Fire Breaks Out at Pattaya Condo, Hundreds Evacuated, Several People Injured

[webfact]

 

By Goongnang Suksawat

Pattaya – A foreign man has sustained burn injuries after a fire gutted a condominium in the Pattaya area while four others sustained injuries from smoke inhalation.

 

Pattaya City firefighters were notified of the fire at 1:30 A.M. (February 4th) at the Amazon Residence Condominium in Soi Wat Boon Kanjanaram 5 in Nongprue, Banglamung.

 

Firefighters with multiple fire engines, the Pattaya City Police, the Pattaya Tourist Police, and the Pattaya News arrived at the scene shortly after the first phone calls from quick thinking condo guards came in.

 

About 200 hundred people live in the condominium and most of them are foreigners.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/02/04/fire-breaks-out-at-pattaya-condo-hundreds-evacuated-several-people-injured/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-02-04

 

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[Skallywag]

Strange they had no fire sprinkler system in the rooms and hallways.  Photo does not show any water spraying from above? 

[Letseng]

3 minutes ago, Skallywag said:

Strange they had no fire sprinkler system in the rooms and hallways.  Photo does not show any water spraying from above? 

If an older bldg there are no or often not working sprinklers. Depending on the fire a sprinkler may not help at all.

[Peterw42]

20 minutes ago, Skallywag said:

Strange they had no fire sprinkler system in the rooms and hallways.  Photo does not show any water spraying from above? 

You wont find many (if any) condo buildings with sprinklers in Thailand. I come from Australia, and its not that common there either.

[nigelforbes]

4 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

You wont find many (if any) condo buildings with sprinklers in Thailand. I come from Australia, and its not that common there either.

They do exist, the 24 storey Floral Condo building in Chiang Mai has sprinklers and it's not at all new although it was constructed by a Japanese company.

[Tony M]

We have sprinklers in Jomtien Beach Condo.  Not only do we have them, they are tested regularly. The condo is 20 years old, so no reason why older buildings shouldn't also have sprinkler systems. 

[Longwood50]

5 minutes ago, Tony M said:

We have sprinklers in Jomtien Beach Condo.  Not only do we have them, they are tested regularly. The condo is 20 years old, so no reason why older buildings shouldn't also have sprinkler systems. 

Very simple cost of retrofit.  Buildings in Thailand are for the most part cement.  Unlike in the USA where you can take out drywall and put pipe in easily, I can't imagine the cost of attempting to retrofit pipe into the walls and ceilings made of cement. 

[ezzra]

Easier and quicker solution is to ban all cocking with gas in the building, it helps a lot...

[dddave]

13 minutes ago, Tony M said:

We have sprinklers in Jomtien Beach Condo.  Not only do we have them, they are tested regularly. The condo is 20 years old, so no reason why older buildings shouldn't also have sprinkler systems. 

I live at JBC also.  Probably one of the better managed condos I've lived in.  Not heavy handed but they keep the place in great condition and enforce sensible rules.

Actually, more than 30 years old, built in the early 90's

[lopburi3]

37 minutes ago, Longwood50 said:

I can't imagine the cost of attempting to retrofit pipe into the walls and ceilings made of cement. 

Why would they need to do that?  Pipe can easily be attached to ceilings and walls.  Much easier to fix a leak if exposed and much less change of driving a nail through it.

[Bangkok Barry]

About 200 hundred people live in the condominium and most of them are foreigners.

 

How is that relevant to anything?

[dingdongrb]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

Easier and quicker solution is to ban all cocking with gas in the building, it helps a lot...

I agree, leave all the 'cocking' at the go-go bars....  ????

[Skallywag]

According to google, Amazon Residence was completed in 2014.  I live in a condo in south Pattaya that was completed in 2015 and it has a sprinkler system, so I had the idea that it was part of building code here.

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Firefighters with multiple fire engines, the Pattaya City Police, the Pattaya Tourist Police, and the Pattaya News arrived at the scene shortly after the first phone calls from quick thinking condo guards came in.

Did they help in any way?

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, Tony M said:

We have sprinklers in Jomtien Beach Condo.  Not only do we have them, they are tested regularly. The condo is 20 years old, so no reason why older buildings shouldn't also have sprinkler systems. 

Money?

[Salerno]

1 hour ago, Skallywag said:

According to google, Amazon Residence was completed in 2014.  I live in a condo in south Pattaya that was completed in 2015 and it has a sprinkler system, so I had the idea that it was part of building code here.

 

Eight floors plus has supposed to have them since 1992 as I understand it.

 

Edit: Yes, came in in 1992 under the Building Safety Control Act. A decade old article suggesting getting pre 1992 buildings up to code, at least in Bangkok https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30177440

Edited February 4, 2023 by Salerno

[Longwood50]

3 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Why would they need to do that?  Pipe can easily be attached to ceilings and walls.  Much easier to fix a leak if exposed and much less change of driving a nail through it.

So you would propose having pipes affixed to the exterior walls and ceiling.  Yes, you could do that but consider aesthetically what that would do to the hotel or condo.  Also lets say the building is 5 to 10 stories.  Just exactly how do you propose getting the water line from each story if it is not drilled through the ceiling. 

[Nong Khai Man]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Easier and quicker solution is to ban all cocking with gas in the building, it helps a lot...

