Phuket death bungee ordered closed indefinitely

[manxcay]

Moral of the story, stay the hell away from all increased risk activities in Thailand. Nearly everything there is dangerous, even the unearthed electric.

[auric22]

Usual conflicting story.

Did the line break ? or did the line slip from his ankles ?

All written in 1 story. Who writes this nonsense ? Does the author know what he is writing ?

This is an insult to be fed this non-news.

They have been open 13 years and there are no govt regulations to ensure the business is safe, fully insured and regularly inspected? This is clear malfesance by local and national officials.

[ableguy]

Well till next week.

regards Worgeordie

Got to agree on that one ,happy they covered all medical expenses, how much does a trip to the morgue cost ?. Amazing Thailand. The cheapest thing here is life.

[schvonsky1]

What about criminal charges against the operator of this bungee? Manslaughter, gross negligence?

Probably just a slap on the wrist and a small fine.

This guy will be working as a tuk tuk driver next week.

yes without fail there will be no big fines like it would be here

In the UK and the family compensated but in Thailand they don't

Give a shit if you die because ur a falang who keeps there corrupt

Country from sinking this I hate about Thailand?????

[Lokie]

Im suprised no one has mentioned the fact that this Bungy Jump site stands right next to the left side of the Patong Municiple Building which also stands right next to the Fire Station, no bearing on accident but would have thought over 13 years someone from the local Govt/Fire dept may have given the establishment a once over or maybe they are not aware that it is there operating without insurance etc... is within a set back vegitated area so maybe no one knew it was there ehh?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Reading this thread....... makes me realise that 95% of everyone on TV forum living on Thai soil hates Thailand.

Something SICK is going on here. Big time.

I think what farangs who live in Thailand really hate is the ever-repeating, and ever un-addressed, senseless loss of life that manifests itself in so many ways here... and the total inability of the authorities here to ever do anything to stop or prevent it, even though it's well within their power. Or, I should add, to meaningfully punish any of those criminally responsible for all the senseless deaths that occur here.

`

Edited May 29, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Dukeleto]

If he's from Kuwait and Muslim then he's in a better place now anyway, partying in paradise with 80 wifes.

80 wives sounds more like Hell to me!

[TimTang]

We have taken care of all medical expenses

Errr ... He's dead Jim.

Let me know if there's any change in his condition.

[Mr Freeze]

Why would you need insurance , when the fine will be , what 5000 baht ?

Dosen't take a lot of working out where the victim hit the ground , unless he had wings !

He didn't fall , he jumped , the clue is in the name !

Flight of the Gibbon may have insurance , but it probably won't cover getting the body home home .

Perhaps the jumper RIP , lied about his weight ? Who rights this sh@t , it just gets worse .

[Mr Freeze]

Why would you need insurance , when the fine will be , what 5000 baht ?

Dosen't take a lot of working out where the victim hit the ground , unless he had wings !

He didn't fall , he jumped , the clue is in the name !

Flight of the Gibbon may have insurance , but it probably won't cover getting the body home .

Perhaps the jumper RIP , lied about his weight ? Who writes this sh@t , it just gets worse .

[neeray]

Reading this thread....... makes me realise that 95% of everyone on TV forum living on Thai soil hates Thailand.

Something SICK is going on here. Big time.

I think 95% might be a little on the high side (like way over the top). There are some pretty anti-Thai members but some of them would bitch about anything in any country they relocated to. They can't hate everything about Thailand that much or else they wouldn't be there ...... they have not been exiled to Thailand. They are there by choice.

But there are many TVF members who express there deep appreciation of Thailand, faults and all.

[fareastguy]

We will take full responsibility. We have taken care of all medical expenses and are waiting to hear from the victim’s family to see what else we can do.

I wonder if that will really happen when a Kuwait sized compensation claim for his untimely death hits the front door carpet ??

As for the so-called investigation into what caused his death that raises an eye-brow...

did the rope slip or break they ask??
I suggest they go and have a look at the rope,

if it's in one piece you could presume it was in-correctly fitted to the man & slipped during the jump.

If it's in two pieces then you could presume it broke during the jump.

It ain't rocket science !!

As for the no-insurance you'd think that when the "operating fee" ( tea money) is collected they'd check for correct & current paperwork which would include insurance, hope that's written into the new law ??
Or is that presuming too much ??

[fareastguy]

Reading this thread....... makes me realise that 95% of everyone on TV forum living on Thai soil hates Thailand.

Something SICK is going on here. Big time.

I think what farangs who live in Thailand really hate is the ever-repeating, and ever un-addressed, senseless loss of life that manifests itself in so many ways here... and the total inability of the authorities here to ever do anything to stop or prevent it, even though it's well within their power. Or, I should add, to meaningfully punish any of those criminally responsible for all the senseless deaths that occur here.

