Silpakorn teacher electrocuted to death while cycling through flood
By Coconuts Bangkok



An electric sign nearby is blamed for the accident

BANGKOK: -- A beloved teacher of Silpakorn University was electrocuted to death on Saturday night after he rode a bicycle through flooded streets near the university’s Sanamchan campus outside Bangkok.

Laurent Hennequin, 50, a teacher from the French Department of the Faculty of Arts, fell from his bicycle into water where he was electrocuted to death on Rajvithee road in Nakhon Prathom province, according to a volunteer from Rescue NPT.

The teacher was found lying in the water. Rescue volunteers attempted to restart his heart but it was too late.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/11/09/silpakorn-teacher-electrocuted-death-while-cycling-through-flood


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-11-09

RIP. I hope the family will have some recourse through the Thai civil courts.

Appalling state of affairs.

In all seriousness, it is amazing that this kind of thing doesn't happen more often. When you see the jumbles of wires all around the streets, it can be quite nerve-wracking. How do you know whether one of those "technicians" up the pole has not lost the live wire he's holding and it's disappeared in among 200 others and eventually dropped onto the road. There are many things that leave us in a state of despair in this country, but this is one of the most inexcusable, up there with the traffic negligence. Condolences to the Hennequin family, friends and students. May he rest in peace.

I Stayed in Pattaya with the missus while I had a few hospital appointments this weekend , scan ect at BKK-Pat hospital. The state of the pavement where they are burying cables is a disgrace , they are laying the block paving back on Mud, should be laid on lean mix of sand and cement and bushed in after with Kiln dried sand . Of course not a hope of any of that , uneven, dirty block paving being chucked back in with no pointing. They should be ashamed of their non investment in their top money maker. Oh and how Third world , man dying because they can't wire or know how to turn of electricity in a downpour. incompetent and unaware of any safety standards , Cant wait for the high speed with the Kitchens

Edited November 9, 201510 yr by This Thing of Darkness

The Thai will never learn it,

In our moobaan the electric boxes in the park are all open now. They are right next to the walkingpaths on the floor, any kid can touch the wires and in the rain it all gets wet. They are from the parklights.

Actually I think this kind of accident is very common. This made the news as the very unfortunate victim was a foreigner with a job at a Government University that carries considerable status.

When Terdsak, the day labourer, is electrocuted in the rain walking from the construction site to his labour camp, it doesn't make the news. Happens often.

Jeez, half the thread is hijacked by bickering old keyboard warriors. How sad!

A bit off topic but a lot of Thai people die becasue of Electric showers too.,

Stayed at a nice hotel in Bangkok with a lovely pool. Having a swim and then I spotted this.

I'm no electrician but it just don't look good to me.

Poor electrical safety, bad driving and plastic pollution top my list of pet hates here in Thailand and all could be avoided quite easily.

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Clearer picture

Yes for some strange reasons the Thai electricians always leave the covers open. I see it everywhere, the streetlanters, fuseboxes, connectionboxes they always "forget" to close the lids.

But i'm still surprised so few people get electrocuted in Thailand. I know many open markets who have huge puddles of water with cables and connetors laying in them.

An explanation as to whose electrical signage caused the accident would help. Somchai in his boots pointing to the wires in the water doesn't cut it. Crap reporting from a crap source CCN.

Jeez, half the thread is hijacked by bickering old keyboard warriors. How sad!

Multiple off topic grammar police posts that hijacked the topic have been removed

Actually I think this kind of accident is very common. This made the news as the very unfortunate victim was a foreigner with a job at a Government University that carries considerable status.

When Terdsak, the day labourer, is electrocuted in the rain walking from the construction site to his labour camp, it doesn't make the news. Happens often.

With respect, how do you know this if it doesn't make the news?

There are many things in Thailand that are way behind the Western world as we all know. The only problem is they dont want to hear it and dont want to believe it. In contrast China is the copycat country of the century with an insatiable appetite for development,, and look at Chinas economic growth and investment in innovation.

Indonesia is next and will by far take over Thailand in the coming years, followed by the Philippines later I guess.

Unless Thailand change their cultural view on the world nothing will change, ever, and people like this teacher will needlessly die in accidents such as this.

