Chiang Mai police charge employees in zipline tourist death

[DavidB4]

Why even bother with "usual comments"? These places are over-flowing with negligence and incompetence. A young lady lost her life by placing her trust with two losers and a company that puts profits first ahead of safety.

This is an interesting point joejai makes here: "why even bother with usual comments?" Not sure what he means by usual but in regards to commenting....which means talking about this tragedy my response would be because talking about it is the first step. The next step is the media reports on it, maybe more because we are talking about it. Then others (police, etc?) get involved because they are starting to look bad and then the final step is just Maybe something is done about it. But it all starts with the first step = talking about it, a step that sadly is usually lacking in Thai Society so needless to say they rarely get to the last step. We talk about things, sure there are instances where it just sounds like bitching and complaining(which it is sometimes) but that's the way you get things out in the open and chew on them and maybe, just maybe, get something done about it. Viva la Expat!

[oldsailor35]

I don't know what surprises me more. The police getting to the bottom of this, or journalists following up on a story!

Atiwat Orkam, 23, and Thaweesin Pongpanasawasdi, 31, both employees of the Flying Squirrels zipline company, surrendered to police today and acknowledged charges of negligence resulting in death.

In reference to the above quote, it seems the police didn't do too much.

And where do the Owner-Operators come in all this ?

[realenglish1]

This whole thing is a joke The police the Zip Line everything If you want to charge someone DO so with the owner He is responsible then the employees

This is again "what is wrong with Thai justice" it is corrupt and not just Just a joke. It seems to be the "choice of the day" rather than real laws enforced and professional Police which they are not

[Johpa]

Yes. Tourists are issued with a forked piece of wood, and you brake using this by holding it down on the zip-line

I kid you not!

Actually it works quite well as a braking device. But you do have to listen and follow instructions. And there should be two employees at the end of the line waiting to catch you if you don't brake. Still hard to imagine a line where, without braking, the speed reached would cause a neck to snap.

[DavidB4]

You have got to be F,ing kidding?! If that's true it's crazy and every embassy out there should tell their citizens immediately or they should also be held as negligent!

[elgordo38]

I don't know what surprises me more. The police getting to the bottom of this, or journalists following up on a story!

Where tourism is involved it becomes a story fast and someone has to carry the can be a scapegoat. The owner of the business? hardly. If the police really did any fact checking I think they would find these guys had little or no training for a cheap paycheck but said checking would only defeat the purpose of finding a scapegoat. These guys were an accident ready to happen again IMHO. Again like the bungee jumping best advice here in LOS keep your feet on solid ground or else you could loose your smile along with your life. Putting your life in the hands of strangers here is not a good idea.

[cloudhopper]

Yes. Tourists are issued with a forked piece of wood, and you brake using this by holding it down on the zip-line

I kid you not!

Actually it works quite well as a braking device. But you do have to listen and follow instructions. And there should be two employees at the end of the line waiting to catch you if you don't brake. Still hard to imagine a line where, without braking, the speed reached would cause a neck to snap.

Jungle flight zip line is the only one I've tried and appeared to be so well engineered that no braking was ever required. Customers are never left unattached to a safety line at any time and I think it would be impossible to fall there.

[F4UCorsair]

I'm not THAT upset with this news. Her family gets 1.1 million, which is 1.09t million more than I expected.

But this is going FAST, I think, because high season is upon us. Dragging out this story would not be good for business.

As I've said before, best to just avoid these kinds of "adventures" altogether.

Along with the Tiger Temple. How somebody hasn't been chomped there is a wonder.

[elgordo38]

Extreme incompetence, to force tourists to double up and hence use the zipline for too many at once without any consideration of the consequences.

And for what reason other than to speed things up for their convenience.

Insufficiently trained, lacking in common sense.

The mangers also need to be punished for employing these guys.

Has the zipline been closed down, for good?

I always thought ziplines had some speed limiting device on them.

Just about sums it up. "Insufficiently trained, lacking in common sense." Nuff said. My motto never put your life in the hands of strangers here. You could be in for the ride of your life literally.

[elgordo38]

I'm not THAT upset with this news. Her family gets 1.1 million, which is 1.09 million more than I expected.

But this is going FAST, I think, because high season is upon us. Dragging out this story would not be good for business.

As I've said before, best to just avoid these kinds of "adventures" altogether.

She was young and living life on the wild side well think back to when you where that age. The world was your oyster. Death was light years away. Now at our age we have learned to avoid stupidity at all cost and hope the end is due to natural causes.

[MaeJoMTB]

Folkguitar has become strangely silent!

[louse1953]

a slap on the wrist and an appropriate donation to the police's Chives regal foundations,

on your bikes guys, and don't do it again, you hear?

Wait and see before you jump to your usual cynical view.You really don't live here do you?If you do,why would you want to?

