Beware Of The Palm Trees At Pools

[monitorlizard]

I just had to share our experience today at the nice hotel Novotel Rayong. We had a nice lunch there. Afterwards, we decided to let our 5 month daughter go for a quick swim.

Well, my wife changed my daughter into her swim suit. I was just about to sit in the very same chair but move down a few. About 1 minute after my wife took our daughter into the pool, a giant branch of the tree fell down right in the middle of the chair.

Luckily, no one was hurt. Many tourists came running over as our daughter was screaming due to the noise. Of course my wife was freaking out that it would have killed our daughter if she was late 60 seconds.

I went inside to ask for the manager as I thought it would be prudent to report the condition of the trees around the pool area. The woman behind the desk, dialed a number and saif the manager was gone. I told he r what happened and she promptly came out to the pool area. She said a branch fell down. I said yes it did and our daughter's clothes is lying under that 50 kilo branch on the deck chair.

Dont' you think it would be a good idea to check the rest of the branches? And maybe block off this area? Thank you was her reply and she hurried off to her duties back to her desk. Meanwhile, the grounds people quickly brought a wheel barrow and hauled the branch away and swept the area clean.

I looked around at the circle of sick looking trees and wondered if these people will take any preventative steps.

Anyway, I just wanted to warn people about sitting near palm trees (no these trees did not contain any coconuts).

I couldn't help thinking that if this was a hotel in the West that there would have been enquires if my wife and baby were alright, a few apologies given, and prompt steps taken to ensure that this accident would not happen again.

Sad to say, the staff wanted to cover it up and pretend it never happened. It makes me wonder if carelessness causes serious injuries in LOS.

Anyway, please be careful about sitting near pools at hotel. Look up should be your first rule of them. We have a photo of our childs clothes under the branch and my wife wanted to send it to the newspaper (Thai) but I told her not to. I will send a letter to the GM. Maybe this will help.

[Bluecat]

Hmmm, I would say you were quite unlucky and please do not make any golden rule based on your experience.

It unfortunately can happen and especially in a tropical country but it could happen anywhere,...

But anyway, it happens to you and you are right to be upset about it but do not think it is a frequent occurence,...

[Phil Conners]

"welcome to thailand". I think you could probably find hotels here who would make a fuss but by and large what you report is my general observation here. "Nothing happend, so what' the big deal?"

[markt]

Similar thing happened to us last November at the Palm Villa, Pattaya, although i think it was a rotten coconut that almost landed on my head.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Similar thing happened to us last November at the Palm Villa, Pattaya, although i think it was a rotten coconut that almost landed on my head.

You sat under a coconut tree Mark ???

[Dove]

My experience in Thailand is that complain or feedback doesn't work. They tend to avoid the issue. My opinion is that it is a waste of time trying to give feedback and putting forth suggestions, they take it as a complain and all channels are blocked after that. Too many times I note that they have taken feedback with offence although they were always polite about it but always appear rather annoyed when discussing the issue with their colleagues.

And for the new expats who are fascinated by the sight of coconuts please remember that coconuts also come under the influence of gravity. If Netwon were to be alive and had witnessed the fall of the coconut the law of physics would have dictated a higher acceleration for gravity.

I recall some Danish friends of mine who were in Philipines when a typhoon struck. They told me that the cocnuts were like cannon balls flying around. One actually made a whole in the roof.

Oh yes one more fruit tree one would have to look out for-The Durian-a prickly fruit which could weigh about 3 kg. I recalled once when I visited a hospital and there was a soldier in bed with his head bandaged. A Durian had fallen on his head while on exercise. Obviously he was goofing below a Durian tree.

[monitorlizard]

Hmmm, I would say you were quite unlucky and please do not make any golden rule based on your experience.

I beg to differ with you bluecat. I think we were very lucky! You bet that this experience will become a golden rule in my book! I will always look up to see if any trees look unhealthy and if there are any coconuts in them and its location to the beach chairs.

I love it here in Thailand and I love the Thais. However, I don't think I would be amiss if I pointed out that "common sense" is not a strong character trait here in Thailand. It makes me laugh actually. I strongly believe that if I didn't that I would become bitter and become insane!

You most probably right that the staff probably considered it critical and blocked my suggestions. I was not angry or loud but politely suggested that they block the area off and check the remainder of the trees. I must point out that 2 palm trees were dead and 3-4 others looked suspect (after the incident).

