Mountain B nightclub owner gives detailed interview about fatal club fire, his remorse, experience, and more

[webfact]

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

Sattahip, Thailand - The Mountain B nightclub owner and his wife held their first public press conference/interview yesterday, August 10th, saying they almost attempted to commit suicide after the incident, expressed remorse for the victims, but asserted that the fire exits were unlocked.

 

Five days have passed since the horrid Mountain B nightclub fire that killed 16 people and injured several more on August 5th, and finally, the pub owner Pongsiri Panprasong, 27, or “Sia B” who was released on 300,000-baht bail was ready to talk.

 

“I apologize to every victim’s family. I will try to visit all of them to deal with the funeral arrangements and compensation,” Sia B said briefly before letting his wife Anongnart Panprasong, 31, speak.

 

“I was checking our stock outside the pub when I heard a blast around 1 AM. I saw customers rushing out of the front gate; some were covered in flame, so I used a wet towel to help them before I called a firefighter,” Anongnart stated. Three of her employees reportedly died in the pub, but she said she was unaware because she was engrossed in an interrogation at the Plutaluang Police Station.

 

When asked about their source of funding, Anongnart replied, “We accumulated money from selling goods, pork meat, and noodles. We also run a restaurant in front of our pub and manage everything on our own without any consultant or silent investors. We are the sole owners.”

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/08/10/mountain-b-nightclub-owner-gives-detailed-interview-about-fatal-club-fire-his-remorse-experience-and-more/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-08-11

 

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[prakhonchai nick]

Sia B is going to ordain as a monk when all matters have been completed.   Never understand this nonsense, He likely had little use for Monks and Buddah before and unlikely that Buddha wants anything to do with him now!   Can he be a monk in prison?

[2baht]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

saying they almost attempted to commit suicide

.................and I'm almost a virgin! ????

[smedly]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The Mountain B nightclub owner and his wife held their first public press conference/interview yesterday, August 10th, saying they almost attempted to commit suicide after the incident, expressed remorse for the victims

I sort of feel sorry for them, they opened a business and thought it was ok - they are not fire expersts - they are not experts at anything, that is why it is important to have government experts make sure that their building conforms to regulations and standards - so who do I blame - the expert authorities that were supposed to do their job and didn't - the blame for this is with them and only them 

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

and manage everything on our own without any consultant

Perhaps a source of the problem.....

Ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of the law.

So just about anybody can build and start up a business cramming people into a dangerous environment  without anybody noticing? They make a fuss about seat belts in the back of vehicles and yet major safety concerns are abundant!

[ezzra]

Deadly Burning night clubs with blocked exits are nothing new in Thailand, there have been a few catastrophic ones over the years with enough painful reminders how NOT to to repeat that deadly situation again and yet, it dose repeat it itself every now and than with number of young people who perish in the flames with horrible results, from allowed to operate an eatery/ restaurant to a full blown night club there are different safety regulations that the owners didn't not follow and hence the horrible results...

Edited August 10, 2022 by ezzra

[Excel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

We also run a restaurant in front of our pub and manage everything on our own without any consultant or silent investors. We are the sole owners.”

Well, that must be true then !!!  Or else the real owners have promised them many many millions to provide for their families if they take the hit themselves and convicted and banged up for a few years.

[Stargeezr]

The owner illegally changes this business into a night club, no license, and how many more 

rules and regs did this guy not follow. Now I am supposed to feel sorry for him, sorry I will not.  I feel sorry for the families and friends

of all the people who died, and feel sorry for all the burned victims as well, none of them deserved for this

to happen to them.

[ChrisY1]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

I sort of feel sorry for them, they opened a business and thought it was ok - they are not fire expersts - they are not experts at anything, that is why it is important to have government experts make sure that their building conforms to regulations and standards - so who do I blame - the expert authorities that were supposed to do their job and didn't - the blame for this is with them and only them 

Agree 100%. The authorities country wide, are lazy!

[Bkk Brian]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

We also run a restaurant in front of our pub and manage everything on our own without any consultant or silent investors. We are the sole owners.”

Yes a very busy one by the looks of it:

 

https://www.facebook.com/mountainbarandbistro/

[Excel]

3 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Yes a very busy one by the looks of it:

 

https://www.facebook.com/mountainbarandbistro/

I note that the sides  are not enclosed so hardly a comparison to the enclosed  Mountain B building that become a death trap

[Peterphuket]

2 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Sia B is going to ordain as a monk when all matters have been completed.   Never understand this nonsense, He likely had little use for Monks and Buddah before and unlikely that Buddha wants anything to do with him now!   Can he be a monk in prison?

Regret always comes afterwards that's the big problem, but not the solution.

You see it doing so much here, first action and after that thinking with often fatal consequences

[FunkyDunky58]

The fact that he volunteered that there were no behind the scenes investors without being asked suggests that there may be behind the scene investors that don't want to be identified. Also, ignorance of the safety regulations is NEVER a defence for not complying with them. 

