I have been electrocuted twice in my life. The first time was in a decent Bangkok hotel. The second time was from a cheap ass DVD player in my girlfriends family home. Now, most of you will be aware that you can walk accross a flyover in BKK and almost reach out and touch overhead power cables. Sure, they're usually insulated but not at the point of the poles holding them up. Even on the skytrain, it would be possible for a child to reach out and touch live lines in many places. The worst example of blatant disregard for public safety I have seen was in a hotel in Chiang Rai, the room in which I was staying had a balcony and just 12 inches from this balcony was a 33,000 volt transformer!!! Crackling and sizzling away ready for some fool or an unwitting child to reach out and meet an early demise... and this is the 'relatively' safe Thailand. Other countries in the region have even lower standards.
Last night I went to a small morlam event in Isaan. The village where I'm staying is next to a main road along which runs an extra high tension powerline. From the size of the insulators, I would say there are at least 100,000 volts in this line. The morlam concert was staged in such a place that the audience were directly below these lines (you can see where this is going). Helium filled baloons were on sale to the children. One loving father decided it would be a good idea to put an extra long string on his child's balloon, wound around a stick for him to extend at his leisure. I observed at a distance, only mildly concerned as they were a way off... until they decided to come nearer the action and sit near me and GF. We were right under the power lines. I went into a blind panic as I watched this child wonder ever closer to the cables with his balloon up high. (I point out that even though string is not a good conductor of electricity, at extremely high voltages it will travel through almost anything to get to the ground). I tried to warn his parents of the imminent danger, they were disinterested and confused as to why this stupid foreigner was trying to spoil their evening. I pleaded with my GF to do something to help me warn them, she just looked embaressed by my actions. 'Can't anyone see what's happening here!' I yelled, as this boys balloon waved in the wind, just a few metres from the power. I was utterly astounded that no one cared, even the slightest. They were utterly clueless as to the danger and just wanted to drink whisky and look the other way.
In fact, I probably saved this boys life last night, as they were so embarrassed by my attention of them, that they walked away.
You probably think I over reacted to this situation. I don't think I did. It's left a very sour taste in my mouth because I made a fool of myself by panicing yet no one else gave a sh1t. What is it with these people and their ignorance of clear and present danger.
