By Adam Judd

 

Pattaya, Thailand-Pattaya police chief Kunlachart Kunllachai stated to the press yesterday afternoon, August 6th, 2022, that all entertainment venues in the city should hold fire drills and rehearsals as well as have set evacuation plans.

 

According to the police chief, this is due to concern following the tragic fire that broke out at the Mountain B nightclub in nearby Sattahip last week that killed fifteen people and injured dozens.

 

The chief held a meeting with several prominent nightlife owners in the city and will be arranging wider meetings for entertainment venue owners across the city in the near future.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/08/07/pattaya-police-chief-says-all-entertainment-venues-should-hold-fire-drills-rehearsals-and-have-set-fire-evacuation-plans/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-08-08

 

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1 hour ago, webfact said:

Pattaya, Thailand-Pattaya police chief Kunlachart Kunllachai stated to the press yesterday afternoon, August 6th, 2022, that all entertainment venues in the city should hold fire drills and rehearsals as well as have set evacuation plans.

There's that word yet again SHOULD. Why is it not mandatory that all entertainment venues have the necessary plans or certification in place before being allowed to open ..................???

17 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

There's that word yet again SHOULD. Why is it not mandatory that all entertainment venues have the necessary plans or certification in place before being allowed to open ..................???

It would be a single dog and pony show with the press on hand and a few pot bellied policemen.... and once they were gone, the chains would be back on any emergency exits. 

Good  to see the  Police  doing their  job............of  doing bugga  all, as  usual

Was far from being even a thought 7 days ago............

2 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

There's that word yet again SHOULD. Why is it not mandatory that all entertainment venues have the necessary plans or certification in place before being allowed to open ..................???

Yep! I saw that word stand out too! Mandatory and overseen by the fire department supervised inspection department (if they even have those?)

He is right in all that he say, but the problem is not there. The problem is in the word "should". There must be a set of laws, that tells what is needed to follow. After that, there must be a government authority body, with office in all Thailand, that make inspections of all venues once or twice a year. Could be included with health and hygiene inspections.

Edited August 8, 20223 yr by Gottfrid

????..............Bolted.....????

Uh, oh.  The dreaded word 'should'. 

5 hours ago, jacko45k said:

It would be a single dog and pony show with the press on hand and a few pot bellied policemen.... and once they were gone, the chains would be back on any emergency exits. 

Unfortunately I think you are right with the RTP continuing to turn a blind eye for the sake of "inducements"

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya, Thailand-Pattaya police chief Kunlachart Kunllachai stated to the press yesterday afternoon, August 6th, 2022, that all entertainment venues in the city should hold fire drills and rehearsals as well as have set evacuation plans.

How about starting with licences to operate and a fire/safety certificate from a fire department after inspection.

3 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

Yep! I saw that word stand out too! Mandatory and overseen by the fire department supervised inspection department (if they even have those?)

And annually, plus random inspections in between.

 

The drawback would be the punishment of the offenders.

 

Who would be punished? Certainly not the real owners nor those people in brown suits collecting "protection money".

All suggestions unworkable because of 

Quote

brown suits collecting "protection money".

 

The most worrying thing for me is that he missed the key points.

 

Staff training are evacuation plans are of little use when a club fills with thick black smoke and flames in seconds.

 

Unlocked fire exits with push bars, sprinkler systems, emergency lighting and non flammable ceilings are of more value.

So so easy to say AFTER the event, the ever reactive Thai Police, try being proactive for once.

Ditto ALL multiple occupied buildings eg condos offices schools hotels hospitals etc etc etc. Monthly should do the trick. Set off the alarm and count the escapees in their designated assembly zones. Sprinkler/ Misting retrofits also help as does regular inspections and certification by fire safety engineers. Simply setting fire to building materials will check flammability including poisonous gasses.

Fire codes and Fire Marshals are a real thing. 

 

And real for lessons learned the hard way all across the globe.

In the meantime lets see a deterrent like sentence handed out to the owner with no bail allowed.

42 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

How about starting with licences to operate and a fire/safety certificate from a fire department after inspection.

The issue remains....   endemic corruption...    Any inspector can be paid off.