`

Actually it's what keeps me living here & entertained for free on a daily basis !!

If it wasn't for all of the above it would be a boring place to be.. just like the one I left...

Thailand hub of early mortality... long may it continue !

[simon43]

It is almost impossible for the Velcro Bands to open if attached properly.

I know nothing about bungy jumping. But I do know that velcro straps tend to age, such that the 'holding' strength when the 2 sides of velcro are attached to each other, is diminished.

Basically, the velcro hooks no longer make a strong lock with the velcro eyes.

IMHO, you must be mad to trust your life to 2 bits of velcro

[agogohome]

Usual conflicting story.

Did the line break ? or did the line slip from his ankles ?

All written in 1 story. Who writes this nonsense ? Does the author know what he is writing ?

This is an insult to be fed this non-news.

Does the author know what he's writing? Well, it's an article from the Phuket News - so probably not!

[DrTuner]

Thainess - Farangness dictionary:

Indefinite: a couple of months or until either paid for or forgotten.

[DrTuner]

"...building regulations have been used as a guide for setting up bungee jumps which fall under the jurisdiction"

building regulations? no wonder there was an accident. TIT. Another hit for TAT.

Sorry for the victim.

What? People jump off buildings here all the time, having a rope shouldn't break the regulations. Seems appropriate enough.

[neeray]

It is almost impossible for the Velcro Bands to open if attached properly.

I know nothing about bungy jumping. But I do know that velcro straps tend to age, such that the 'holding' strength when the 2 sides of velcro are attached to each other, is diminished.

Basically, the velcro hooks no longer make a strong lock with the velcro eyes.

IMHO, you must be mad to trust your life to 2 bits of velcro

I agree. You'd have to be mad. But I'd add to that, even crazy, nuts, holder of a death wish, suicidal tendencies, desperate for an adrenalin rush.

But that's just my opinion. It seems like thousands of people do it and enjoy it. No thanks.

[grumpyoldman]

Did the one in New Zealand early 90's, the original, AJ Hackett or something I forget. Was over water. I did the big swan dive off the bridge figured if anything happened I'd dive in the water. But all very professional, they weighed you on an actual scale prior,everything on the up-and-up, really quite the thrill, pretty frightening but glad i did it.

Fast forward two years I'm in Patong prior to Jungceylon,they had set up a bungy crane there. I'm looking at this rickety thing and no way man, ain't doing that. British lass and friends with some drinks under their belts pull up. They ask her how much she weighs (no scale), and as some women might do, she fibs it a little. Off she goes, band stretches she misses the little mat,the sound of her head hitting the pavement was like a coconut. Luckily not hard enough to kill her but she's screaming, as a purple egg lump begins to form on her head. Thai operator guys yelling at each other, pandemonium man. Gal was lucky........

[Yann55]

These sports are not called 'extreme sports' for nothing. If you choose to dare the devil, you better be aware that sometimes, the devils wins.

I was born in the Alps, where avalanches, crevasses and unexpected storms regularly swallow up climbers.

In the past it was called bad luck, because that's what it is, and part of the excitment in such a sport is challenging the odds, measuring one's limits, re-evaluating the reality of death and the might of nature.

Nowadays people scream bloody murder with every accident and blame insurances, rescue teams, local authorities, everyone and everything, a totally immature reaction. Extreme sports are not video games.

[spidermike007]

"Meanwhile, the Mayor of Kathu, Chaianan Sutthikul, has denied rumours that he is the real owner of the bungee jump. After the accident people were seen at the bungee facility wearing T-shirts with his name on them"

Sure , he is not the owner and is 100% innocent , let's all believe that .

Small men are very afraid of the truth. Small men use denial to attempt to deceive the masses. Small men use deception to continue enriching themselves at a great cost to humanity. Small men lack vision. Small men become mayors, as a path to massive wealth, without any real regard to the communities they were elected to represent.

[mercman24]

spare a thought for the poor victim in all of this,it would appear he was lifted into the back of a pick-up truck, (with serious injuries to his neck (broken) and body) and driven to the hospital, where upon the lower than life "tow rags" sped away from the hospital after dumping this poor guy there, they deserve a long term in jail, but we know different dont we,. ok maybe it wa a fluke accident, but it was the treatment of the poor soul afterwards, that realy matters.

[Longstaff]

These sports are not called 'extreme sports' for nothing. If you choose to dare the devil, you better be aware that sometimes, the devils wins.

I was born in the Alps, where avalanches, crevasses and unexpected storms regularly swallow up climbers.

