Iranian, American teenagers electrocuted at swimming pool of Bangkok condominium

[joshstiles]

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One has to wonder how many other condos at risk.

WOW....WHO HAS TO WONDER????

ANSWER: All of them!!!!!!!!

[CMCMANGOMAN]

Irony is: As a retired US mechanical engineer with licensed experience dealing with properly designed electrical supply systems for both commecial and residential buildings I am persona-non-grata as far as a consultant for such things in Thailand. Even if I showed up and wanted to help for free I could not do it. They'd kick me out of the country for "working" illegally. I have coined it "Thai-rony" in musings to myself as I walk around observing pre-accidents. TIT.

[Strangebrew]

Rest in peace young men and to the fried who tried to save other you will be missed. Now to the issue here reguarding safety I had breakers installed in my condo and wiring grounded also they did such a piss poor job on wiring that neighbors condo caught fire from electrial wiring mishap. Got the builders to pay for the repair work done on my. But had to watch them repair my wiring like a hawk. And double checked there work.

[shaurene]

Here we go with the probably non earthing in Thailand

[Torrens54]

My deepest sympathies to all concerned.

Oddly enough it was only a few hours ago, that my wife complained about my habit of PULLING THE PLUG of all electrical appliances from power-boards after use.

She said that I should just turn the switch off and leave the plug in place.

Despite us having spent a lot of money having the house re-wired and new 3-pin Electrical outlets with On/Off switches installed, we still get POWER LEAKAGE. I demonstrated this to her and she now understands. I think she will have an even greater understanding of how Slack Thai so-called Electricians are, when she reads the above article.

[banagan]

Holy shit, that's messed up! I remember reading a big tragedy in Siem Reap about 2 years ago. Big festival, bad planning, small bridge, too many people, crappy wiring on the bridge and cops with water cannons.

General electrical wires out on the street are pretty comical looking at times, and bloody dangerous. I was in Salad Concept a few months back when a crazy storm kicked up, a transformer across the road exploded, no one was hurt.

You'd think they'd be a bit more careful with electricity and swimming pools. Sure, developers will cut corners everywhere, but this is taking the piss.

Very tragic.

[tomyumchai]

i bought a washing machine from homepro, with free install. i hacked out the wall and changed the pipe fittings from 'pointing 6 inches out from the wall' to 'turned 90 degrees to the right'. this saves the machine sitting 2 foot away from the wall. i also hacked out the un-earthed shaver socket and refitted an rcd.

the fitter turned up and noticed id modified the socket. he plugged it in, took a photo of it working and left.

2 hours later i get a phone call from homepro saying that because i had fitted an rcd the warranty on the machine was void. how can you work with that level of stupidity?

[Jordanian]

Right. Thailand. Land of Smiles. First World country. Asian Tiger.

Two kids who didn't have to go but did because some a**hole contractor did a crap grounding job and probably charged (no pun intended) double for it while kicking back 50% to his building manager buddy.

[peecee]

Swimming pool with high voltage lighting, no RCDs, no earthing - An accident waiting to happen. When will these people ever learn?

Most Thai electricians have never heard of a Residual Current Detector or the need for an earth circuit, sad but this will continue to happen without government legislation.

[DeanWeen]

In Thailand I always touch any thing metal with the back of my hand first

I've never heard of this before. What does it do (or not do)? And why?

I don't think it's Thai-bashing to tell the truth, which is that the safety standards in this country -- including electrical -- are undeniably shoddy. The clock on our microwave can't tell the right time, which is something about currents not matching up, if I understood the electrical engineer who lives next door correctly. Whenever we get new pool lights installed, they burn out in a week or two, and the maintenance guys simply don't know how to deal with it. We've been living in our house only 18 months, and I can't count how many times someone's been over here to "fix" some electrical issue. (Water is another.)

[H1w4yR1da]

Sad that some people will use any occasion, no matter how sad, as an opportunity to bash Thais.

Sad that some people constantly refer to deserved criticism as 'bashing', no matter how deserved. As if Thais are some master race above any forms of blame or holding to account.

[stickylies]

I suppose the response from the condo managers will be 'if they had not been in Thailand it would not have happened"

nah, they didn't wear buddhist amulets: farang no understand...

[Loles]

OHHHHHHHHHHHH my God,

pool light must to be low voltage (24 V) with contact-breaker.

Some-one who put there high voltage lamp is an idiot and do take this animal to the court, where he can say the ordinary dumb text: solly, solly krab.

The Iranian was a hero, tried to save his American mate. I hope the politicians listen to this guide.

[DrTuner]

Touching metal with the back of your hand lets you jump back upon shock. Grabbing with your fingers causes your muscles to contract and get a vice-like grip on the hot item, leading to electrocution.

If you absolutely must get someone who is trapped in a live circuit loose and don't have anything insulating, such as a jacket to put between you and him, the best way I can think of is to do it american football style, ie. ram the victim with high speed while jumping in the air. It's still very, very risky.

[paulsr]

Sad story, but there's seomthing odd about it. "Hosseini tried to pull him from the lamp pole but the two were electrocuted."

