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Chinese Tourist Falls to Death From Zip Line in Chiang Mai


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I have been waiting for this to happen for a while now!

Previously I used to work for a outdoor adventure company that offered visiting students and corporate clients zip line activites as part of their programme, so for this instance we had to used a local company as we did not own our own zipline.

I would always go and do a recce of their services before the groups arrrive and I ALWAYS ALWAYS found the same problems., When I brought these issues up with the management, they either claimed I was making it up and that they know what they are doing and have never had an accident, or they said they would take the comments under advisement, obvioulsy, when I went with the clients the same issues arised.

Due to me not owning the outdoor company I worked for I could only do so much, and if the clients wanted to go ziplining there really was not much I could do about it, as it was "what they requested" was the answer given from above.

Safety concerns that ALWAYS came up in EVERY SINGLE company I checked out in Chiang Mai ( i recced at least 6 diffenet companies)

May I, out of curiosity, ask if Chiang Mai X-Centre was one of the companies you looked at?

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My condolences to the family of the fallen man. Things like this are always a tragedy. However...

Ships are safe in the harbor, but that's not what ships are for. There is an element of danger in most adventure activities. We can strive to minimize the risk but we can never eliminate it completely, no matter how much some might want to. This isn't a Nanny State. If you want that sort of mommy/daddy protection, having your hand held while you walk down a paved road, you can find it back home. The various zip-line companies have been in business for quite a few years, with a safety record that, for Thailand, is pretty damn good. Folks can say 'I just knew something like this was going to happen...: Well yeah! Wait 5-7 years and it probably will. Wait, and someone will probably get hit in the head with a golf ball or drop a free weight on their chest. Just give it enough time.... Skiers now wear helmets on the slops in most major ski areas, and all have ski patrol personnel monitoring, watching for potential problems, yet every year in several ski areas, someone skis out of control, slams into a tree and dies.

Adventure sports are for people who live in the fast lane. Most of us don't play golf. We tend to live on the edge. And while we all say we want safety, what we really want is an element of danger. And sometimes we fall off that edge. “Live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse!”

I have to agree with you. And one of the reasons I stayed in Thailand is it's freedom to do as you please....but if I drive my car (strong modified 4x4) I always put on my safety belt.

Accidents can happen, but I prefer to put as much chance as possible on my side to survive .....

My wife and I did a diving course, but the Thai instructors were not to strict on the safety procedures....the farang instructors were !!!

Best regards.

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Withheld from the media??? I saw this on Thai news the day after it happend. The Doi Saket head man was interviewed and blammed the tourist

TW see it on the hews too and she didnt understand why I couldnt read it on TV ... Hiding a tourist death cause the Supreme Leader is visiting ... Ridiculous Banana Republic ...

This so called "Accident" ... I call it manslaughter ...blink.png

Folkguitar : You are going to far in your thai apologizes ...facepalm.gif

I agree with your suggestion of manslaughter. The man's death was the result of negligence. There is no question about that. Whether it was negligence on the part of staff not checking, or negligence on equipment management, we will never no.

But... I'm not apologizing for anything. This is Thailand. If you are going to involve yourself in ANY high-risk endeavor here, you need to realize that this is NOT the USA, Europe, or Australia. There are NO standards of safety, few requirements, and only a veneer of 'we will take care of you' provided. Hell, that's one of the reasons I moved here in the first place! Thailand is NOT a Nanny State. If that is what you require, you are better served going home. If you can not provide for your own safety, do NOT involve yourself in any high-risk pursuits. Trusting locals to protect you is like playing Russian Roulette. If you enjoy Adventure Sports, you'd better be prepared to maintain you own levels of safety.

Just think about this... In just a few years, there will be a high-speed Bullet Train running through Thailand, with the Thai section maintained by the Thais. Will you put yourself in the hands of some local while traveling at 300kph? On tracks maintained by locals?