[oneday]

It is the government that should be brought up on charges for having no safety inspections or oversight of places like this.

[Alration]

she was a Chinese DOCTOR. Her life is worth $30,985.91 USD?

Sorry Chinese lady doctor. RIP.

The usual obtuse way of looking at things. This is not a valuation of a life, it is a payout by a Thai insurance company on Thai terms considered appropriate in this country, as it should be, this is Thailand, it is not the US or Europe.

[Alration]

Actually it works quite well as a braking device. But you do have to listen and follow instructions. And there should be two employees at the end of the line waiting to catch you if you don't brake. Still hard to imagine a line where, without braking, the speed reached would cause a neck to snap.

It's wasn't the speed that caused the injury it was the abrupt stopping.

[a99az]

Extreme incompetence, to force tourists to double up and hence use the zipline for too many at once without any consideration of the consequences.

And for what reason other than to speed things up for their convenience.

Insufficiently trained, lacking in common sense.

The mangers also need to be punished for employing these guys.

Has the zipline been closed down, for good?

I always thought ziplines had some speed limiting device on them.

The speed limiter is a huge tree at the end of the line.

[Chicog]

"The investigation is expected to be finished within 15 days, according to Police Lt. Col. Thaworn Nantisaen, the officer in charge of the case, citing an appeal from the Chinese Consulate in Chiang Mai.

My commander and the public are paying a lot of attention to this case, Thaworn said. And the Chinese consulate also requested us to finish this investigation within 15 days, and I believe that it would be finished in time.

"At first we all laughed because nothing in the history of the Thai police force has been done in 15 days... so this a first for us. We are very proud of our work on this case."

In the interests of fairness to our beloved BIBs, I have to correct you as one case was resolved in a week ... it was about 20 years ago. Japanese couple arrived at DM, caught taxi, were taken to remote area, killed and possessions stolen. It created such a stink that the BIBs caught a taxi driver (note the indefinite article), charged him, tried him and he was sentenced to death all in the space of one week. This is a true story, I assure you.

Mr NCC, you owe the BIBs a grovelling apology for impuning their professionalism.

(PS: For non-native English speakers, this posting should be read as sarcasm.)

If I remember rightly, the wife survived.

They were on their honeymoon, and were take by a "black plate" taxi driver who stopped to pick up a "friend".

They were then taken off to a remote area and beaten and left for dead.

It created an enormous stink at the time, so I'm not surprised they wrapped it up quickly.

[Praematura]

If it was a white victim mai pen rai as it was the westerns fault.

[LarryBird]

I wonder what would have happened if the tourist was a farang?

[Mapguy]

I'm not THAT upset with this news. Her family gets 1.1 million, which is 1.09 million more than I expected.

But this is going FAST, I think, because high season is upon us. Dragging out this story would not be good for business.

As I've said before, best to just avoid these kinds of "adventures" altogether.

Otherwise agree such adventures into idiocy should be avoided. Actually banned.

[Johpa]

Jungle flight zip line is the only one I've tried and appeared to be so well engineered that no braking was ever required. Customers are never left unattached to a safety line at any time and I think it would be impossible to fall there.

I have watched dozens of zip rides and the variation in speed on the longer lines when reaching the destination platform is itself highly variable. I don't know the physics involved, only notice that some need to brake, some more than others, and some don't need to brake. I have even seem some not carry enough momentum to reach the destination platform and have to be pulled by an employee from the middle of the line. Jungle Flight would need to employ two safety lines attached to the harness to create a situation where a person is never unattached. But the later details in this case imply that the tourist did not fall due to being unattached to a safety line. Again, protocol would be that the brief moment being unattached to a line is only after the guest is safely and securely standing on the tree platform.

[connda]

But, but, but...it was a heart attack, right? So much for the TV apologists OP-bashing, 'Thai bashing' OPs.

I love Thailand, but I'll point out the problems here just as fast as I'll point out the problems of any other country, especially my own. Problems need to have the light of day shined on them. Hiding them in the dark doesn't get them fixed.

Safety: a country-wide issue in many areas.

Lying to save face: a cultural issue

Inability to accept responsibility: a cultural issue

...and the list goes on.

[puukao]

I'm not THAT upset with this news. Her family gets 1.1 million, which is 1.09 million more than I expected.

But this is going FAST, I think, because high season is upon us. Dragging out this story would not be good for business.

As I've said before, best to just avoid these kinds of "adventures" altogether.

I guess we are to assume you would rather have a mere 1.1 million than your loved one. if it were a westerner who died I would read messages of total outrage and condolences to the family but instead this sort of comments... TV strikes a note of ...

CLEARLY I never said 1.1 million baht INSTEAD of a loved one.

She is dead. That part is fact. Which fantasy world are you living in????

