Foreign woman slips and collapses on breakwater wall at Pranburi Beach

The non-profit organisation Beach for Life Thailand called for enhanced safety measures following an incident in which a foreign woman slipped and fell on a breakwater wall at Pranburi Beach in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan. This infamous location has previously caused harm, resulting in a disability for a Thai man.

The foreign woman reportedly lost consciousness after collapsing on the slippery breakwater wall on January 2. A local rescue team went to the scene to provide first aid and take the foreign victim to hospital. The condition of the foreigner has not yet been released.

Beach for Life Thailand added that this was not the first accident at the breakwater wall in the province. A Thai man slipped near the notorious spot at Cha-am beach last year because moss had made it slippery and there were no warning signs to visitors.

According to a Voice TV report, the Thai victim was left disabled after the accident. His head hit the wall, breaking a bone in his neck. An update in April said the man was in a stable condition but could not move his arms after the accident.

The victim’s wife told the media that the family had received no contact or compensation from the relevant departments. She wanted the authorities to pay attention to the case and improve safety measures to prevent a repeat of what happened to her husband. However, it was a case of déjà vu when the foreign woman fell victim to the dangerous wall on Tuesday.

Beach for Life Thailand and other organisations have been operating campaigns against the construction of breakwater walls, claiming that it wastes a lot of government budget, provides an opportunity for corruption, and harms the environment.

A professor from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Mahasarakham University, Chainarong Setthachua, told Urban Creature in an interview that the breakwater walls had increased erosion at the end of the walls, hollowed out beaches near the walls and reduced beach space, affecting marine life and the lives of locals in the area.

The organisations reported that 107 breakwater wall projects were operated from 2013 onwards, and the government spent over 6.7 billion baht in budget. Not every beach needed the walls, and most of the breakwater walls were constructed without environmental impact assessment (EIA).