An electrocution during a flood outside a massage shop in the Isaan province of Udon Thani claimed the lives of a shop worker and her Vietnamese client on Tuesday, July 16.
Officers from the Udon Thani Disaster Prevention Unit were called to transport an unconscious man and woman to a hospital. Witnesses suspected the pair was electrocuted due to floodwater outside the shop. Staff from the massage parlour attempted to perform CPR, but were unable to revive them.
The woman was later identified as a 25 year old massage shop employee, Siriphak Yoichaisong. The man was a 29 year old Vietnamese customer, Jacky Tri Hao Treu. Both were rushed to Udon Thani Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.
Channel 7 reported that the massage parlour is located in Soi Non Phibun in Udon Thani city centre. Heavy rain on the day of the incident led to flooding approximately 50 centimetres deep.
A witness, 28 year old Phanudate Wongkaew, told the media he entered the floodwater to retrieve his motorcycle. While moving it onto the footpath, his girlfriend noticed the two victims lying unconscious and asked him to check on them. He and several massage shop staff helped pull them from the water.
Officials from the Udon Thani Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) later investigated the scene to determine the source of the electrocution. They confirmed that the electrical leak originated from the shop’s LED light signage, not from the main power lines managed by the PEA.
Officials urged residents to exercise extreme caution during rain or flooding. People are advised to unplug electrical appliances at risk of contact with water and to avoid streetlights, electrical poles, and metal signs during such conditions.
It remains unclear whether the massage parlour owner will face legal consequences for the allegedly unsafe installation of the sign. The owner declined to speak to the media about the incident.
In a similar case in May in Surat Thani province, a Thai woman was electrocuted while walking on a flooded road. That incident was traced to a leak from a streetlight.
Another fatal electrocution occurred in Songkhla province, where a Thai man was killed while trying to close a metal gate at his flooded home.
The story Thai massage shop worker and Vietnamese client killed in electrocution as seen on Thaiger News.
