PM Srettha Takes Charge of Rayong Chemical Fire Crisis

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of National News Bureau of Thailand

 

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin led the emergency response to a chemical fire at the Win Progress Co., Ltd. facility in Rayong province. The fire started earlier last week, with its cause still unknown, pending a comprehensive investigation.

 

The incident raised severe safety concerns, leading to the evacuation of 78 residents from adjoining areas. Of these, 39 people, including four individuals with unrelated respiratory ailments, have been moved to local shelters.

 

Win Progress has faced repeated regulatory issues since 2013, resulting in a 2021 court order to dispose of hazardous substances, which the company failed to follow. Consequently, the Department of Industrial Works has now taken over the disposal of the chemical waste to ensure safety and legal conformity.

 

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation is monitoring the situation. They concentrate on ensuring public health through air quality tests and speedy chemical waste disposal. Plans are being hashed out to roll out countrywide preventive measures and thorough factory inspections to avert similar future incidents.

 

-- 2024-04-29

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[2baht]

Who is better versed in chemical fires to lead the crisis!  

[JoePai]

Phew, we are so lucky to have him as PM to lead us

[steve187]

34 minutes ago, JoePai said:

Phew, we are so lucky to have him as PM to lead us

Its amazing how many things he is an expert on

[Tropicalevo]

12 minutes ago, steve187 said:

Its amazing how many things he is an expert on

As the old saying goes (with a slight twist)......

Expert at everything, master of nothing.

[Henk Langeweg]

He really doesn't like to sit at the office ...

[Korat Kiwi]

Likely find a bit of waste land and dig a big hole.  Problem solved... until they realise the waste land was required for another project. 

 

Then start the cycle again... 

[Gottfrid]

The real micro manager!

[soalbundy]

So now he is a fireman?

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin led the emergency response to a chemical fire at the Win Progress Co., Ltd. facility in Rayong province. The fire started earlier last week, with its cause still unknown, pending a comprehensive investigation.

Squirt water, here, here and here .

[hotchilli]

26 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

So now he is a fireman?

Maybe he did the same in CM between dinner courses

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, JoePai said:

Phew, we are so lucky to have him as PM to lead us

Thaksins right hand man

[Georgealbert]

Local Thai report from Rayong said it was a short visit. My translation of the details.

 

“The Prime Minister visited the area to monitor the fire situation at the Win Process industrial chemical storage factory, to order relevant agencies to expedite control of the fire situation. and prepare a compensation plan for the people.

 

At 2:00 p.m. on April 27 , reporters reported that Mr. Settha Thavisin, Prime Minister, along with Ms. Pimpattra Wichaikul, Minister of Industry, and Dr. Chonnan Srikaew, Minister Ministry of Public Health traveled to follow up on the fire situation at the industrial chemical waste storage factory, with Mr. Traipop Wongtrairat, Governor of Rayong Province, the incident commander, for a summary of the overall situation.

 

The Prime Minister said that the government is concerned about the people living near the factory. So he ordered, by asking, the Ministry of Interior, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and related agencies  to take care of controlling the fire outbreak. and returning the situation to normal, and to prepare a compensation plan for the people affected by the incident.
 

The Prime Minister received a letter of complaint from the Rayong Province Environmental Protection Volunteer Network and people in the affected areas, before getting into a van and leaving the scene.
 

There was a group of citizens waiting at the factory exit. holding signs, protesting the factory and wanting to ask the Prime Minister to expedite the removal of the chemicals, but the Prime Minister's car didn't stop to look at it at all.”

[PETERTHEEATER]

What an amazing coincidence. They are all wearing powder blue facemasks.

[rwill]

Hot air helps put out chemical fires.  Who knew?

[nahkit]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Win Progress has faced repeated regulatory issues since 2013, resulting in a 2021 court order to dispose of hazardous substances, which the company failed to follow.

Will they be looking into who failed to follow up on the court order?

[still kicking]

11 hours ago, steve187 said:

Its amazing how many things he is an expert on

He couldn't organize a booze up in a brewery

[Andycoops]

Absurd waste of a PMs time.

 

As usual it's the inspection and enforcement that is the problem, no doubt inspections are passed along with the usual envelopes.

 

[watchcat]

21 hours ago, Henk Langeweg said:

He really doesn't like to sit at the office ...

 

He likes to fly away from  the country as in a holiday....

[kwilco]

Just turning up and telling others to go their jobs is really taking charge, is it?

[kwilco]

So presumably he knows that it has burst into flames again?

[Georgealbert]

12 hours ago, kwilco said:

So presumably he knows that it has burst into flames again?

 

The problem is the fire will continue to smoulder, as the chemicals/combustibles mix under the rubble/roof/earth/foam, will remain hot and when exposed to the air, may ignite again.

 

If any of the waste chemicals have oxidising properties, meaning when heated they give off oxygen, they will still burn even when covered over, thus giving off smoke and when exposed, flames will again be visible.

 

Responders will be involved in the ‘turning over and damping down’ stage, so flare ups can be expected as the site is cleared.

[watchcat]

On 4/29/2024 at 7:06 AM, hotchilli said:

Thaksins right hand man

 

More likely his puppet, unti his sister returns.