Safety checks in Pattaya's once famed Walking Street show it's a disaster waiting to happen

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption Not fit for purpose!

 

Safety checks by the local authority and DOPA officials in Pattaya on fire exits at some Walking Street clubs have found them in an unusable state. 

 

It is clearly a disaster waiting to happen and could mirror the tragedy at Mountain B nearby. 

 

Pornchai Sang-iat from the Banglamung authority led the team to the once popular bar area that has been undergoing a makeover recently;  exits and extinguishers were checked.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

They found blocked fire exits that were potential death traps in the event of a conflagration, reported Daily News.

 

Some establishments only had one front exit to the street and could not be adapted to provide another.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

ASEAN NOW notes that the checks are a delayed response to the disaster in Sattahip a few kilometers down the eastern seaboard.

 

There at least 22 people have died in a horrific fire at a club called Mountain B on August 5th. 

 

Walking Street is a hodge-podge of bars, clubs and restaurants that critics say should be demolished to make way for something more modern and tourist friendly. 

 

And safer. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-09-02

 

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[jacko45k]

So these unsafe venues have been closed down....... no thought not. There is a cheaper option than to install fire safety features!

[peterfranks]

32 minutes ago, webfact said:

Safety checks by the local authority and DOPA officials in Pattaya on fire exits at some Walking Street clubs have found them in an unusable state. 

 

It is clearly a disaster waiting to happen

Tell us something new.

 

33 minutes ago, webfact said:

Some establishments only had one front exit to the street and could not be adapted to provide another.

 

[Geoffggi]

Why not name these places in an unusable state, in addition, ensure they do not re-open until a safety certificate has been issued, when will Soi LK get inspected as I am sure places in a similar condition will be found within the night clubs there.

[connda]

We're not exactly in the First World here.

[darksidedog]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Some establishments only had one front exit to the street and could not be adapted to provide another.

It is normal for such places to be closed for very obvious reasons, but this is Thailand, so a few backhanders and vague promises will see them remain open for sure. It is advisable whenever you enter a premises you are unfamiliar with to check where the exits are in case you need to leave in a rush and to just leave straight away if you don't see a second or emergency exit.

[Doctor Tom]

16 minutes ago, connda said:

We're not exactly in the First World here.

There is no 'First World,' anymore  just look at the UK and US for the truth of that statement 

[Almer]

2 hours ago, connda said:

We're not exactly in the First World here.

That matters not, they have been deemed unsafe, should another disaster happen I wonder what a lawyer working for a bereaved family would make of the authorities not closing an unsafe establishment down, ker ching

[thailand49]

For whatever reason I had a dream about this same thing just last night.  

Take any club or place for example on WS,  opposite side of water typical shop house style I've not seen any fire exit signs this I think is even worse in the LK area.

That being said the whole place is a firetrap? ????

Edited September 2, 2022 by thailand49

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Why not name these places in an unusable state, in addition, ensure they do not re-open until a safety certificate has been issued, when will Soi LK get inspected as I am sure places in a similar condition will be found within the night clubs there.

One might be liable for defamation as it would impact their business. 

[Geoffggi]

3 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

One might be liable for defamation as it would impact their business. 

So better to be ill informed than Safe .........??

[khunpa]

4 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Why not name these places

Well, Unfortunately this is Thailand where you automatically “lose face” when faced with your wrong-doings.

 

Once you “lose face”, instead of fixing and learning from what you did wrong, you have to either sue or kill who made you “lose face”.

 

So basically if they named anyone it would be a chaos of law-suits and “lose face” killings. Never mind that other people risk dying due to something being withheld.

 

Welcome to the land of craziness!

[Geoffggi]

2 minutes ago, khunpa said:

Well, Unfortunately this is Thailand where you automatically “lose face” when faced with your wrong-doings.

