

Exploding transformers are as ubiquitous to Thailand as Pad Thai and governmental coups. I have seen these things explode so many times over the years here that I now am very aware if I am standing under or near one.

[jackflash]

Power Transformers will occasionally explode most anywhere in the world.

I've seen a few go up in Australia. They make one hell of a bang.

Mostly it's caused by an internal fault. An internal Arc will often generate ferocious TV and radio Interference for a few days before the bang.

In Oz the Electrical companies periodically check with Infra-Red detectors looking for hot spots.

[QualityTouristNumberOne]

It's ok everybody,its a Viral Marketing stunt by Michael Bay for his new film "Transformers,lethal explosives in disguise"

[Davef2912]

Normally when a transformer explodes, there would be a decepticon around. Maybe one of the small ones which can shapeshift into different things...

Edited September 6, 2013 by Davef2912

[Mudcrab]

We need to be mindful if it was in fact a transformer explosion or a high voltage phase to phase fault. I think the article mentioned a lot of rain and wind, could have been a short circuit rather than a transformer explosion. Either way still a shock to bystanders and the possibility of fire.

[leewood]

time to call that farang handyman bloke, he sorts them out!!

[Mudcrab]

It happened outside my hotel in April, unbelievable noise and force of explosion, in fact several explosions. Half an hour later a guy turned up with a cherry picker, picked out the appropriate wires from the spaghetti, repaired it and drove off.

I don't know how they do it, but hey, TiT.

That would have been a high voltage fault where the HV protection relays interrupted the fault, closed the circuit to restore power automatically, responded to the still existing fault and disconnected again (with corresponding explosions).

In some countries this has been banned.

For example a car hits a power pole, the protection relays cut off the power, rescuers go in, and the power comes back on, zaps everybody. Simplistic explanation granted, but it gets the message across.

Edited September 6, 2013 by Mudcrab

[JoeThePoster]

Well yes, only the tourists would be shocked!

Actually they were just disappointed it wasn't Optimus Prime or Bumblebee. Just an ordinary Autobot.

[Mudcrab]

Power Transformers will occasionally explode most anywhere in the world.

I've seen a few go up in Australia. They make one hell of a bang.

Mostly it's caused by an internal fault. An internal Arc will often generate ferocious TV and radio Interference for a few days before the bang.

In Oz the Electrical companies periodically check with Infra-Red detectors looking for hot spots.

It's the transformer bushings or pole mounted insulators that cause the RF,not the transformers as such. And they do many other checks as well as IR. I doubt that you have seen many actual transformer explosions in Australia....or any where else. I've witnessed a couple over the years and all contained within the tank. An insulator destroying itself is pretty good to see (from a distance due to shrapnel).

Many people mistake an explosion around a transformer as a transformer blowing up. This is simply not the case. What they experience is a high voltage fault, which can be pretty spectacular but is not an exploding transformer by any stretch of the imagination. High voltage protection systems are well understood the world over...even in Thailand.

Edited September 6, 2013 by Mudcrab

[Suradit69]

"Tourists left shocked as transformer explodes, ignites Phuket restaurant"

I demand support groups, support telephone numbers and general mental health consulting for the shocked tourists!1!

Seriously TPN, I know you can do better job with the headlines. This one was ridiculous.

"The owner of the restaurant, Mayawee Saejew, 37, said there was a lot of heavy rain and wind last night and she heard a loud bang sound. She panicked and ran outside ..."

Apparently she was one of the tourists in shock.

[Emdog]

Nothing like an ice storm to get those babies a poppin', in my experience. Hmmm but that can't be the reason here. I think this whole report was just to plug the restaurant. Good job naming it, etc. And what are the business hours?

[A1Str8]

It happened outside my hotel in April, unbelievable noise and force of explosion, in fact several explosions.  Half an hour later a guy turned up with a cherry picker, picked out the appropriate wires from the spaghetti, repaired it and drove off.

 

Yeah it remains a mystery to me as well..how they figure out what needs to be done when all they see is millions of cables mixed together.

I guess seeing through chaos is just a matter of practice like anything else.

I don't know how they do it, but hey, TiT.   

Sent from one of my devices using the internet

[Bkungbank]

Egat should have liability cover insurance for user as they charge consumer so high FT

[rosst]

Power Transformers will occasionally explode most anywhere in the world.

I've seen a few go up in Australia. They make one hell of a bang.

Mostly it's caused by an internal fault. An internal Arc will often generate ferocious TV and radio Interference for a few days before the bang.

In Oz the Electrical companies periodically check with Infra-Red detectors looking for hot spots.

Where I live in OZ, the suburban infill that the planners are calling for is creating this problem with demand exceeding original design load.

I am not sure if they have design load in Thailand, all the add ons we see may not be factored in.

Many transformers used to be filled with PCBs, very nasty stuff, highly toxic and a nightmare to dispose of, only very high temperature incineration and with scrubbers on emissions. Be careful of fumes if you are around one of these fires.

[thaibeachlovers]

It happened outside my hotel in April, unbelievable noise and force of explosion, in fact several explosions. Half an hour later a guy turned up with a cherry picker, picked out the appropriate wires from the spaghetti, repaired it and drove off.

I don't know how they do it, but hey, TiT.

Where I live, it is a regular occurance for transformers to explode when it rains heavily. Brownout ensues for about an hour till they fix it.

[Phronesis]

The Tiger Group will welcome this news, and the associated photos. They will use them in the negligence proceedings against them later this year.