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Adventure sports are for people who live in the fast lane. Most of us don't play golf. We tend to live on the edge. And while we all say we want safety, what we really want is an element of danger. And sometimes we fall off that edge. “Live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse!”

Ziplining is not an adventure sport. It is an amusement park ride, nothing more. It offers the impression of danger, just as does a roller coaster or as a haunted house ride offers the impression of ghosts.

You seem to think that there is an acceptable death rate for ziplining and think that since it doesn't happen in Thailand often, that proves they are OK. No, this isn't OK, and this death was preventable.

I don't think ANY death is acceptable. How dare you suggest otherwise? The fact that it does occur is just that; fact. Please don't confuse your emotional response to the situation as anyone else's acceptance. You are hardly in any position to know what someone else thinks or feels.

Usually, when engaged in dialog, we assume that the other party's statements are reflective of how they think or feel with respect to the subject matter at hand. The alternative is to accuse them of lying or ineloquence. So you see when you say "what we really want is an element of danger", and then follow it up with "Live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse!” - a quote that for most people invokes the short and tragic life of James Dean - it is entirely reasonable to assume that you see "an acceptable death rate for ziplining".

If you have been misunderstood, then by all means correct that misunderstanding. But chastising other posters for interpreting your posts in the most straightforward way possible is ridiculous.

You shouldn't try to impress us with your knowledge of quotes, then get it completely wrong. That quote was never said by James Dean. It was said by John Derek in the film 'Knock on Any Door.'

As for it being 'entirely reasonable to assume....' it is never reasonable to assume. It leaves you open to making too many mistakes, as you've done here. Based on the number of 'likes' my posts have received, I have to believe that most folks didn't mistake what I had said. If it's OK with you, I'm going to go along with that.

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Zip lining is not about risk taking. It's an adrenaline rush in a controlled environment. Off piste skiing, free fall sky diving, are adventure sports. Zip lining is a theme park ride, like Alton Towers, & Disney Land, where deaths result from bad organisation.

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I watch people going down our local zip line from my bedroom window it is more than 12 meters off the ground , sadly they do not have any safety checks in Thailand people just sling them up and off they go it was only a couple of weeks ago that I read about a tourist being killed on a bungee jump that lacked safety RIP to the deceased

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My condolences to the family of the fallen man. Things like this are always a tragedy. However...

Ships are safe in the harbor, but that's not what ships are for. There is an element of danger in most adventure activities. We can strive to minimize the risk but we can never eliminate it completely, no matter how much some might want to. This isn't a Nanny State. If you want that sort of mommy/daddy protection, having your hand held while you walk down a paved road, you can find it back home. The various zip-line companies have been in business for quite a few years, with a safety record that, for Thailand, is pretty damn good. Folks can say 'I just knew something like this was going to happen...: Well yeah! Wait 5-7 years and it probably will. Wait, and someone will probably get hit in the head with a golf ball or drop a free weight on their chest. Just give it enough time.... Skiers now wear helmets on the slops in most major ski areas, and all have ski patrol personnel monitoring, watching for potential problems, yet every year in several ski areas, someone skis out of control, slams into a tree and dies.

Adventure sports are for people who live in the fast lane. Most of us don't play golf. We tend to live on the edge. And while we all say we want safety, what we really want is an element of danger. And sometimes we fall off that edge. “Live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse!”

I agree that accidents do happen however too many people are killed or hurt in Thailand. It's nothing to do with nanny state lets look at a sensible alternative.

ALL the people and companies dealing with tourists should have COMPULSORY insurance. This should cover for personnel accident and third party cover. If a tourist is injured through faulty equipment or negligence then the payout should be similar to the payout in their home country.

If thy can't afford the premium then they should not be in business. If they are negligent then the premium will be high next year.

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A police officer privately told Khaosod that the news was withheld from the media until today because junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was visiting Chiang Mai at the time, and local authorities did not want any "negative news" to surface during his trip.

All due respect and condolences to the deceased and family.

