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British tourist killed in Pattaya fireworks incident
British tourist has died after fireworks exploded adjacent to where he was standing during New Year celebrations in central Pattaya. Police were notified at 12:30am and rushed to the scene.
The 51 year old man, named by police as British citizen Gary McLaren, had serious facial injuries and was in critical condition. Despite the efforts of medical staff and emergency responders Mr. McLaren was pronounced dead at the scene.
Re: British tourist killed in Pattaya fireworks incident
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 12:41 am
by JUDGEDREDD
What on earth was he doing
Re: British tourist killed in Pattaya fireworks incident
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 1:37 am
by Ghostwriter
Looks like he wanted to watch as closely as possible the ignition process.
The outcome didn't surprise me much
Re: British tourist killed in Pattaya fireworks incident
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 2:42 am
by BR549
Another example for the list of why it is so dangerous in SEA for expats.
Was he checking to see if the fuse was lit?
Maybe, he thought it went out and he needed to relight it?
I had a drunken incident 40 years ago with 2 giant fireworks pieces I had the lame brained idea of twisting the fuses together...I bent over to relight and 1 went off. I caught part of it in my face burning my fucking eyelashes off. I closed my eyes in the nick of time.
This poor man...
There is such a fine line between getting killed and learning a lesson.
My heart goes out to his family finding this out to begin 2020.
Re: British tourist killed in Pattaya fireworks incident
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 2:53 am
by BR549
Now, I see the other article it was just that. He thought the fuse was out.
Just a momentary lapse in judgement and the poor guy paid the ultimate price.
Re: British tourist killed in Pattaya fireworks incident
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 5:45 am
by Anthony's Weiner
We have Bang Fai festivals in this part of Isaan. 20 foot PVC tubes packed with black powder are shot into the sky while 3000 whiskeyed up gamble on whether the rocket will stay aloft for more than 200 seconds. Commercial aircraft are diverted from the area, monks, police and everyone gamble furiously and the smoke is so thick you can barely see. Often I am the only farang in the crowd of thousands standing in a dried ricefield watching and have been allowed to help pack the powder and carry the rockets. Of course every year there are resulting deaths, rockets that go off prematurely, detonate while being packed or oddly "what goes up, must come down" and some little old lady sitting in her house on stilts gets the surprise that ends her life when a 20-foot tube of plastic falls from 10,000 feet through her roof. Unlucky is always the cause of death.
Re: British tourist killed in Pattaya fireworks incident
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 5:50 am
by Anthony's Weiner
Anthony's Weiner wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2020 5:45 am
We have Bang Fai festivals in this part of Isaan. 20 foot PVC tubes packed with black powder are shot into the sky while 3000 whiskeyed up gamble on whether the rocket will stay aloft for more than 200 seconds. Commercial aircraft are diverted from the area, monks, police and everyone gamble furiously and the smoke is so thick you can barely see. Often I am the only farang in the crowd of thousands standing in a dried ricefield watching and have been allowed to help pack the powder and carry the rockets. Of course every year there are resulting deaths, rockets that go off prematurely, detonate while being packed or oddly "what goes up, must come down" and some little old lady sitting in her house on stilts gets the surprise that ends her life when a 20-foot tube of plastic falls from 10,000 feet through her roof. Unlucky is always the cause of death.
Re: British tourist killed in Pattaya fireworks incident
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 10:14 am
by Cowshed Cowboy
Absolute madness setting off something akin to a mini pipe bomb in a very busy narrow soi like 13/2. There was every chance a completely innocent pedestrian or motorist could have been on the receiving end of this, a pointless waste of life. I remember a few years ago a similar incident in Jomtien Plaza where another foreigner blew his hand off trying to light one of these.
