Girl, 10, survives electric shock at Phuket viewpoint
Eakkapop Thongtub


The reportedly girl suffered the electric shock while posing for a photo at the popular view point.

PHUKET: -- Workers scoured the viewpoint at Khao Rang (Rang Hill) over looking Phuket Town yesterday (June 22) to make sure the tourist hotspot was safe after a 10-year-old girl was hospitalised for electric shock on Sunday.

Phuket resident “Mr Somrit”, who asked to withhold his surname, said that he took his wife and two children, aged 10 and 6, to the hilltop to enjoy the view of the city and take pictures.

“I was taking a picture of my family when my daughter placed her hand on the safety rail. She went into a convulsion and collapsed,” he said.

“We had no idea what had happened. We couldn’t find a pulse and rushed her to Vachira Phuket Hospital.”

His daughter is now fine, but still under observation, he added.

City workers were notified and quickly went to the scene, where they soon identified the source of the electric shock as a loose power supply connection at the base of a lamp beside the safety rail. The power wires were encased in an electrical box that had been recently damaged.

“Maybe someone kicked the base and damaged the electrical box at the base of the lamppost,” one official said.

The workers returned yesterday to check all other power connections at the site, and to fully seal the lamp connector box.

Santi Pawai, the director of the Phuket office of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, visited the girl in hospital yesterday, before joining the officials inspecting the viewpoint.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/girl-10-survives-electric-shock-at-phuket-viewpoint-52897.php

-- Phuket News 2015-06-23

That should not happen....will there be accountability?

Scary stuff. There is a very casual attitude to electricity here, but the number of victims still doesn't make people take it very serious.

PS: the caption under the photo is a result of the equally casual attitude toward proof reading.

No concealed conduit to run wiring to lamp posts?

Shocking story!

Very lucky she didn't die.
So many people die - especially children - here because of electrical faults that wouldn't happen if wiring were properly installed and maintenance work done.
And there is NEVER any accountability.
Google electric shock death Thailand.
Shameful, along with the horrific road-death toll.
And our self-appointed PM prioritizes controlling lottery ticket prices, beach umbrellas placements and chasing `thought' criminals.

The main problem was that the "safety" rail was not grounded. Can certainly not meet electric standards if elctricl lamp post were installed nearby. Potentially lethal.

Shocking story!

I was waiting for that.

...or maybe it was just slipshod workmanship......

it happens all the time, something is broken, instead of fixing, just put some electrical tape on it

Ground the rails and change to RCD breakers. The same with swimming pools; don't assume the pool water is always grounded.

That should not happen....will there be accountability?

There is no Thai word for accountability.

There is no Thai word for consequences.

This is why nothing changes.

That should not happen....will there be accountability?

In Thailand NO.

Ground the rails and change to RCD breakers. The same with swimming pools; don't assume the pool water is always grounded.

RCD breakers????....Arai Wah!!!......Sorry...no have in Thailand......!

This has happened tens of thousands of times.....Lucky she lived.

Real codes? Real Inspections? Real fines for violations?

Most people are a milliamp away from death and they dont even know it.

Lets fine for this or that.

It wouldn't happen in the west.

There should be a law.

Why don't all of you whiners (with 1000s of posts) go back to where you're safe.

I love it here, "just the way it is".

There must surely be more accountability?

Lets fine for this or that.

It wouldn't happen in the west.

There should be a law.

Why don't all of you whiners (with 1000s of posts) go back to where you're safe.

I love it here, "just the way it is".

I havent made 1000's of post's, just hope that someone in the future does not have to say, He loved it here..just the way it was!

Whats wrong in being concerned about safety for Thais , ex pats, and tourist alike!!

Ground the rails and change to RCD breakers. The same with swimming pools; don't assume the pool water is always grounded.

RCD breakers????....Arai Wah!!!......Sorry...no have in Thailand......!

I've bought around (Square D) 20 RCD breakers from the shop down the road, also main breakers with RCD and over/under-voltage cut-outs. Mee si wah!!!

It will be hard to find one worse than the young kid who died in a swimming pool that was built next to a live electric pole.

It's weird in the photo both the son and the older lady were touching the railing as well. If you code from being electrocuted, it is very very difficult to bring back.

Nylon Clothing.....Metal Bars====STATIC......

The main problem was that the "safety" rail was not grounded. Can certainly not meet electric standards if elctricl lamp post were installed nearby. Potentially lethal.

If an electric cable was run through or in a way that the cable couls short circuit to the handrail it should have been installed in plastic pipe and have a good earth, not a couple of wires twisted together

Nylon Clothing.....Metal Bars====STATIC......

Static is more a problem in very dry atospheres not humid ones like you get in Thailand, especially out of doors

Phuket is a never ending source of supply there is always something happening . the young girl is very lucky she could have been killed a freak accident or something that could have been avoided .this was a tourist site someone should have checked this out.

Nylon Clothing.....Metal Bars====STATIC......

Errm...

...they soon identified the source of the electric shock as a loose power supply connection at the base of a lamp beside the safety rail.

Glad the kid is ok!

I'm surprised though that there are not more electrical 'accidents'/deaths here

Last year I was working for MEA in Bangkok to install a new Power-Grid switch gear. One of my colleagues got an electric shock after he switch on a machine and touch the earthed body of our switch gear. He had to stay 5 days in the hospital for monitoring. The half side of his body was laced with bruises. Luckily he had a strong physical condition.

Anyhow, after a safety investigation from my company´s EHS management, we had to figure out that these morons from MEA have removed all ELCBs from the low voltage supply to prevent a permanent tripping of that.

So, how you think, if already the power-supplier don’t care about safety what you’ll expect from the guy who twisted the cables together in the light pole. Just have a look on all these crossovers with the thousand cables hanging around. You’ll never see that I’ll use one of these metal handrails or barriers.

Thailand and electricity will not match together in the near future.

Its crazy.

Does their culture lack a history of craftsmanship or something? Don't take pride in their work? What exactly is it that leads to this...

This is the reason I don't like swimming in hotel pools in Thailand with lights in the pools, dodgy electrical work