New Zealand man plunges 20 floors to death in Patong

[webfact]

NZ man plunges 20 floors to death in Patong

Eakkapop Thongtub

 

The man fell 20 floors to his death from the Royal Paradise hotel in Patong. Photo: The Phuket News / file

 

PHUKET: -- A 55-year-old New Zealand man was found dead behind a hotel in Patong before dawn this morning (Dec 29), the victim of an apparent suicide after falling 20 floors from his hotel room, say police.

 

Security at the Royal Paradise Hotel notified police of the man’s death at 4:10am, after Patong Municipality garbage collectors found the man’s crumpled body behind the hotel.

 

The man checked into the hotel alone on Tuesday (Dec 27), said Col Theerasak Boonsang of the Patong Police.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/nz-man-plunges-20-floors-to-death-in-patong-60420.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2016-12-29

 

[The Old Bull]

Is anybody keeping count of how many go over the edge? Seems to be a few every week. A few hundred in a year?

[DavisH]

5 minutes ago, The Old Bull said:

Is anybody keeping count of how many go over the edge? Seems to be a few every week. A few hundred in a year?

I'm in my hotel room on the 17th floor now. The building has 38 floors. The balcony railing is surprisingly low. They should be at least 5 feet high. I'll bet some of them are accidental falls, and not all are suicide or by nefarious means. 

[webfact]

Kiwi man dies in Phuket hotel fall

By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter -

   

Royal Paradise Hotel and Spa. Image: Hoteltravel.com

 

PHUKET — A tourist from New Zealand plunged to his death from a hotel room in Phuket’s Patong area early Thursday morning, police said.

 

Investigators have ruled out foul play because the tourist was alone in his room at the Royal Paradise Hotel and Spa, inspector Teerasak Boonsaeng of Patong Police Station said.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/calamity/2016/12/29/kiwi-man-dies-phuket-hotel-fall/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2016-12-29

[trogers]

1 hour ago, DavisH said:

I'm in my hotel room on the 17th floor now. The building has 38 floors. The balcony railing is surprisingly low. They should be at least 5 feet high. I'll bet some of them are accidental falls, and not all are suicide or by nefarious means. 

 

Five feet high? The handrail would be blocking the eyes of many...?

[LivinginKata]

Maybe no suspected foul play, how about poor safety standards with low balcony railings.

 

If he was a jumper then what a shame, only 55 .... RIP

[LivinginKata]

 

Looking at the PG's site, the railing looks high enough ...

Edited December 29, 2016 by LivinginKata

[worgeordie]

He should have known,Kiwi's cannot fly, RIP,

regards worgeordie

[Andrew65]

1 hour ago, DavisH said:

I'm in my hotel room on the 17th floor now. The building has 38 floors. The balcony railing is surprisingly low. They should be at least 5 feet high. I'll bet some of them are accidental falls, and not all are suicide or by nefarious means. 

Well, I'm 6ft tall and the railing on the balcony in my old condo was about 4ft, I saw that as adequate. Then again, if one is intoxicated etc, maybe not?

 

RIP to this guy, so sad.

[trogers]

39 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

Well, I'm 6ft tall and the railing on the balcony in my old condo was about 4ft, I saw that as adequate. Then again, if one is intoxicated etc, maybe not?

 

RIP to this guy, so sad.

 

You need a cage for one who is intoxicated...

[Goingmad]

I married to a set of Twin Thai girls. One like me more then the other.

We live on Floor 22 of my condo building.

I bought a 15 foot piece of chain and hook it around my waist, every time I set foot on my balcony.

 

[AWillOz]

4 hours ago, The Old Bull said:

Is anybody keeping count of how many go over the edge? Seems to be a few every week. A few hundred in a year?

I've been keeping a list for nearly 2 years now of all jumps and falls that make it to the news and in 2016 i've seen 34. Like you, i was thinking that i just about hear of one every few days. Of course there are many which don't make the news which is even more sad.  I just wish they would believe that everything can be solved if they'd find people to talk to..

[Kiwiken]

5 hours ago, DavisH said:

I'm in my hotel room on the 17th floor now. The building has 38 floors. The balcony railing is surprisingly low. They should be at least 5 feet high. I'll bet some of them are accidental falls, and not all are suicide or by nefarious means. 

 

5 hours ago, DavisH said:

I'm in my hotel room on the 17th floor now. The building has 38 floors. The balcony railing is surprisingly low. They should be at least 5 feet high. I'll bet some of them are accidental falls, and not all are suicide or by nefarious means. 

Perhaps Land of Smiles really means lad of Suicides

[Gandtee]

4 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Looking at the PG's site, the railing looks high enough ...