But, this particular story would be far from the most worrying or negative story following the Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha around at present.

What do you mean?

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Very sad, RIP Chinese tourist.

What is alarming is that the news was withheld on the order of the junta boss, I watched a very interesting documentary the other day where it mentioned that the problem with the media is not so much what they distort and the lies they tell, it's what they know but do not say.

So what other news is being held back because the junta boss doesn't like it. Makes you think!

I could not find any source that said it was PM Prayuth who ordered this news being held back

But there is another news that's held back:

the policeman, whose name is a secret - is a red shirt

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Yes the death of a tourist on a `safe` attraction is terrible news, especially their family but if we are honest, is this really a surprise? Those of us who have visited often or indeed live can`t be shocked by this news. Safety here is ... well, unsafe!

What`s more disappointing is the apparent hush job by the local authorities. I thought transparency and honesty was supposed to be the way forward for this new democratic government?

I`m sure his greatness won`t be amused.

it was far from being the way of the old democratic governments

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Zip lining is not about risk taking. It's an adrenaline rush in a controlled environment. Off piste skiing, free fall sky diving, are adventure sports. Zip lining is a theme park ride, like Alton Towers, & Disney Land, where deaths result from bad organisation.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

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Zip lining is not about risk taking. It's an adrenaline rush in a controlled environment. Off piste skiing, free fall sky diving, are adventure sports. Zip lining is a theme park ride, like Alton Towers, & Disney Land, where deaths result from bad organisation.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

It's marketing! Make it sound adventurous. If done properly, no risk.

Hot air ballooning over Everest. That's adventurous thumbsup.gif

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My condolences to the family of the fallen man. Things like this are always a tragedy. However...

Ships are safe in the harbor, but that's not what ships are for. There is an element of danger in most adventure activities. We can strive to minimize the risk but we can never eliminate it completely, no matter how much some might want to. This isn't a Nanny State. If you want that sort of mommy/daddy protection, having your hand held while you walk down a paved road, you can find it back home. The various zip-line companies have been in business for quite a few years, with a safety record that, for Thailand, is pretty damn good. Folks can say 'I just knew something like this was going to happen...: Well yeah! Wait 5-7 years and it probably will. Wait, and someone will probably get hit in the head with a golf ball or drop a free weight on their chest. Just give it enough time.... Skiers now wear helmets on the slops in most major ski areas, and all have ski patrol personnel monitoring, watching for potential problems, yet every year in several ski areas, someone skis out of control, slams into a tree and dies.

Adventure sports are for people who live in the fast lane. Most of us don't play golf. We tend to live on the edge. And while we all say we want safety, what we really want is an element of danger. And sometimes we fall off that edge. “Live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse!”

I agree that accidents do happen however too many people are killed or hurt in Thailand. It's nothing to do with nanny state lets look at a sensible alternative.

ALL the people and companies dealing with tourists should have COMPULSORY insurance. This should cover for personnel accident and third party cover. If a tourist is injured through faulty equipment or negligence then the payout should be similar to the payout in their home country.

If thy can't afford the premium then they should not be in business. If they are negligent then the premium will be high next year.

Your suggestions are VERY sensible. And I agree that things 'should' be done this way.

Now that we've settled that part of it, let's look where we are living, and understand the realities involved. Unless there are some VERY strong measures taken for correction of the problems (and they won't be,) and unless there can be VERY strong penalties imposed for violations of these corrections (and there won't be,) there simple isn't much left! It the perfect world (or in the USA, Europe, and Australia,) these measures are already in effect and more are being added every day. (In fact, the Disney Corp has just banned 'selfie sticks' from their parks because they are a hazard to others!) But this is Thailand. And most Thais simply don't give a shit. And until they do, these measure are not going to be implimented no matter how wise they may seem to you or me! So... the next best thing is, that if you want to partake of Adventure Sports, you look after your own safety. Examine (and know what to look for in) your equipment. Know how to 'correctly' put of safety equipment and don't rely upon some high school kid working an after-school job to do it for you.

