UPDATE: See ’Parasail operator to pay B400k over injured Chinese tourist’
The video was shared on the Douyin app, the original version of TikTok available inside China, reported the LuiJeen Facebook page.
Just three hours after the video was uploaded, the post had been seen by more than 2 million Chinese viewers and more than 500,000 people had clicked to share the video, the LuiJeen channel administrator noted.
The woman, named in the LuiJeen post as Na Tamhan, explained that had come to Phuket on holidays. She saw the parasailing at Karon Beach and thought it looked fun, so she tried it.
However, when coming in to land, the parachute suddenly gave way, sending her plummeting onto the beach. Her heavy landing saw her left shin bone snap, with one end protruding from her leg.
The paragliding operator rushed to help her, and called for an ambulance, but explained that he had been told it would take two hours for the ambulance to arrive due to traffic.
When she got to the hospital, later confirmed to be Chalong Hospital, the medical staff were unprepared to treat her injury, and so it was another “5-6 hours” before she was sent to another private hospital, Mission Hospital Phuket located north of Phuket Town.
At Mission Hospital, surgeons successfully reset her shine bone and inserted a steel rod in her left leg. The surgery left a 15cm scar.
According to the post, Ms Tamhan gave a deploring description of her experience as a tourist even before the accident.
Safety measures were very poor, she said. When she finished paying, it was as if she was being dragged into a life jacket and a service person immediately appeared in front of her without any explanation as to how it worked, she said.
She tried to say, ‘Wait. Wait’, but the Thai person just said, ‘Hurry Hurry, Safe Safe’ and dragged her to into position to start her ride.
After the accident, the ‘other party’ (the parasail operator) clearly showed an angry grunt towards her, Ms Tamhan said. She was verbally abused and accused of only wanting money, and “trying to make a small thing into a big thing”.
After the surgery, the parasail operator refused to believe the hospital report and explanations by nurses of the surgery performed on Ms Tamhan, and even refused to believe the CT scan presented.
The surgery cost B150,000, and Ms Tamhan demanded only B200,000 in damages, wanting to quickly put her experience behind her. The parasail operator refused, saying only B50,000 was available.
The parasail operator clearly showed a strong attitude in refusing to pay any additional money, and even challenged Ms Tamhan to not report the matter to officials.
Only after nurses opened the dressing on her leg to show the scar did the parasail operator’s attitude soften, Ms Tamhan said, but she did not confirm whether the operator agreed to pay any compensation.
Ms Tamhan warned her Chinese friends that many services in Thailand involved extreme sports. “Please do not participate. There is a risk to life,” she said.
Ms Tamhan also said she had noticed that no Thai people take part in such ‘extreme sports’; only foreigners and Chinese were the main customers, she said.
“These people don’t see the importance of our lives. They see foreigners like us as just a source of money,” Ms Tamhan said.
Ms Tamhan added that she had since spoken with a woman who sells parasailing rides who told her that there are many accidents like the one she experienced every year ‒ but they never made the news.
“This makes this type of service even more frightening… The parties continue to sell this service to both Chinese and foreign tourists… Even after my accident, it’s like no mistake has ever happened,” she said.
COMPLICIT
A friend of Ms Tamhan, accompanied by an interpreter, reported the incident at Chalong Police Station last Friday (Feb 24).
The friend explained that an appointment had been to meet the parasail operator to reimburse the medical expenses, but the friend was unable to contact them and so asked the officials to help.
Patrol officers went to Karon Beach to locate the operator, but found that the name of the business given was a music store. After finally tracking down the parasail operator, police escorted all of them to Chalong Hospital for them to come to their own arrangement. After that there was no further involvement by those police.
On Monday (Feb 26), at about 12:30pm, the Chinese interpreter called the Chalong Police to enquire whether the medical expenses had been reimbursed by the parasailing operator. However, the interpreter was told by the investigator to prepare documents about the injury and come see him again so that he could make another appointment with the operator to negotiate.
After that date, there was no further contact.
ACTION
After learning about Ms Tamhan’s experience, Phuket Tourist Police today (Feb 28) began their involvement, visiting Ms Tamhan in hospital.
At the hospital, Pol Lt Col Ekkachai Siri, Inspector of Tourist Police Division 3, confirmed that he would demand damages from ‘the other party’ in the amount of B200,000.
Meanwhile, a host of officials led by Phuket Marine Chief Natchapong Pranit went to Karon Beach today to “investigate” the legality of the parasail operator.
Joining the entourage were Tourist Police, Phuket Marine Police, Muang District Office officials, Karon Municipality officials and tourism and sports officials.
The boat used to provide the parasail service, speedboat Nong Pleng Pleng, was legally registered, the captain and crew had the appropriate licences, the boat and equipment was in good condition, the correct permits had been issued to operate the parasail business, and the boat and parasail operation had the required insurance, Mr Natchapong confirmed.
Mr Natchapong said that officials had spoken with “all the people involved in the incident”.
“The boat owner and the entire team of about 10 people gave the same testimony,” he said.
“The wind changed direction when the tourist was about two metres above the sand, causing the tourist to fall,” Mr Natchapong said.