 

Until there is a complete cultural shift towards a greater acceptable for the need for proactive safety and making owners fully accountable, there will not be any improvement, there will be no change.

 

As always, these announcements are simply knee-jerk reactions... proactiveness is not a thing in Thailand, proactiveness is considered as people making trouble. 

 

 

Just look at pedestrian crossings...  7 months ago a Dr was killed crossing a pedestrian crossing. 

There was huge media attention (if you’re not familiar with this story you’ve been hiding under a rock)....   there were announcements, lots of talk, lots of criticisms, crossings were moved, crossings were painted... a couple of pedestrian bridges were built....   

..... And now ???....   nothing, cross the road and its the same as it ever was, drivers do not want to stop at a pedestrian crossing to allow a pedestrian to cross. 

 

 

 

Sounds like too much hard work to me.

 

File in the 'too hard' basket, thanks.

5 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Sounds like too much hard work to me.

 

File in the 'too hard' basket, thanks.

....otherwise known as the ‘involves a bit of effort’ basket !!!! 

All these venues should be checked by independent inspectors to ensure all safety regulations are fully complied with and re-checked every 12 months. They could try using the NFPA standards as a guide for compliance.

Edited August 8, 20223 yr by Photoguy21

7 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

He is right in all that he say, but the problem is not there. The problem is in the word "should". There must be a set of laws, that tells what is needed to follow. After that, there must be a government authority body, with office in all Thailand, that make inspections of all venues once or twice a year. Could be included with health and hygiene inspections.

And of course when the cop was making this statement no reporter/journalist asked if 'should' is the correct word. Then again maybe they have never ever thought about this subject. 

"Lucifer's" on Walking Street has always struck me as a death trap waiting to happen.  The entire disco area is in the rear, accessed by a single narrow walkway from the front and is entirely over the water.  Not a single exit over dry land. The dance floor is a lower level from the entry with steps leading down.  Flash fire there on a crowded night and I doubt many would escape.

 

"Insomnia" not much better.  Main dance area up a narrow staircase, again: over water.

Edited August 8, 20223 yr by dddave

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

And of course when the cop was making this statement no reporter/journalist asked if 'should' is the correct word. Then again maybe they have never ever thought about this subject. 

And with that diversified comment, you want to say what? That, you do not know, but you assume that my post was incorrect, but it might be right?

9 hours ago, transam said:

????..............Bolted.....????

Yes, this time, but would you consider them to not react at all as the preferable choice?

I remember being in Scratch Dog.... (15 years ago or so at a guess (for you oldies & millennials !!! its was a club under the Windsor hotel on Suk Soi 20)... 

Crowded...   We found an area near the fire escape. 

I deliberately leaned against the fire-door bar, which opened the door. 

I nearly got kicked out - but I felt better. 

 

I recall at a similar time there was a club up on the 4th or 5th floor..  only one way in and out, a narrow stair well...  that stairwell was crowded going up to the bar. I refused to go in, friends objected and wanted to go. I didn’t care, I was happy to go home instead - we went elsewhere. 

 

Levels on Soi 11 used to seem risky, at least it was open air for a lot of it, but it was accessed via a lift - I don't recall seeing the emergency exits, but being a hotel there must be some... erm.. right ??

 

 

I imagine there are so many places which fail at the very first steps of fire safety - its fortunate there are not more incidents. 

 

 

Edited August 8, 20223 yr by richard_smith237

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

And with that diversified comment, you want to say what? That, you do not know, but you assume that my post was incorrect, but it might be right?

NO, that wasn't my point at all.

 

I was referring to the very poor state of reporting/journalism in Thailand. 

5 minutes ago, scorecard said:

NO, that wasn't my point at all.

 

I was referring to the very poor state of reporting/journalism in Thailand. 

Ok, but it might also be that everyone is just trying to talk around everything to save their own skin, so it creates a very poor foundation for good journalism.

13 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Yes, this time, but would you consider them to not react at all as the preferable choice?

"Yes, this time", there shouldn't be a "this time", venues should be regulated, inspected, etc, to ensure patrons are safe.....????