COCKING With Gas ???

[BigStar]

29 minutes ago, Longwood50 said:

So you would propose having pipes affixed to the exterior walls and ceiling.  Yes, you could do that but consider aesthetically what that would do to the hotel or condo.  Also lets say the building is 5 to 10 stories.  Just exactly how do you propose getting the water line from each story if it is not drilled through the ceiling. 

Between lesser aesthetics and burning to death, I'll take the former, thank you. You enjoy the barbecue.

 

Besides, some buildings could benefit from a bit of added character. 

 

 

 

But more than a decade ago, gov't building inspectors demanded our building install a sprinkler system. We did. Pipes run up through the same pipe channels used by the other water lines and sewage pipes, then above the hung ceilings to the sprinkler outlets. Made no difference whatsoever to the aesthetics.

[JustThisOnePostOnly]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

ban all cocking

Solves the occupancy problem.

[sandyf]

52 minutes ago, Longwood50 said:

Yes, you could do that but consider aesthetically what that would do to the hotel or condo. 

I was in a hotel in Udon last week where electrics had been put in surface pipework and used as "Decor". Ball valves on the wall lights etc !!!

Must admit, not to my taste.

Edited February 4, 2023 by sandyf

[lopburi3]

47 minutes ago, Longwood50 said:

So you would propose having pipes affixed to the exterior walls and ceiling.  Yes, you could do that but consider aesthetically what that would do to the hotel or condo.  Also lets say the building is 5 to 10 stories.  Just exactly how do you propose getting the water line from each story if it is not drilled through the ceiling. 

Why would anything be required on exterior walls?  Buildings already have water and sewer lines inside and between floors and if new holes required it is not that hard to drill them.

[Longwood50]

7 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Between lesser aesthetics and burning to death, I'll take the former, thank you.

Well I agree with you regarding aesthetics and burning to death. However, this is Thailand.  I seriously doubt that any retrofit here would be as aesthetically pleasing as done in another country. One way or another, sprinkling systems cost money.  That money comes from someplace.  If it is an apartment complex or hotel, they have set their rates in the past based on the capital they invested in the project, not with the anticipation of building a large sinking fund to pay for future major sprinkling system costs.  If it is a condo, well now you have to get the approval of all of the condo owners for that retrofit.  Once you have secured enough owners to authorize the retrofit, the tricky part comes.  Getting the money from each condo owner to fund the project. 

There are many worthwhile projects here in Thailand and elsewhere.  Improving the roads, traffic lights, and enforcement of traffic rules would likely save far more lives than those lost to fires.  With that said, it is the same problem.  $$$ and will.  I might like to force all the people in Thailand to not throw trash outside their homes, on the street or burn rubbish but that ain't going to happen either. 

[sometime]

5 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

You wont find many (if any) condo buildings with sprinklers in Thailand. I come from Australia, and its not that common there either.

View Talay  Pattaya 2 B have sprinklers in all rooms

[Longwood50]

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Why would anything be required on exterior walls?  Buildings already have water and sewer lines inside and between floors and if new holes required it is not that hard to drill them.

Yes they do, however i am not sure that they are adequate in terms of flow to support a sprinkling system.  Also those water lines are already hidden inside the walls.  To hang a sprinkler it would likely require the plumbing to be exposed.  You sure cant connect a fitting to a pipe through a 4 inch hole in the wall or ceiling.  The existing pipes would have to be cut with some connector and pipe leading to the sprinklers.  

Even assuming that the retrofit could be accomplished there is still the issue of $$$.  Who is going to pay for all of this. 

[In Full Agreement]

5 hours ago, Tony M said:

We have sprinklers in Jomtien Beach Condo.  Not only do we have them, they are tested regularly. The condo is 20 years old, so no reason why older buildings shouldn't also have sprinkler systems. 

 

How are they tested?    Are you referring to the bells and horns of the fire Alarm system being tested?

 

[Longwood50]

9 minutes ago, sandyf said:

I was in a hotel in Udon last week where electrics had been put in surface pipework and used as "Decor". Ball valves on the wall lights etc !!!

Must admit, not to my taste.

Yes we added security cameras to our home.  The only alternative was exterior wiring inside PVC.  Cable TV was added.  Hole was drilled from the ceiling with wire inside a PVC conduit to conceal it.  

Plumbing pipes.  Great if installed when facility is under construction.  Difficult, expensive, and likely very ugly as a retrofit. 

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

About 200 hundred people live in the condominium and most of them are foreigners.

 

How is that relevant to anything?

Quite a bit actually. Foreigners tend to surround themselves with more combustible material than Thais.

[sandyf]

9 minutes ago, Longwood50 said:

Plumbing pipes.  Great if installed when facility is under construction.  Difficult, expensive, and likely very ugly as a retrofit. 

When I said the electrics were in pipework, I meant metal plumbing pipes.

Added a photo to the post.

Edited February 4, 2023 by sandyf

[Tony M]

17 minutes ago, In Full Agreement said:

 

How are they tested?    Are you referring to the bells and horns of the fire Alarm system being tested?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have annual testing of fire appliances, attended by the Pattaya Fire Department, and the sprinklers are tested to ensure that they are in working order.  Not all of them, of course, as that would be a wet weekend.