If this was AC power, don't you get thrown away from the thing you touch? With DC power you get stuck to the item you touched, as does anyone who touches you. Doesn't this imply the pool lamp was DC?

Why would the pool lighting be DC?

[selftaopath]

I remember when we had some gates welded,they plugged the arc welder into a plug socket in the house,which flipped the cutout every 2 seconds,when i suggested the plug it in in the hair salon,next to the house,which has a seperate fuse box etc from the house and no other appliances running,all i got was" my pen rai" i told my wife it will be a problem if they burn out the house wiring,that's why i suggest using the salon",no,this Thailand is different" she told me ,i blew my top and yelled at them that they knew F#$@ all,and unplugged the welder and told them to come back next day with a generator,so what did they do next day,wire the welder directly to the power pole, no thought of safety what so ever,i am no expert,but i am sure a large arc welder is not designed to be plugged in to a household socket,with these kind of attitudes, no wonder these poor lads were electrocuted,is there even such a thing as a licence for electricians in Thailand,it would seem not.

I say the entire Thai government is to blame, because the country has no enforced - or few - laws. No rule of law and lack of common sense are are the norm in Lack of Sanctions (LOS).

And Thais say they are concerned about "image" i.e. face???????????? I think the only concern is about money.

[tezzainoz]

Rest in peace young men and to the fried who tried to save other you will be missed. Now to the issue here reguarding safety I had breakers installed in my condo and wiring grounded also they did such a piss poor job on wiring that neighbors condo caught fire from electrial wiring mishap. Got the builders to pay for the repair work done on my. But had to watch them repair my wiring like a hawk. And double checked there work.

Fuses or breakers will not save lives

for full info go to

http://www.masterelectricians.com.au/page/Tips__Home_Improvement_Ideas/Safety_Switches/Safety_Switches_FAQs/

every home should have an RCD

Edited May 30, 2014 by tezzainoz

[tezzainoz]

i bought a washing machine from homepro, with free install. i hacked out the wall and changed the pipe fittings from 'pointing 6 inches out from the wall' to 'turned 90 degrees to the right'. this saves the machine sitting 2 foot away from the wall. i also hacked out the un-earthed shaver socket and refitted an rcd.

the fitter turned up and noticed id modified the socket. he plugged it in, took a photo of it working and left.

2 hours later i get a phone call from homepro saying that because i had fitted an rcd the warranty on the machine was void. how can you work with that level of stupidity?

May be they felt that RCDs are required to be fitted at the meter box (main switchboard) or distribution board for the residence.

[bdenner]

Touching metal with the back of your hand lets you jump back upon shock. Grabbing with your fingers causes your muscles to contract and get a vice-like grip on the hot item, leading to electrocution.

If you absolutely must get someone who is trapped in a live circuit loose and don't have anything insulating, such as a jacket to put between you and him, the best way I can think of is to do it american football style, ie. ram the victim with high speed while jumping in the air. It's still very, very risky.

Good advise re, removing a person in distress. But I, for one, only uses the back of hand when in doubt. How many of us do it day to day when using electrical appliances, tools or whilst at work etc. NOT ME! And I've been zapped on more times than I care to remember.

[mojorison]

sympathies to the families, again we see the thai "electricians" quality of work, if you can move your fingers you qualify but then this applies to all aspects of building

Sad that some people will use any occasion, no matter how sad, as an opportunity to bash Thais.

Although this could happen in many other 2nd and 3rd world countries, it would not occur in a developed country without serious prison time and monumental compensation. Unfortunately it is a trait common amongst the Thais that makes this kind of thing unimportant, tolerable and even excusable. It is a global developmental issue, it is not Thai bashing. It is critical, yes, and so it should be.

[slygeeza]

never touch anything metal with electricity inside it in Thailand, Ive had a few good shocks myself from lamp posts etc

[DrTuner]

Here's an example of Isaan lighting design and electric craftsmanship:

[bdenner]

Sad story, but there's seomthing odd about it. "Hosseini tried to pull him from the lamp pole but the two were electrocuted."

If this was AC power, don't you get thrown away from the thing you touch? With DC power you get stuck to the item you touched, as does anyone who touches you. Doesn't this imply the pool lamp was DC?

Why would the pool lighting be DC?

Most all DC lighting is 24 Volts, one would have to be hyper sensitive to feel it! AND YES, pool lighting is normally 24 VDC in any sort of reasonably well engineered situation whether it be sub surface, decorative or surround..

[JohnThailandJohn]

Although this could happen in many other 2nd and 3rd world countries, it would not occur in a developed country without serious prison time and monumental compensation. Unfortunately it is a trait common amongst the Thais that makes this kind of thing unimportant, tolerable and even excusable. It is a global developmental issue, it is not Thai bashing. It is critical, yes, and so it should be.

I think that is a bit harsh,being American one would not expect a lamp installed in his own country in such a position would electrocute you as it would have been installed in a proper manner,which this one it seems was not.