And there is the problem, this face business is absolutely stupid. I have lived and worked around this area for a considerable time so understand it's an Asian thing but does not detract from the truth

[khunpa]

7 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

And there is the problem, this face business is absolutely stupid. I have lived and worked around this area for a considerable time so understand it's an Asian thing but does not detract from the truth

Totally agree! The “lose face” concept is so stupid. The act of Cheating, Lying, Stealing will not make you “lose face”.
 

But Buddha forbid that someone catches you and shames you publicly. It’s such a messed up way of thinking.

[freedomnow]

3 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

There is no 'First World,' anymore  just look at the UK and US for the truth of that statement 

There's a First World beyond those 2 believe ot or not....Anglocentric 20th Century paradigm...

Scandinavia, Japan, Singapore blah blah blah.

 

[champers]

It seems to me that more places are going behind closed doors, possibly making a night out more risky. 

I wonder if 20 foreigners died in a nightclub fire, would the outcome be any different?

Edited September 2, 2022 by champers

[Harveyboy]

3 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

There is no 'First World,' anymore  just look at the UK and US for the truth of that statement 

well said  UK is no better..  the Great has long since gone out of Great Britain 

[Photoguy21]

Why dont the authorities make these places have a sprinkler system installed which has to be checked on a regular basis?

[sammieuk1]

Safety check envelope.. unlock that door when you find the key.. pass ????

[wombat]

1 hour ago, Geoffggi said:

So better to be ill informed than Safe .........??

Do the defamation crime and do the time?

Feel free...go for it.

[Dr Jon]

Perhaps enforcing the 2002 no smoking law would reduce the risk of fires?

[Peterphuket]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

It is normal for such places to be closed for very obvious reasons, but this is Thailand, so a few backhanders and vague promises will see them remain open for sure. It is advisable whenever you enter a premises you are unfamiliar with to check where the exits are in case you need to leave in a rush and to just leave straight away if you don't see a second or emergency exit.

The problem is, you don't know how many exits there are when you visit the club.

[eastlight]

24 minutes ago, Peterphuket said:

The problem is, you don't know how many exits there are when you visit the club.

Don't visit the club then

[peterfranks]

29 minutes ago, Peterphuket said:

The problem is, you don't know how many exits there are when you visit the club.

????????????I really want to see the first tourist, or expat, who goes to check the exits when he enters a club.

[Cake Monster]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Some establishments only had one front exit to the street and could not be adapted to provide another.

But its these very " Officials " that allowed these Clubs  to open and operate.

While they are off their rear ends, a visit to all the other Clubs in and around Pattaya would not go amiss.

I wonder how many would be forced to close due to not being legal ?

 

[Kerryd]

Literally every single club on either side of Walking Street is the same. On the water side you have an entrance from the street and out the backside, if you could get there, maybe be a couple meters of polluted sludge, garbage, old pilings and sunken boats from decades ago.

On the "dry side" of the street you have the entrance from the street and - that's it. The backside is the back wall of another building.

They don't want additional entrances/exits because they are worried people will sneak out (including staff). 

Fire safety ? "Som nom na". "Not my problem." "Don't worry, I have an amulet." "We have a "spirit house" to protect us." (Ect, ect.)

Nobody will be shut down. Nothing will change. Even if there's another major disaster. And another one after that.

Used to be a common sense thing, especially when in foreign places.

Always keep your back to the wall and one eye on the door.

[peterfranks]

1 minute ago, Cake Monster said:

I wonder how many would be forced to close due to not being legal ?

 

My money is on the majority

[Cake Monster]

1 minute ago, peterfranks said:

My money is on the majority

What ? Illegal or forced to close.

My money goes on the former

[peterfranks]

3 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

On the water side you have an entrance from the street and out the backside, if you could get there, maybe be a couple meters of polluted sludge, garbage, old pilings and sunken boats from decades ago.

Yes those who manage to get out, will not burn, they will probably drown in the darkness

[wombat]

rumour has it for what its worth reflex was the only one compliant