PHETCHABUN, THAILAND – A New Year’s Eve family holiday at a mountain resort nearly ended in tragedy when a gas leak left three guests fighting for their lives.
Holiday stay turns into near-fatal emergency
A Thai family checked into a resort on Phu Thap Boek on 31 December, choosing a room advertised with views of the New Year fireworks. The room was described as small, old and poorly ventilated. A key detail was the bathroom’s LPG gas water heater, which had no exhaust or ventilation – a potentially deadly design flaw.
Child’s distress and father’s collapse
At around 9:30 p.m., the mother took a shower and noticed a slight smell of gas, which she assumed was normal. Later, the father went into the bathroom, closed the door and began showering. The mother suddenly felt dizzy, and her child said:
“I’m not feeling well either.”
said the child, a member of the family.
The child became agitated, struggled to breathe and its face turned red, prompting the mother to call out to her husband. He stumbled out of the bathroom, began to shake and then collapsed unconscious, leaving the entire family in mortal danger.
Mother’s actions avert catastrophe
The mother realised they were suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning and opened all the doors to let in fresh air. Lying on the floor, she performed chest compressions (CPR) on her husband until he regained consciousness. She then carried her unconscious child out onto the balcony, where the child eventually woke up and began crying, a sign that breathing had stabilised.
Rescue and hospital treatment
Resort staff arrived at about 11 p.m., by which time the mother herself was close to collapsing. All three were transported down the mountain to Lom Sak Hospital. They reached the hospital shortly before midnight, as New Year fireworks were exploding outside.
The father and child were admitted for observation, while the mother remained awake, suffering from headaches, dizziness and nausea. The family was later transferred to Bangkok to check for possible long-term damage from carbon monoxide in their blood.
“Instinct and presence of mind saved us”
The mother cited several strokes of luck, including that they had stayed awake for the fireworks, frequently gone out onto the balcony and had no open flame in the room.
“Instinct and presence of mind saved us,”
said the mother, who shared her experience in a viral Facebook post. Doctors praised her composure under extreme pressure.
Her account has since become a stark warning to holidaymakers about invisible gas hazards in accommodation.
Questions over safety and responsibility
The incident involved no fire and no visible smoke, only a slow gas escape that almost killed an entire family. The case raised concerns over how many resorts still use outdated gas heaters without proper ventilation. It also highlighted unresolved questions over who bears responsibility and what must change immediately to prevent similar incidents in the future.