We are gone but I hope that the German children playing in the area and yes sitting in the deck chairs will be alright. Hopefully the throng of French and German tourists will worn others about sitting in the area. Maybe the manager will send the gardening staff to trim the trees.

Anyway, TIT.

[NedKelly]

Monitorlizard youhave every right to be upset and to demand an explanation from the hotel manager. This is a hotel with international guests and the pool area is a public area with a concentration of guests at various times. It is the responsibility and 'duty of care' of the hotel owners and management to ensure that guests are safe.

Any manager of such a leisure facility worth his/her weight should be aware of internationl conventions on safety, which would include close inspections of the trees around the pool as 'falling limbs' is definitely a risk which is 'reasonably forseeable' ! Which means if your average person in the street can think to themselves, "oh that tree's limbs could fall on me" then that is reasonable and management should know to check.

There have been cases in the west where people have been injured or killed after being hit by falling tree branches whil ein a park. Even a national park where there could be loads of trees. Litigation has been brought down on the authorities involved and they were found guilty of negligence in not having a program to check the limbs of trees especially in the vicinity of public area where people may congregate such as play grounds or like the hotel, a pool area.

If you have no luck with the manager you can send your complaint to the company that is the mother company of Novotel and several other brands in Thailand and the region. Accor - 22/f,Wall St Tower, 33/116 SurawongseRoad, Bangkok, 10500.

Fax: 02 237 2306.

[markt]

Similar thing happened to us last November at the Palm Villa, Pattaya,  although i think it was a rotten coconut that almost landed on my head.  

You sat under a coconut tree Mark ???

Acording to the wife it was not a coconut. It was a big green round thing. She doesn't know what it is called.

The tables & chairs around the Palm Villa swimming pool are underneath trees.

[chanchao]

> Acording to the wife it was not a coconut. It was a big green round

> thing. She doesn't know what it is called.

:-) That's a coconut. ;-) For some reason Westerns seem to think that coconuts grow in trees already readily burnt & peeled & dark brown. ;-)

Anyway: Nothing happened, what's the big deal. Does it matter if you miss a potentially lethal event by 10 seconds, 10 hours, or 10 months? Branches fall of trees, that's nature.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[markt]

Anyway: Nothing happened, what's the big deal.  Does it matter if you miss a potentially lethal event by 10 seconds, 10 hours, or 10 months?  Branches fall of trees, that's nature.

Cheers,

Chanchao

I suppose us "westerns" take our personal safety too seriously.

Flattened by falling thing from tree in hotel complex, mai pen rai.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Anyway: Nothing happened, what's the big deal.   Does it matter if you miss a potentially lethal event by 10 seconds, 10 hours, or 10 months?   Branches fall of trees, that's nature.

Cheers,

Chanchao

I suppose us "westerns" take our personal safety too seriously.

Flattened by falling thing from tree in hotel complex, mai pen rai.

Now you are getting cleverer Mark

[markt]

The irony being we were not staying at the Palm Villa, we were visiting a friend who always stays there when in Ptty.

His reason for choosing the Palm Villa is that the pool seating area is underneath the trees. And it was me who almost got clobbered!

"Hey Udo, stay at the Ptty Center next time!"

[Bluecat]

His reason for choosing the Palm Villa is that the pool seating area is underneath the trees.

Typically farang, people want the shade and relative coolness provided by the trees but at the same time can not accept that nature follows its own rules,...

Branches can fall and will fall eventually,...

Should the management send a small Thai boy on the trees every day so that he can check the solidity of the branches?

Maybe, maybe not,...

Can YOU check before you sit?

Probably not, ....

[markt]

Get in a tree surgeon.

Hey, there's a thought!

[Bluecat]

Get in a tree surgeon.

Hey, there's a thought!

So many people asked us for job opportunities in Thailand.

Please consider tree health care, potential is enormous,...

[markt]

I'm sure one day it will be as popular with the Farangs as the bar game.

Instead of sending men up in the trees with a chainsaw they could send bikini-clad girls clamouring after lady drink tickets.

Well, anything is possible in Ptty!

[Bluecat]

Instead of sending men up in the trees with a chainsaw they could send bikini-clad girls

Sure, some business opportunities there. But I would guess it would have to be an all men hotel,...

[markt]

But I would guess it would have to be an all men hotel,...

But NOT located in Pttylnd 3!