We live here now. We need to be responsible for our own safety if we want to participate in risky endeavors. Sorry, but right now, that's the only option.

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Zip lining is not about risk taking. It's an adrenaline rush in a controlled environment. Off piste skiing, free fall sky diving, are adventure sports. Zip lining is a theme park ride, like Alton Towers, & Disney Land, where deaths result from bad organisation.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

It's marketing! Make it sound adventurous. If done properly, no risk.

Hot air ballooning over Everest. That's adventurous thumbsup.gif

How about Hot Air Ballooning over Doi Saket? Does that qualify? Are the clients given parachutes? Packed by a guy who just finished a three-day drunk?

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Zip lining is not about risk taking. It's an adrenaline rush in a controlled environment. Off piste skiing, free fall sky diving, are adventure sports. Zip lining is a theme park ride, like Alton Towers, & Disney Land, where deaths result from bad organisation.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

how can sitting idly in a harness and holding onto a rope possibly be considered a sport?

sport
spôrt/
noun
  1. 1.
    an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
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Yes the death of a tourist on a `safe` attraction is terrible news, especially their family but if we are honest, is this really a surprise? Those of us who have visited often or indeed live can`t be shocked by this news. Safety here is ... well, unsafe!

What`s more disappointing is the apparent hush job by the local authorities. I thought transparency and honesty was supposed to be the way forward for this new democratic government?

I`m sure his greatness won`t be amused.

it was far from being the way of the old democratic governments

Who suggested it was?

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Zip lining is not about risk taking. It's an adrenaline rush in a controlled environment. Off piste skiing, free fall sky diving, are adventure sports. Zip lining is a theme park ride, like Alton Towers, & Disney Land, where deaths result from bad organisation.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

so youre one of those people who accept all marketing as fact? whistling.gif

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Zip lining is not about risk taking. It's an adrenaline rush in a controlled environment. Off piste skiing, free fall sky diving, are adventure sports. Zip lining is a theme park ride, like Alton Towers, & Disney Land, where deaths result from bad organisation.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

A poster here-and gosh, I don't seem to remember who-astutely posted "You can call a sparrow a brick if you wish to, but the fact is, it will still be able to fly." I would would also postulate that you can call a brick a sparrow, but the fact is, it will still be unable to fly.

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My condolences to the family of the fallen man. Things like this are always a tragedy. However...

Ships are safe in the harbor, but that's not what ships are for. There is an element of danger in most adventure activities. We can strive to minimize the risk but we can never eliminate it completely, no matter how much some might want to. This isn't a Nanny State. If you want that sort of mommy/daddy protection, having your hand held while you walk down a paved road, you can find it back home. The various zip-line companies have been in business for quite a few years, with a safety record that, for Thailand, is pretty damn good. Folks can say 'I just knew something like this was going to happen...: Well yeah! Wait 5-7 years and it probably will. Wait, and someone will probably get hit in the head with a golf ball or drop a free weight on their chest. Just give it enough time.... Skiers now wear helmets on the slops in most major ski areas, and all have ski patrol personnel monitoring, watching for potential problems, yet every year in several ski areas, someone skis out of control, slams into a tree and dies.

Adventure sports are for people who live in the fast lane. Most of us don't play golf. We tend to live on the edge. And while we all say we want safety, what we really want is an element of danger. And sometimes we fall off that edge. “Live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse!”

There is no way that Zip Lining falls under the classification of an adventure sport and having an expectation of proper safety procedures and equipment is hardly an indication that you require mommy/daddy protection in a Nanny State. Your analogies are ridiculous.

Absolutely ridicolous.

"This isn't a Nanny State. If you want that sort of mommy/daddy protection, having your hand held while you walk down a paved road, you can find it back home."

What nonsense.

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Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

how can sitting idly in a harness and holding onto a rope possibly be considered a sport?