[farangroby]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

I apologize to every victim’s family

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

the pub owner Pongsiri Panprasong, 27, or “Sia B” who was released on 300,000-baht bail

NO COMMENT!

[law ling]

Looking at a long jail term (or worse), he is (as anyone would) putting the best spin on it he can.

[Olmate]

19 minutes ago, Excel said:

I note that the sides  are not enclosed so hardly a comparison to the enclosed  Mountain B building that become a death trap

Not meant as a comparision.He was adressing the "silent partner" rumour! 

[Excel]

8 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Not meant as a comparision.He was adressing the "silent partner" rumour! 

OK

[Cake Monster]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Sattahip, Thailand - The Mountain B nightclub owner and his wife held their first public press conference/interview yesterday, August 10th, saying they almost attempted to commit suicide after the incident,

Are we supposed to feel some kind of sympathy for these people ????

I for one dont !

[Ralf001]

"Almost attempted suicide".

Does that mean they thought about or failed in doing so ?

[Ralf001]

3 hours ago, smedly said:

I sort of feel sorry for them, they opened a business and thought it was ok - they are not fire expersts - they are not experts at anything, that is why it is important to have government experts make sure that their building conforms to regulations and standards - so who do I blame - the expert authorities that were supposed to do their job and didn't - the blame for this is with them and only them 

Most likely did conform to regulations and standards...... As the restaurant it was intended to be.

[DUNROAMIN]

3 hours ago, smedly said:

I sort of feel sorry for them, they opened a business and thought it was ok - they are not fire expersts - they are not experts at anything, that is why it is important to have government experts make sure that their building conforms to regulations and standards - so who do I blame - the expert authorities that were supposed to do their job and didn't - the blame for this is with them and only them 

Their all to blame, I would take a guess that many brown envelopes passed around.

[crazykopite]

These two are looking for redemption they need to be put on trial and if found guilty punished accordingly. RIP to all those who perished and thoughts are with all those who are suffering with injuries 

[ikke1959]

How could it be?? The pub had no papers and therfor illegal..Nothing to explain I suppose.  Very clear. They need to punish all who knew and involved in this case. It far worse than a boat accident. 

[stephenterry]

I've been around too long to accept any of their explanations regarding who is NOT  benefitting from this business.  They will probably pay off the authorities, the police, and the victims families, and when the heat simmers down, begin again.  And the customers will return like lemmings.

 

Greed being the winner.  

Edited August 11, 2022 by stephenterry
correction

[Excel]

Just now, stephenterry said:

I've been around too long to accept any of their explanations regarding who is is  benefitting from this business.  They will probably pay off the authorities, the police, and the victims families, and when the heat simmers down, begin again.  And the customers will return like lemmings.

 

Greed being the winner.  

Spot on except in this case 16 customers (so far) won't be returning like lemmings.

[spidermike007]

They are likely good, decent folks, working hard running this place. Bad fortune. They likely did not know about the materials they were using for soundproofing being so flammable. It is up to the authorities to inspect and make sure public venues are safe. So, who really dropped the ball here? 

 

Alot of mixed messages about the exits being locked. If so, that is a big issue. But, does anyone really know for sure? Was the pub illegal? Again, why were they allowed to operate? Don't the authorities bear any of the responsibility for this? 

Edited August 11, 2022 by spidermike007

[kcpattaya]

Let them enjoy their moments of fame declaring all kinds of BS.

"We almost committed suicide..."

Haha, you can't make it up, can you?

Elvis is still alive...

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

When asked about their source of funding, Anongnart replied, “We accumulated money from selling goods, pork meat, and noodles. We also run a restaurant in front of our pub and manage everything on our own without any consultant or silent investors. We are the sole owners.”

Going to go broke over this one missus... hubby might even get jail time...

hope your unlicensed bar was worth it.

[starky]

45 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

They are likely good, decent folks, working hard running this place. Bad fortune. They likely did not know about the materials they were using for soundproofing being so flammable. It is up to the authorities to inspect and make sure public venues are safe. So, who really dropped the ball here? 

 

Alot of mixed messages about the exits being locked. If so, that is a big issue. But, does anyone really know for sure? Was the pub illegal? Again, why were they allowed to operate? Don't the authorities bear any of the responsibility for this? 

To answer your question if the exits were locked, YES, its a massive fxxing deal.

[Ralf001]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

How could it be?? The pub had no papers and therfor illegal..Nothing to explain I suppose.  Very clear. They need to punish all who knew and involved in this case. It far worse than a boat accident. 

The place was registered as a restaurant, had on onsite kitchen that cooked and sold food.

 

Nothing illegal there.

 

The part where it puts on a live band and becomes a night club on the other hand not so legal, in saying that what additional licence does a restaurant need for live entertainment ?