April 17 2014 http://www.local10.com/news/south-fla-boy-electrocuted-by-pool-light-while-swimming/25538944

May 22 2014 http://www.wsvn.com/story/25590167/video-released-of-children-electrocuted-at-community-pool

May 9 2014 http://myfox8.com/2014/05/09/community-to-host-event-to-honor-11-year-old-electrocuted-in-a-lexington-pool/

Edited May 30, 2014 by JohnThailandJohn

[CMCMANGOMAN]

i bought a washing machine from homepro, with free install. i hacked out the wall and changed the pipe fittings from 'pointing 6 inches out from the wall' to 'turned 90 degrees to the right'. this saves the machine sitting 2 foot away from the wall. i also hacked out the un-earthed shaver socket and refitted an rcd.

the fitter turned up and noticed id modified the socket. he plugged it in, took a photo of it working and left.

2 hours later i get a phone call from homepro saying that because i had fitted an rcd the warranty on the machine was void. how can you work with that level of stupidity?

You're right, you were stupid. Next time just install it yourself but accept the free delivery from Homepro. Once the item is delivered qnd unboxed I tell them to get out and they can keep the water my wife gave them for free. No charge. TIT.

[marko kok prong]

Sad that some people will use any occasion, no matter how sad, as an opportunity to bash Thais.

Sad that some people constantly refer to deserved criticism as 'bashing', no matter how deserved. As if Thais are some master race above any forms of blame or holding to account.

Totally agree,but suradit is of the more thai than thai brigade,so i would have expected nothing less.

[kevin2852]

My condolences to the Hosseini and Dougherty families and friends. These poor kids would have barely known what hit them.Wet, covered in Chlorinated water and so hellishly conductive to a good earth that even an ELCBR could not have turned off the power fast enough to avoid killing them. The only difference might have been that one may have lived. Poolside illumination should always be low voltage and preferably DC, It must not be forgotten though, that accidents like this are not confined to Thailand, and happen in every country in the world. That takes nothing away from the tragedy or from the needed continuing attempts to make sure that they cannot happen. May they Rest in Peace

[ihightower]

RIP

I think these are the 2 boys.. from facebook... as both are from bangkok.. and friends of each other with names in this topic.

https://www.facebook.com/jack.hos.570

https://www.facebook.com/paul.dougherty.792

Edited May 30, 2014 by ihightower

[RigPig]

You people make me laugh !!!

Look at your own houses, I am an Electrical Field Foreman in Saudi Arabia in charge of 6 oil rigs, I DO understand electricity. How many of you have appliances with the 2 round pins and the hole in it for the Earth connection (which can't connect) and still use them?

Do you REALLY expect Somchai, from the rice paddy to understand electricity? He is all you are going to get for 200 to 500 baht a day. There are electricians in this country who actually know what they are doing but hey are making $4000 a month.

You want European standards and safety but don't want to pay for it !! And on top of that you wont use your own common sense to ensure your own safety !!!

Well guess what YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR !!

I am in the process of helping a friend have his house wired and although the electrician doesn't seem stupid, his lack of understanding is mind boggling, he didn't even know you could solder wires to make a join !! (until I showed him).

The price of a combined MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker) / RCD (Residual Current Device) in this country is more than double of that in Australia, and I am talking $40 to $110, no wonder no one uses them !! (I have done the home work and have both quotes). Trying to buy stranded cables here (which are the norm now in Australia) is not impossible but it as sure as Dickin's isn't easy I still haven't got it in my hand yet).

The power distribution system in this country from my own observation is actually very good. Too good, the transformers are grounded. The "mess" you see out there is the telecommunications system, not electric. They actually have standards, and appear to follow them. The problem is there appears to be no standards for the home, after the meter it is a "free for all". If I am wrong and someone has a copy of household electrical standards PLEASE send them to me.

So how much is your life worth? Would you pay $100 for a DOT approved helmet when you ride your bike? or do you wear an ice cream bucket because you can? Would you pay me my travelling and accommodation costs from Phuket and let's say $50 an hour to make sure your electrical installation is safe (not fixing it just inspecting and testing it)?

I am VERY sorry that 2 young lives were taken before their time , but ALL of you are just a culpable, put up or shut up !!! Don't just turn a blind eye, do something about it !! Put your money where your mouth is......

[mojorison]

Although this could happen in many other 2nd and 3rd world countries, it would not occur in a developed country without serious prison time and monumental compensation. Unfortunately it is a trait common amongst the Thais that makes this kind of thing unimportant, tolerable and even excusable. It is a global developmental issue, it is not Thai bashing. It is critical, yes, and so it should be.

I think that is a bit harsh,being American one would not expect a lamp installed in his own country in such a position would electrocute you as it would have been installed in a proper manner,which this one it seems was not.

April 17 2014 http://www.local10.com/news/south-fla-boy-electrocuted-by-pool-light-while-swimming/25538944

May 22 2014 http://www.wsvn.com/story/25590167/video-released-of-children-electrocuted-at-community-pool

May 9 2014 http://myfox8.com/2014/05/09/community-to-host-event-to-honor-11-year-old-electrocuted-in-a-lexington-pool/

Yes I know they happen in developed countries, my point was that they do not go uninvestigated with zero accountability.