Heavy Seas Lead to Pillar Collapse at Bali Hai. Guard Crushed.
Story by Albert Jack



PATTAYA: -- At 9pm on the evening of May 26 the Sawangboriboon Rescue Services rushed to the Bali hai Pier after reports that a man had been crushed by a concrete pillar.

At the scene witnesses were comforting fifty-six year old boat guard Chusin Saetan who had been pinned down by a 300kg concrete pillar which had fallen after heavy seas drove a boat into it.

Full story: http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/224639/heavy-seas-lead-pillar-collapse-bali-hai-guard-crushed/


-- Pattaya One 2016-05-27

More shoddy construction.

You mean...Everyday normal Thai construction..

Edited May 27, 201610 yr by tagalong

Probably the construction was fine. The pilings are sunk into what ever makes up the bottom, usually mud. The problem is not sinking them deeply enough for the absolute worst case, then even further for a safety factor. Doing that adds to the cost so it isn't done anywhere, not just Thailand.

Once the seas get up they can move an entire pier around, pushing the pilings around until eventually they come lose from the mud and break the U bolts connecting them to the pier. Add a boat not properly tied off so that it bangs into the pier and a catastrophe happens.

Never underestimate the force of water.

Probably the construction was fine. The pilings are sunk into what ever makes up the bottom, usually mud. The problem is not sinking them deeply enough for the absolute worst case, then even further for a safety factor. Doing that adds to the cost so it isn't done anywhere, not just Thailand.

Once the seas get up they can move an entire pier around, pushing the pilings around until eventually they come lose from the mud and break the U bolts connecting them to the pier. Add a boat not properly tied off so that it bangs into the pier and a catastrophe happens.

Never underestimate the force of water.

Regarding pilings, they surely have a way of testing them when driving them. I don't refer to piers per se but to pilings under buildings. Depending on the building's height and weight etc., there is a method. I don't know it or if it's always followed, but there are cases where the site just wasn't as expected and they have to drive them deeper etc.. Let's hope the man injured is okay.

Heavy seas? the water looks flat calm??

Maybe BaliHai pier will go the same way as the old pier did, just before Walking St. Lack of maintenance also?

You all need to read the story again, and look at the picture. The water is perfectly calm. The story claims a boat hit the pillar after being 'driven by heavy seas'. Remember, in Thailand nothing is ever anyone's fault. It's always a complete and unavoidable accident, nature, an act of God, pure bad luck.

It's night time, so the boat driver was most likely drunk and just crashed straight into the pier.