Tourist injured in Chumphon resort balcony collapse

A man sustained serious injuries after the balcony he was on collapsed at a resort in Chumphon, leading to concerns about unlicensed accommodation and unresponsive local police. Only the local tourist police offered effective help.

On July 27, Yanisa, a 46 year old woman from Phetchaburi, and her husband, 44 year old Piyapol, along with friends, were staying at a resort in Pathio District, Chumphon. The resort featured a balcony extending towards the sea, which was a popular spot for guests to relax and take photos.

In the evening, while taking photos, the balcony suddenly collapsed from a height of 3 to 4 metres, injuring three people. Piyapol was among the injured, suffering a broken arm, fractured jaw, cracked skull, broken nasal structure, and severe facial lacerations requiring multiple stitches. He was immediately taken to Pathio Hospital for treatment.

Janisa reported that no police officers arrived at the scene on the day of the incident. The resort owner quickly refunded their accommodation costs and visited them once, promising to cover all hospital expenses. However, apart from a bottle of milk and a meal, no further assistance was provided.

When Yanisa requested the resort owner to officially acknowledge the incident at the Pathio Police Station, she was told it was unnecessary as verbal agreements were sufficient. The owner asked for a settlement amount, to which Yanisa suggested 70,000 baht (US$2,000), but no agreement was reached. The resort owner claimed to have connections with local police and hospital staff, which made Yanisa feel unsafe.

Yanisa sought help from the tourist police, who tried to mediate by contacting the resort owner, but their calls were ignored. Later, the resort owner claimed to be threatened by the police, which Yanisa denied as no calls were answered.

Balcony collapse

The Tourist Police accompanied Yanisa to the Pathio Police Station to file a report and seek mediation. However, the local police showed no interest in assisting them. A local officer privately spoke with the Tourist Police and then refused to help Yanisa, suggesting she hire a lawyer.

The officer also stated that only the injured party, not the spouse, could file a complaint, and even then, the resort owner could not be forced to participate in mediation.

Subsequently, the Chumphon tourist police checked the resort’s licence under the Hotel Act of 2004 but found it was operating without one. They filed a complaint against the resort owner for running an unlicensed hotel and discovered that the balcony’s structural defects caused the accident, reported KhaoSod.

Yanisa expressed her unease due to the resort owner’s claims of knowing police and hospital staff and feeling unsafe as a tourist.

She decided to move her husband to a hospital in Phetchaburi for further treatment, despite being satisfied with the care at Chumphon Hospital, as she couldn’t determine who might be influenced by the resort owner. She thanked the Chumphon and Ranong tourist police for their invaluable assistance.