I am saying life in Thailand is usually worth 100 baht. You should be out there protesting this and sending the family a personal condolence. You should get actively involved for change. Help the next westerner live!!! But instead you type on TV and drink your coffee...

interesting...

now who is worse???

[cookee68]

“My commander and the public are paying a lot of attention to this case,” Thaworn said, yeah just like the red bull case and we all know what happened there, well at least we know the heart attack bit was bullshit

[EJK]

Are only a minor scrape... a ripple in the pond....

Its only one China man..... Theres a billion more no big deal.

This is nothing a spot of Som Tum and a bit of tea money wont fix

A quick trip to Temple and where all good to go

[EJK]

But, but, but...it was a heart attack, right? So much for the TV apologists OP-bashing, 'Thai bashing' OPs.

I love Thailand, but I'll point out the problems here just as fast as I'll point out the problems of any other country, especially my own. Problems need to have the light of day shined on them. Hiding them in the dark doesn't get them fixed.

Safety: a country-wide issue in many areas.

Lying to save face: a cultural issue

Inability to accept responsibility: a cultural issue

...and the list goes on.

Yes Thais must accpet the truth and understand we have had superior schooling. Whilist they are good in a jungle invironment fetching meals

[FolkGuitar]

Folkguitar has become strangely silent!

When there is nothing to be said, I say nothing. That's the difference between us. The police are looking into the matter, charges have been filed.

As USUAL, I'm waiting to hear some facts emerge. No different from any other incident. Just waiting for facts.

[MaeJoMTB]

Folkguitar has become strangely silent!

When there is nothing to be said, I say nothing. That's the difference between us. The police are looking into the matter, charges have been filed.

As USUAL, I'm waiting to hear some facts emerge. No different from any other incident. Just waiting for facts.

I think you will find the two guys have confessed.

No judge or jury required.

[emilymat]

"The investigation is expected to be finished within 15 days, according to Police Lt. Col. Thaworn Nantisaen, the officer in charge of the case, citing an appeal from the Chinese Consulate in Chiang Mai.

My commander and the public are paying a lot of attention to this case, Thaworn said. And the Chinese consulate also requested us to finish this investigation within 15 days, and I believe that it would be finished in time.

"At first we all laughed because nothing in the history of the Thai police force has been done in 15 days... so this a first for us. We are very proud of our work on this case."

In the interests of fairness to our beloved BIBs, I have to correct you as one case was resolved in a week ... it was about 20 years ago. Japanese couple arrived at DM, caught taxi, were taken to remote area, killed and possessions stolen. It created such a stink that the BIBs caught a taxi driver (note the indefinite article), charged him, tried him and he was sentenced to death all in the space of one week. This is a true story, I assure you.

Mr NCC, you owe the BIBs a grovelling apology for impuning their professionalism.

(PS: For non-native English speakers, this posting should be read as sarcasm.)

If I remember rightly, the wife survived.

They were on their honeymoon, and were take by a "black plate" taxi driver who stopped to pick up a "friend".

They were then taken off to a remote area and beaten and left for dead.

It created an enormous stink at the time, so I'm not surprised they wrapped it up quickly.

Reminds me of a few years ago in Pattaya when two Russian women were killed (or raped - cannot remember totally).

Anyway, the case dragged on and the Chief of Poice in bangkok ordered the local cops to sole the matter within a week because of the affect on tourism.

Bingo - within a few days the villain was arrested.

[ericjt]

I hate to interrupt the pile-on about Thailand and zip lining, but has anyone read the original report? Or thought about why so much criticism is being heaped on here?

The original report says one person didn't weigh enough to make the zip line reach the other end. That happens sometimes, like with our daughter, who started zip lining when she was 5. If a person is too light for a long run, an attendent will usually ride along and help him/her reach the end. There's nothing negligent or wrong about it. I get the feeling that people criticizing this part of what happened don't know much about zip lining or how it works.

If the girl in this story hit the end at a bad angle and then collapsed, it probably was not apparent what had gone wrong. Unless somebody was watching her head closely at just the right split second, how would they know what had happened? Think about it. If somebody collapsed in front of you on a ride, would you know why? Right away?

I don't see a cover up here. When the broken neck was found during an autopsy, the people from the ride came forward and assumed responsibility. They didn't lawyer up and hide. It looks to me like they were and are trying to do the right thing.

And there is a speed control on CM zip lines. It's a forked stick that riders hold. Hang it over the cable and pull down. You slow or stop. Simple and effective.

So let's keep in mind that people get hurt and killed every day doing ordinary things like driving, swimming, boating, etc. Cars crash and airplanes fall down. People choke in restaurants. It's unfortunate when someone gets hurt, but not every death or injury means somebody did something wrong -- or that a country or a business should be flamed.