Riiiight..... I forgot about that... while I was paragliding, sitting idly in my harness holding on to a rope.... actually two ropes. I wonder if that makes a difference.

Or maybe it was when I was drift-diving a coral reef in Palau, sitting idly in my BCD harness not even holding on to a rope?

Or... maybe you might wish to reconsider your definition.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

so youre one of those people who accept all marketing as fact? whistling.gif

No, not at all. I don't agree that it's marketing. I find zip-lining to be a wonderful adventure activity. Especially when I set up my own zip-line across between two peaks as was its origins. Absolutely hair-raising, which is one reason why, personally, I don't wish to spend 2,000 baht to zip-line several meters off the ground in Chiang Mai. The other is that I don't trust the equipment used by tourist venues. If I don't know how many 'falls' a safety line has already taken, I'm certainly not going to trust my life to it. I think anyone who does is foolish. Frankly, I'm amazed at the blatant foolishness of the tourists who put their lives in the hands of untrained individuals with unknown equipment. But that's their choice. This is Thailand. We all know the reality that entails. Sad, but true.

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Zip lining is not about risk taking. It's an adrenaline rush in a controlled environment. Off piste skiing, free fall sky diving, are adventure sports. Zip lining is a theme park ride, like Alton Towers, & Disney Land, where deaths result from bad organisation.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

What else could they label their activity ? Boring ,humdrum,tedious, they dress it up to encourage business, its simply marketing to a mainly younger market.No blame for that they are there to make money.Every backpacker magazine or web site would highlight it as something to put on the list in CM

My daughter enjoyed zip lining it but she has climbed partly up Everest and I'm sure would label that far more exciting and dangerous.

People have accidents, its about evaluating the risk and making a choice.How many 1,000's have taken part in an activity that's been around CM for years.

Total knee jerk reaction,far safer than hiring a motor cycle I would suggest.

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Zip lining is not about risk taking. It's an adrenaline rush in a controlled environment. Off piste skiing, free fall sky diving, are adventure sports. Zip lining is a theme park ride, like Alton Towers, & Disney Land, where deaths result from bad organisation.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

What else could they label their activity ? Boring ,humdrum,tedious, they dress it up to encourage business, its simply marketing to a mainly younger market.No blame for that they are there to make money.Every backpacker magazine or web site would highlight it as something to put on the list in CM

My daughter enjoyed zip lining it but she has climbed partly up Everest and I'm sure would label that far more exciting and dangerous.

People have accidents, its about evaluating the risk and making a choice.How many 1,000's have taken part in an activity that's been around CM for years.

Total knee jerk reaction,far safer than hiring a motor cycle I would suggest.

What else? Why, nothing else. Nothing else fits the description of hanging by a rock-climbing harness, suspended high off the ground, with a belay rope as added securtiy. Nothing else but an Adventure activity! The labeled it correctly.

While I admire your daughter's adventurous spirit, unless she paid $11,000 US dollars for a permit, she didn't climb partly up Everest. Most likely she trekked into the Base Camp, which is no simple walk in the park either. It's a strenuous two-week trek over well-worn but steep trails. No one climbs beyond Base Camp without paying for a permit and hiring Sherpas. It just isn't done.

And I'm in full agreement with you that 'most of the time' the adventure sports offered in Chiang Mai tourist venues are FAR safer than hiring a motorcycle! But that's really not saying much. Like motor vehicles, safety equipment needs to be carefully maintained. Ropes and only take just so many pounds of repeated stress before they give out. Metal D-rings, buckles, carabiners, even those of the highest quality to begin with, eventually need to be replaced. And I think most of us are well aware of the Thai opinion about 'Preventive maintenance.' It simply doesn't exist. I would never recommend either zip-lining or bungee jumping to visitors here. And I only recommend renting motorcycles from one shop that I'm sure actually DOES preventive maintenance.