In the past it was called bad luck, because that's what it is, and part of the excitment in such a sport is challenging the odds, measuring one's limits, re-evaluating the reality of death and the might of nature.

Nowadays people scream bloody murder with every accident and blame insurances, rescue teams, local authorities, everyone and everything, a totally immature reaction. Extreme sports are not video games.

What absolute nonsense!

I'm a mountaineer, I know about risk in sport.

Bungy jumping is NOT a sport; it's the equivalent of a fairground amusement (and has been classified as such elsewhere) in which the participant has NO responsibility and NO influence whatsoever on the activity undertaken because other than signing up and jumping off (which is fool proof) they DO NOTHING and CANNOT do anything if things go wrong. By comparison diving and rafting are SPORTS because as a participant you'd better DO SOMETHING or things may go wrong very quickly.

Like all fairground amusements a bungy jump is a commercially operated activity that requires careful and knowledgeable engineering and operation. There is absolutely no excuse for a tragedy of this sort. It is most likely either gross or criminal negligence.

See my earlier posts for more information.

[Longstaff]

Usual conflicting story.

Did the line break ? or did the line slip from his ankles ?

All written in 1 story. Who writes this nonsense ? Does the author know what he is writing ?

This is an insult to be fed this non-news.

They have been open 13 years and there are no govt regulations to ensure the business is safe, fully insured and regularly inspected? This is clear malfesance by local and national officials.

Check my earlier posts on this.

This is a VERY minor activity globally. Even in countries like New Zealand where it started and where it remains a major tourist attraction, local and national officials generally lack the expertise to meaningfully inspect technical equipment (they can easily check processes against operational codes). When accidents occur they bring in experts FROM THE INDUSTRY because they know best and have collectively written the national technical and operational codes.

New Zealand is way ahead of the pack in many adventure activities but only specifically REGULATED them recently and is still in the initial implementation phase.

[Longstaff]

Why would you need insurance , when the fine will be , what 5000 baht ?

Dosen't take a lot of working out where the victim hit the ground , unless he had wings !

He didn't fall , he jumped , the clue is in the name !

Flight of the Gibbon may have insurance , but it probably won't cover getting the body home .

Perhaps the jumper RIP , lied about his weight ? Who writes this sh@t , it just gets worse .

Generally speaking, insurance covers:

Your legal / court costs. Obviously can be huge for a criminal case and / or coronial inquest.

Compensation awarded by the court if you are found liable (can be millions). This can include the victim if they survived the accident, or their surviving family, and bystanders traumatized by the event (consequential damages) including your employees.

Fines imposed by the court (in some countries this cannot legally be insured)

Obviously this all depends on whether prosecution proceedings are initiated by the Police or the government mandated workplace safety body or by the victim / their family etc.

In New Zealand you can be hit three times - the Police (if a criminal act is thought to have taken place; the threshold for this is pretty high), the Department of Labour (responsible for prosecuting employers who do not fulfill their duty of care under health and safety legislation), the Coroner (who can only make recommendations, but who can still put you through the mill and expose you for all to see) ....that's potentially THREE court hearings, though in reality if the Police have a successful prosecution the Dep't of Labour will back off because the job has essentially been done, leaving the Coroner to dig deeply into all facets of the accident and make recommendations to prevent recurrence.

That's why Public Liability Insurance can be expensive, but covers you for millions.

It pays to remember though, that even in western nations where the roads are safer than here, you are probably at more risk in your car or swimming at the beach than doing a bungy jump!

[remaxtony]

Their is no insurance for some homemade bungee jumping as no insurance is that stupid to issue a policy to those kind of fly by night operations.

The only one of which I know have insurance is Flight of the Gibbon and some ZipLine operators.

Bungee jumping has no insurance but if the Kuwaiti would have bought a Travel Insurance or lets hope he book his flight on a credit card he might be covered.

There is insurance in Thailand for Bungy jumping operations. I know this for a fact.

Secondly, this business was open for 13 years....what gives you the idea that it was a "homemade" and fly by night operation? Exactly what does that mean?

They should have had insurance, and they could have had insurance. None of that matters for the deceased, but possibly for his family.

Also in reply to other posts, the "Jungle Bungy Jump" in Phuket is a different operation than this one. It is run by a Kiwi. I believe this operation that had the accident was Thai owned.

[bander]

1.insurance? NO

2.the Thai owner in jail yet?,NO

3.what amount of has been paid so far for damages and compensation? ZERO

Exactly, Thainess on it's best.

[slipperylobster]

Many other positive things to do, than defying death in Thailand.

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Many other positive things to do, than defying death in Thailand.

Yeah, like riding a motorcycle!

[MAJIC]

Closed Permanently,would be far better than closed indefinately IMO!