Update:

Explosion in sewer injures one in Bangkok

Chatuchak district director Pornlert Phanwattana said the area was sealed for public safety and water was sprayed into the sewer to dilute oil, reportedly discarded into the sewer by an old gas station at the mouth of Soi 49.

Think you're gonna need a solvent other than water when dealing with oil.

-- The Nation 2008-08-07

One would think that water would not be very desirable unless it was deionized water, or water that has been heavily treated with flame retardent chemicals.

By any stroke of good luck did they manage to hit Pee George's limozine?

Too late .... even if a manhole cover scored a direct hit on re-entry, the global damage has been done.

What's Thai for manhole cover?

Pun (1000) baht.

"My mobile phone also made a loud noise before it burst into flames."

What caused the mobile phone to burst into flames???? Go figure.

My question is what causes Thai sewers to reek so much above ground compared to Western world ones?

Are they ''busier'' and thus contain high, even dangerous levels of gas?

Even in Singapore I ve never even gotten a whiff of them on the streets.

Edited August 8, 200817 yr by Tony Clifton

Well this is one way to clean all the blockages caused by the cooking oil residue from the sewage pipes. Not the recommended method but I would hazard a guess it is effective.

The explosion blew off covers of manholes and shattered glasses nearby buildins.

The Nation

Good God!! The proficiency of 'English' in this rag really has become adburdly laughable.

sorry what does "adburdly" mean?