Especially as this is a tragic topic about an uneccessary death. Could we keep the lexicological debates to more light hearted topics

Jeez, half the thread is hijacked by bickering old keyboard warriors. How sad!

If you value your life never ride a bike in Thailand...On dry road or flooded road...

It might be the last thing you ever do...

Stayed at a nice hotel in Bangkok with a lovely pool. Having a swim and then I spotted this.

I'm no electrician but it just don't look good to me.

Poor electrical safety, bad driving and plastic pollution top my list of pet hates here in Thailand and all could be avoided quite easily.

What do you mean? unsafe - you can clearly see the bare ends have been taped up with insulating tape to the required safety standard

"...An electric sign nearby is blamed for the accident..."

...more like "negligent homicide".

I am surprised no one has been hurt at the small Soi Bulhao Market next to the 7/11, trailing leads unprotected strewn all over on the ground, people standing on them, scooters riding over them, even worse when it's raining as they are lying in the puddles.

The level of safety standards here in the land of smiles is utterly appauling!!!!!!!!!

Normally an electrocution happens when you are the bridge between a phase and the ground. What I don't understand is how somebody can be electrocuted when the electric wire is already in the water and thus grounded?

Normally an electrocution happens when you are the bridge between a phase and the ground. What I don't understand is how somebody can be electrocuted when the electric wire is already in the water and thus grounded?

It would depend on what protection was on the wire, obviously not rcd protected, maybe no protection ?

Normally an electrocution happens when you are the bridge between a phase and the ground. What I don't understand is how somebody can be electrocuted when the electric wire is already in the water and thus grounded?

It would depend on what protection was on the wire, obviously not rcd protected, maybe no protection ?

What I mean is that when the cable is in the water even without protection imo the electricity should go straight into the ground. It's like when lightning strikes the sea, swimmers will not get electrocuted..

Normally an electrocution happens when you are the bridge between a phase and the ground. What I don't understand is how somebody can be electrocuted when the electric wire is already in the water and thus grounded?

It would depend on what protection was on the wire, obviously not rcd protected, maybe no protection ?

What I mean is that when the cable is in the water even without protection imo the electricity should go straight into the ground. It's like when lightning strikes the sea, swimmers will not get electrocuted..

If the 'supply' end of the cable wasn't earthed there wouldn't be a 'path'

Considering the,mostly sloppy electrical connections, thruout Thailand, I

am just surprised this hasn't happened thousands of times.

Clearer picture

Oh my god, that is really bad.

Normally an electrocution happens when you are the bridge between a phase and the ground. What I don't understand is how somebody can be electrocuted when the electric wire is already in the water and thus grounded?

It would depend on what protection was on the wire, obviously not rcd protected, maybe no protection ?

What I mean is that when the cable is in the water even without protection imo the electricity should go straight into the ground. It's like when lightning strikes the sea, swimmers will not get electrocuted..

If the 'supply' end of the cable wasn't earthed there wouldn't be a 'path'

I must admit I wondered about this. Wouldn't the water be the earth path?

comes down to the fact that no safety inspections are ever done..anytime, anywhere.

I once held a job as a Safety Officer for a military base In Japan. We had Codes of Federal Regulations (CFR's) and government inspectors were the source of many unjoyful days. On the positive side, damn close to zero deaths related to failure to observe these codes.

This looks 150% impossible what about the poeple who rescued him ....they were wearing rubber boots ?

I Stayed in Pattaya with the missus while I had a few hospital appointments this weekend , scan ect at BKK-Pat hospital. The state of the pavement where they are burying cables is a disgrace , they are laying the block paving back on Mud, should be laid on lean mix of sand and cement and bushed in after with Kiln dried sand . Of course not a hope of any of that , uneven, dirty block paving being chucked back in with no pointing. They should be ashamed of their non investment in their top money maker. Oh and how Third world , man dying because they can't wire or know how to turn of electricity in a downpour. incompetent and unaware of any safety standards , Cant wait for the high speed with the Kitchens

Please God Forgive them they don't know what they are doing,,,My Trucking Ass they don't,They don't give a shit.