Thread: Injured caddy sues Italian golfer for half a million

Pairin Kantawongs, 56, a caddy working in an undisclosed Chiang Mai golf club, reported to police after a 67 year old Italian client whose golf ball hit her in the eye causing her injury in January this year.


According to Pairin, she was standing between 150-200 metres away when the Italian’s ball hit her in the eye socket. She has been negotiating with the Italian since January but neither can agree to a sum. She has therefore come to the police to report this incident, demanding 500,000 baht in compensation.


Pairin told police that her eye socket was cracked, her lens was injured and she has not been able to see properly since the operation, requiring sunglasses while out in the sun.


She said that while it was an accident, it was still the client’s fault and he must take responsibility.


As to the Italian, he has reported to the police but says that caddies must always stand behind the golfer, but Pairin did not do so and went to stand in the fairway, which lead to her accident. He said that he has paid 5,000 baht already towards her medical cost, but insists that half a million is too much.

Injured caddy sues Italian golfer for half a million

Feel sorry for the caddy . . . but hardly the golfer's fault. Shouldn't the golf club be insured?

Something isn't right here.

What caddy fucks off 150m up the fairway before their golfer has taken his tee shot?

Before a slice killed my game nine years ago I used to pay loads of golf but was only ever asked to recompense anyone twice after wayward shots... neither of which were really justified to be honest.

The first time was on the Astana course near Kuantan, Malaysia... where I used to be a member.

I was about to take my approach shot on the 18th but there were a couple of the groundskeeper girls spraying chemicals around the green to kill the weeds. I alerted them to my upcoming shot, but they just moved slightly off the green and continued spraying... either they had hugely overestimated the standard of my golf or had mistaken me for someone else. Anyway, I took the shot... which wasn't too bad at all... and kid you not, the ball smashed through the plastic chemical tank one of the girls had on her back and stayed in there. Shot of a lifetime to be honest... but the girl was horrified about her broken tank and asked for it to be replaced. It would probably have been taken out of her wages so I gave her the 20 or 30 Ringgit she asked for, no problem. I tried to get her to tip the ball out as close to the hole as possible, but the guys I was playing with objected. I still don't know what the rules are for that?

The second time was in Thailand, at some course near Khao Yai. I overshot the green by some way, and to be honest I was out of the hole so should have just picked up... but stubbornness took over. There was a group of off-duty caddies with a couple of motorbikes gathered well beyond the hole in question, but now between me and the green. I don't know why, but I tried a bump and run under the trees to get back to the green. The ball took off like a rocket, twatted one of the motorbikes and split the rear fairing. They wanted 5000 Baht... way too much and they shouldn't really have been there... but it was behind the hole and in dead ground off the course. I think I ended up giving 2000 Baht for good will and everyone was happy.

Of course, it is beyond the capacity of the club to take out a public insurance indemnity in respect of risk to groundsmen and contracted caddies.

I've had 'spotters' run ahead for blind shots in the past, especially when fairways are hard and the bounce unpredictable. Caddies are usually far too sensible to act as a spotter for me.

If she was on the fairway acting as spotter then more fool her. Although when I play that's the safest place to be...

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Of course, it is beyond the capacity of the club to take out a public insurance indemnity in respect of risk to groundsmen and contracted caddies.

Probably easier and cheaper to allow the police to shake down locals for 500,000

I find if I just aim for people on the fairway it ensures I have no chance of hitting them

Sounds like a scam.

Try FORE! Sometimes it helps, sometimes not; a player called it at my sister's local course, someone else looked up just as the ball appeared close up and lost an eye. Unfortunate accident, shit happens when hard balls are flying about, the caller acted properly, the club wouldn't get involved but urged an amicable settlement, I don't know the outcome but think the victim got compo from some accident insurance.