With the weather at its hottest in April last year we wrote about swimming in a flooded quarry  which has come to be known as the Hangdong Grand Canyon water hole.

Cliffs above perilously deep water.

Since then pictures of this beautiful spot have appeared on various websites promoting Chiang Mai.

In May 2013 two boys drowned as reported on the Chiang Mai City Life website, during a morning swim after they had walked up to Wat Doi Suthep the night before.

Authorities in Thailand appear to take a cavalier approach to public safety and to drownings as this report on Mekong River deaths from WAtoday.com indicates

“Local police reported that it was not unusual for tourists to drown in the area, where the river ran fast, acting state coroner Evelyn Vicker was told.

The river had claimed the lives of eight foreign visitors during the 15-month period from January 1, 2011, but Mr Lewis had not been identified as one of them.”

In April City Life did a photo shoot at the canyon, and I wrote asking for a life buoy to be installed offering to contribute to the cost.  As can be seen from today’s photo above, I wrote in vain.
Last week a Korean visitor drowned and the canyon now has the following sign prohibiting swimming. Visitors may still enter and should one slip and fall assistance without a life buoy may fail to prevent another drowning.
No Swimming
So as usual. A death, no talk of an inquest, just as in the recent night train race and murder, but instead an knee jerk reaction, and a public asset lost.