Unless he was standing on the ledge under the steel balustrade?

[Cook my sock]

My balcony rail is very low. It scares me sometimes how easy it wd be to trip on the door slider part and fall off

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Goingmad said:

I married to a set of Twin Thai girls. One like me more then the other.

We live on Floor 22 of my condo building.

I bought a 15 foot piece of chain and hook it around my waist, every time I set foot on my balcony.

 

Maybe you should consider emptying the kitchen drawers of knifes too, checking the shower is earthed, just to name a couple more...
I could go on !!

[masuk]

6 hours ago, DavisH said:

I'm in my hotel room on the 17th floor now. The building has 38 floors. The balcony railing is surprisingly low. They should be at least 5 feet high. I'll bet some of them are accidental falls, and not all are suicide or by nefarious means. 

I doubt that there is a Thai standard for safety railings;    They should be waist high (farang) .     Obviously missed by the Building Inspector before hand-over. 

[lungnorm]

6 hours ago, DavisH said:

I'm in my hotel room on the 17th floor now. The building has 38 floors. The balcony railing is surprisingly low. They should be at least 5 feet high. I'll bet some of them are accidental falls, and not all are suicide or by nefarious means. 

Most high rise buildings do not have open balconies over a certain height. I think the law is for railing heights is 1.5M high so as to avoid accidental falls.

[licka]

I'm surprised more don't take that final step.

This time of the year can have that affect some on some.

RIP Kiwi

 

[Goingmad]

42 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Maybe you should consider emptying the kitchen drawers of knifes too, checking the shower is earthed, just to name a couple more...
I could go on !!

I only order take in food, and use plastic knives

[TheFishman1]

No tall building in NZ?  TIT

[trogers]

4 hours ago, Goingmad said:

I married to a set of Twin Thai girls. One like me more then the other.

We live on Floor 22 of my condo building.

I bought a 15 foot piece of chain and hook it around my waist, every time I set foot on my balcony.

 

 

You need a body harness as well to avoid spinal fractures...

[trogers]

1 hour ago, masuk said:

I doubt that there is a Thai standard for safety railings;    They should be waist high (farang) .     Obviously missed by the Building Inspector before hand-over. 

 

The CG of the human body is at naval height, not waist.

[foxboy]

8 hours ago, DavisH said:

I'm in my hotel room on the 17th floor now. The building has 38 floors. The balcony railing is surprisingly low. They should be at least 5 feet high. I'll bet some of them are accidental falls, and not all are suicide or by nefarious means. 

I should imagine hardly any are by 'nefarious means' contrary to popular opinion. It would be very difficult to throw someone off a balcony who really didn't want to go. Pretty much all condo blocks are CCTV'd now so the necessary 'gang' it would require to throw someone off a balcony could easily be identified. And I never see that in the news. 

Suicides and carelessness will account for 99% of falls I'm sure

[Goingmad]

1 hour ago, trogers said:

 

You need a body harness as well to avoid spinal fractures...

Two girls, top and bottom.

[Goingmad]

5 hours ago, AWillOz said:

I've been keeping a list for nearly 2 years now of all jumps and falls that make it to the news and in 2016 i've seen 34. Like you, i was thinking that i just about hear of one every few days. Of course there are many which don't make the news which is even more sad.  I just wish they would believe that everything can be solved if they'd find people to talk to..

Make that 35 . Ahhhhhhhhh , spat.

[dunroaming]

May have been an accident due to falling over the balcony rail or maybe suicide or maybe murder.   TIT so there isn't much chance of finding out the truth.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

4 hours ago, masuk said:

I doubt that there is a Thai standard for safety railings;    They should be waist high (farang) .     Obviously missed by the Building Inspector before hand-over. 

You can't set a height like that, what is waist high?

You certainly could not even go by an average height, male and female as humans come in many sizes. Many Thai women are less than 1. 5m tall, yet the tallest race is the Dutch and males must average almost 2m.

Railings where I live so you can see through, handrail is 1.05m.

Building regulations for US/EU or UK would give an idea what the standard should be.

[Elkski]

Twins???  Really?  My new goal.   I go take cold shower now.   Code in USA is 36" residential 42" high min commercial.  No gap more than 4" wide.   

[Reigntax]

9 hours ago, Goingmad said:

I married to a set of Twin Thai girls. One like me more then the other.

We live on Floor 22 of my condo building.

I bought a 15 foot piece of chain and hook it around my waist, every time I set foot on my balcony.

 

 

Make sure you choose the right one..or was that the left.. just wear a parachute.