Fear of adults delays warning as Phuket boy, 13, drowns

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Fear of adults delays warning as Phuket boy, 13, drowns
Darawan Naknakhon


Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers carry grave expressions as they recover the body of Payu, 13. Photo: Darawan Naknakhon

PHUKET: -- Fear of reprisal by adults prevented a group of boys reporting that one of their friends had trouble swimming and had disappeared underwater at a beach on Koh Sirey, east of Phuket Town, yesterday afternoon (July 30).

Subsequently, five hours later, rescue workers recovered the pale body of their friend, 13-year-old Payu Paireeron.

Phuket City Police, led by Lt Col Chao Pomna, were called to Baan Koh Sireh at 5:45pm, where Payu’s tearful mother Yaowaluck Paireeron, 32, told them that her son went swimming with friends at about midday, but had disappeared.

Rescue workers soon arrived, and recovered his body within 30 minutes if searching the waters.

Schoolmate Kiettisak Thongkaew, 11, told police, “I came with Payu and six other friends to swim at 12:30 and at 1:30 we all swam back to the pier, when Payu shouted that he had no energy to swim back and called out for help.

“We all swam out to try to help him, but we couldn’t. I tried, but he was bigger than me.”

Then Payu disappeared under the water’s surface.

“We all tried to find him, but he was no where to be found,” Kiettisak said, “We were afraid to tell adults because they might blame us, so we waited till later to tell Payu’s mother.”

Police believe that Payu might have suffered a leg cramp.

“But we will question all the boys about the incident,” said Col Chao.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/fear-of-adults-delays-warning-as-phuket-boy-13-drowns-53433.php

-- Phuket News 2015-07-31

[amerasianex]

Good thing they have all the new highly trained volunteer lifeguards hard at work.....The mayor and chief of police that allow these unsafe beaches to remain open should be in prison

[slipperylobster]

something really sad about all of it...not just that the boy drowned, but everyone just kept quiet for so long.

[HerbalEd]

This fear of speaking up to anyone of higher rank or authority is a plague on Thai culture. So much that needs to be communicated, never is because of this way-out-of-date taboo. This poor boy's death is an example where this sort of thing can be deadly.

[thhMan]

Pathetic...

Shows how much the Parents, Teachers and Adults have instilled some ethics/logic in their lives

[SOTIRIOS]

..........sad.......but typical warped logic......

[Tonawatchee]

I guess no family discussions as to right and wrong and social responsibility.

[Mudcrab]

Good thing they have all the new highly trained volunteer lifeguards hard at work.....The mayor and chief of police that allow these unsafe beaches to remain open should be in prison

Unsafe beach?? are you for real?

[Old Croc]

Good thing they have all the new highly trained volunteer lifeguards hard at work.....The mayor and chief of police that allow these unsafe beaches to remain open should be in prison

You obviously know little about Phuket.

This Island and beach are on the eastern, tidal side of Phuket.

It is not a surf beach nor a tourist beach and it is not patrolled by lifeguards.

The same situation may well have happened in a lake.

[phantomfiddler]

Good thing they have all the new highly trained volunteer lifeguards hard at work.....The mayor and chief of police that allow these unsafe beaches to remain open should be in prison

You obviously know little about Phuket.

This Island and beach are on the eastern, tidal side of Phuket.

It is not a surf beach nor a tourist beach and it is not patrolled by lifeguards.

The same situation may well have happened in a lake.

Old Croc is correct in what he says. The dangerous, and I mean DANGEROUS, beaches are on the west coast, notably Karon Beach but there are others. This was unfortunately an accident, and even if the other children had gone and told any adults I find it very unlikely that his life would have been saved

[Suradit69]

Pathetic...

Shows how much the Parents, Teachers and Adults have instilled some ethics/logic in their lives

We can just be thankful that all the youngsters in farang land behave responsibly & logically thanks to the wonderful ethics they've had instilled in them ... ignoring for a moment all the school shootings, bullying, vandalism, truancy, colorful language credited to them.

[Jeff Bangkok]

Pathetic...

Shows how much the Parents, Teachers and Adults have instilled some ethics/logic in their lives

We can just be thankful that all the youngsters in farang land behave responsibly & logically thanks to the wonderful ethics they've had instilled in them ... ignoring for a moment all the school shootings, bullying, vandalism, truancy, colorful language credited to them.

Nothing you mention involves staying silent and letting one of their own friends die...

Everything you mention is an act of one individual, not an entire group of friends remaining silent while one of their group dies...

Like all of the posters above, this action is in a class by itself and really highlights a deep problem in the culture of Thailand. Whenever children in "farang land", as you call it, find themselves to be in a life or death situation for one of their friends, they get help. Please find me ONE article where Western children remained silent and allowed a friend to die.

[mikebell]

I heard Thailand has one child death by drowning per day!

[kaorop]

I heard Thailand has one child death by drowning per day!

1? no its reported as 3 a day, about 1000 per year

[sammygood]

so denial is not a river in egypt ?

[Jimlove]

Pathetic...

Shows how much the Parents, Teachers and Adults have instilled some ethics/logic in their lives

We can just be thankful that all the youngsters in farang land behave responsibly & logically thanks to the wonderful ethics they've had instilled in them ... ignoring for a moment all the school shootings, bullying, vandalism, truancy, colorful language credited to them.

For once I agree with you - In Europe the vandalism, rapes, assaults and other culture enrichments can for 90% be credited the immigrated (not assimilated) muslim population ... Kick them out, better today than tomorrow ...!

[Jimlove]

I heard Thailand has one child death by drowning per day!

Think its 7 children per day drowning ... Another dispicable #1 for Land of Denial ...