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Riiiight..... I forgot about that... while I was paragliding, sitting idly in my harness holding on to a rope.... actually two ropes. I wonder if that makes a difference.

Or maybe it was when I was drift-diving a coral reef in Palau, sitting idly in my BCD harness not even holding on to a rope?

Or... maybe you might wish to reconsider your definition.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

so youre one of those people who accept all marketing as fact? whistling.gif

No, not at all. I don't agree that it's marketing. I find zip-lining to be a wonderful adventure activity. Especially when I set up my own zip-line across between two peaks as was its origins. Absolutely hair-raising, which is one reason why, personally, I don't wish to spend 2,000 baht to zip-line several meters off the ground in Chiang Mai. The other is that I don't trust the equipment used by tourist venues. If I don't know how many 'falls' a safety line has already taken, I'm certainly not going to trust my life to it. I think anyone who does is foolish. Frankly, I'm amazed at the blatant foolishness of the tourists who put their lives in the hands of untrained individuals with unknown equipment. But that's their choice. This is Thailand. We all know the reality that entails. Sad, but true.

facepalm.gif

youre actually comparing paragliding and diving of any sort to ziplining? cheesy.gif

so adventure = hair-raising...ok...time to go watch a scary movie 'adventure'.

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Bungee jumping, zip line gliding, ATV riding, parasailing, etc. Don't come to Thailand to do these. Do them in places that have safety standards and where companies actually take safety seriously, not just post a "Safety First" sign.

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Riiiight..... I forgot about that... while I was paragliding, sitting idly in my harness holding on to a rope.... actually two ropes. I wonder if that makes a difference.

Or maybe it was when I was drift-diving a coral reef in Palau, sitting idly in my BCD harness not even holding on to a rope?

Or... maybe you might wish to reconsider your definition.

Let's for a moment believe that you are correct...

Then why do so many thousands of companies call it an 'adventure sport?' Are they all incorrect? All of them?

It's not just one or two, you know. It's thousands of them. I listed five companies right here in Chiang Mai that call it an adventure sport. Are they wrong? Are all the thousands of companies giving it the wrong name. Or are you?

so youre one of those people who accept all marketing as fact? whistling.gif

No, not at all. I don't agree that it's marketing. I find zip-lining to be a wonderful adventure activity. Especially when I set up my own zip-line across between two peaks as was its origins. Absolutely hair-raising, which is one reason why, personally, I don't wish to spend 2,000 baht to zip-line several meters off the ground in Chiang Mai. The other is that I don't trust the equipment used by tourist venues. If I don't know how many 'falls' a safety line has already taken, I'm certainly not going to trust my life to it. I think anyone who does is foolish. Frankly, I'm amazed at the blatant foolishness of the tourists who put their lives in the hands of untrained individuals with unknown equipment. But that's their choice. This is Thailand. We all know the reality that entails. Sad, but true.

facepalm.gif

youre actually comparing paragliding and diving of any sort to ziplining? cheesy.gif

so adventure = hair-raising...ok...time to go watch a scary movie 'adventure'.

As the Internet so readily shows, there are thousands of people who DO consider zip-lining an adventure activity. And while there are a handful of ThaiVisa posters who don't, I'm going with the majority here. I'm going to call zip-lining an adventure activity.

Personally, I don't find movies particularly scary, but if that's how you like to get your adventure, please go right ahead. To each his own, I guess.

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Bungee jumping, zip line gliding, ATV riding, parasailing, etc. Don't come to Thailand to do these. Do them in places that have safety standards and where companies actually take safety seriously, not just post a "Safety First" sign.

You forgot about the big ticket item....JET. SKI's

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Bungee jumping, zip line gliding, ATV riding, parasailing, etc. Don't come to Thailand to do these. Do them in places that have safety standards and where companies actually take safety seriously, not just post a "Safety First" sign.

Not to mention that many insurance companies will not compensate you if you get injured while engaging in these high-risk activities.

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