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Published on October 25, 2007

The scariest thing about amusement parks is that the kind of tragedy that occurred at Siam Park on Tuesday is even more likely to happen on other days. That Patchadaporn Kongkarian died on a public holiday, when park workers were supposed to be at full strength and more alert, makes us wonder how risky it is to visit such facilities and take fun rides on the days that equipment is manned by a reduced staff that is half-asleep. Her death doesn't only cry out for a thorough investigation, but also demands a revamp of how all "fantasy lands" are operated in this country. Frequent visitors to local amusement parks must have noticed the difference in safety standards and measures between normal days and holidays. The need to save costs is understandable, but not acceptable. While amusement park operations require a safety philosophy similar to that of, say, air transport - half-full planes must adhere to the same strict measures as fully booked ones - it seems that is not the case here.

Patchadaporn's death raises all kind of safety questions. Are Thai amusement parks being manned by qualified personnel? Is their equipment up to acceptable standards? Is there enough manpower to run the machines, or is labour stretched to save costs at the expense of close supervision? Have precautionary guidelines been closely followed? How often are the machines checked?

The fatal accident on the "Indiana Log" ride was reportedly caused by a sudden drop in power that resulted in water-pumping mechanisms failing. This apparently caused Patchadaporn's ride to plunge at a higher speed and to crash into the earlier "log". The impact was immense because there was not enough water to cushion the collision. These initial assumptions of how the accident happened add more disturbing questions. Are riders' lives at risk every time there's an electrical failure? Are amusement parks with the same or similar rides prepared to cope with such an emergency once the ride has been launched? In other words, if the controller found out about the power failure after Patchadaporn's ride began, would he have been able to prevent the tragedy?

One thing is certain: the image of the "Log" ride will never be the same. It had long been perceived as relatively harmless, albeit less exciting than the likes of a roller-coaster or the free-fall rides. It was popular among less adventurous riders and often attracted family members. The water used to be thought of as an element of fun, or a cooling-off opportunity on a hot day. The ride is now potentially a matter of life and death.

Siam Park has promised compensation, but this case must not stop at that. The criminal charges against two ride controllers must be the beginning of a thorough process to ensure the accountability and responsibility of those in higher positions. The authorities, meanwhile, must come clean on current rules and regulations. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Public Works and Town and Country Planning Department, for example, must quickly address criticism that the government lacks effective rules on safety standards at amusement parks.

If this latest tragedy is not a clear-cut question of corporate responsibility, we don't know what is. It sounds more deplorable given the fact that a Japanese tourist was injured on the same ride at the same park some five years ago. While it was unclear what caused Tomomitsu Kitagava, 32, to suffer back injuries to the extent that he could not move or get out of the ride by himself, that incident must have been enough to sound a big alarm on the ride's safety standards. Following that incident, Siam Park's owners insisted that strict rules had been observed and machines checked, particularly after another fatal accident at the Fashion Island Department Store's amusement park. Doctors said a disc in the man's spine had moved slightly. What caused the tourist's injuries? Could it have been that the ride was unsafe, even with water pumps working? Is the slope too steep or the water cushion inadequate?

We are not sure if Siam Park addressed these questions in the aftermath of that incident and before Tuesday's tragedy. We don't know whether enough has been done since. And we don't know whether enough will be done by every party concerned after the latest, apparently preventable, tragedy.

The Nation