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Posted

Unnfortunately I was suppose to have my tiles and paints delivered to me this afternoon. The fire broke out this morning and I am not getting my 50k worth of stuff I just ordered yesterday from Global House. Tried calling Global House in Bangkok to see if I can arrange for a refund now but no one answers the phone. I guess they are all too busy now. Darn.... Guess I have to wait it out a bit and pay more to get my stuff from else where and wait to get a refund....

Knowing Thais... I might need to wait sometime to see my money back.

Agree wiith the rest that the staff there are among the friendliest around and helpful too. I hope they will rebuild but I might not shop there for a while unless you wanna get "after-fire" sale stuff.

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Posted (edited)
Unnfortunately I was suppose to have my tiles and paints delivered to me this afternoon. The fire broke out this morning and I am not getting my 50k worth of stuff I just ordered yesterday from Global House. Tried calling Global House in Bangkok to see if I can arrange for a refund now but no one answers the phone. I guess they are all too busy now. Darn.... Guess I have to wait it out a bit and pay more to get my stuff from else where and wait to get a refund....

Knowing Thais... I might need to wait sometime to see my money back.

Agree wiith the rest that the staff there are among the friendliest around and helpful too. I hope they will rebuild but I might not shop there for a while unless you wanna get "after-fire" sale stuff.

Despite my joke about pillar drills, I can safely say that there won't be anything much in the way of fire sale stock. Here's one picture of the interior and if you check out the others here you'll see that apart from a few items at the front of the store and some items outside that were pulled clear, destruction was almost total. The paint store managed to escape the blaze - very lucky for the people watching from just a few metres away!

411180945_BELH5-M.jpg

411182504_uJNd2-M.jpg

In any event I'd steer clear of the welding equipment...

Edited by Greenside
Posted

Blaze destroys construction material firm in Chiang Mai

The Global House, a construction materials company, burned almost to the ground yesterday morning, causing over Bt3 billion in damages.

Two firefighters were injured in the blaze, which broke out at 9.30am at the company storehouse, located in Chiang Mai's Saraphi district.

Police said the fire was started by a worker who used a welding tool to fix an airconditioner. The tool sparked a fire to plastic wrapper on the ceiling thermal insulator.

The fire spread along the plastic sheet, and dropped to cans of thinner and paints, causing the blaze to spread quickly through the building.

The fire prompted about 250 workers of the shop and about 50 shoppers to run for their lives.

Some 20 fire engines spent over four hours but failed to control the blaze, which engulfed the entire building, causing it to partially collapse.

Somkiart Wiangchansua, the manager of the Global House Wiang Kumkam branch, said the building housed Bt3 billion worth of construction materials and the building itself would cost at least Bt300 million to replace.

He said 250 employees at the branch would not be laid off. The Chiang Mai provincial administration declared the shop as a danger zone.

Chiang Mai deputy governor Phairoj Saenphuwong said engineers would later inspect the structure of the building, and it would be demolished if it were found unstable.

He said unauthorised persons would not be allowed to enter the building before the inspection.

At the time of the fire, the owner, Withoon Suriyawanakul, was in Khon Kaen. He got a flight back to Chiang Mai as soon as he heard news of the fire.

Source: The Nation - 07 November 2008

Posted
Why didn't the building's fire sprinkler system help to keep the blaze down?

Wouldn't do much if there were one, starting as it did from the ceiling and then igniting highly flammable paints and the like.

Blaze destroys construction material firm in Chiang Mai

The Global House, a construction materials company, burned almost to the ground yesterday morning, causing over Bt3 billion in damages.

Two firefighters were injured in the blaze, which broke out at 9.30am at the company storehouse, located in Chiang Mai's Saraphi district.

Police said the fire was started by a worker who used a welding tool to fix an airconditioner. The tool sparked a fire to plastic wrapper on the ceiling thermal insulator.

The fire spread along the plastic sheet, and dropped to cans of thinner and paints, causing the blaze to spread quickly through the building.

The fire prompted about 250 workers of the shop and about 50 shoppers to run for their lives.

Some 20 fire engines spent over four hours but failed to control the blaze, which engulfed the entire building, causing it to partially collapse.

Somkiart Wiangchansua, the manager of the Global House Wiang Kumkam branch, said the building housed Bt3 billion worth of construction materials and the building itself would cost at least Bt300 million to replace.

He said 250 employees at the branch would not be laid off. The Chiang Mai provincial administration declared the shop as a danger zone.

Chiang Mai deputy governor Phairoj Saenphuwong said engineers would later inspect the structure of the building, and it would be demolished if it were found unstable.

He said unauthorised persons would not be allowed to enter the building before the inspection.

At the time of the fire, the owner, Withoon Suriyawanakul, was in Khon Kaen. He got a flight back to Chiang Mai as soon as he heard news of the fire.

Source: The Nation - 07 November 2008

Good on ya, Mr Som'

Posted (edited)

Drove past it this morning.. still kind of hazy/smoky in the area. the building is completely gone, just the front facade is there and part of the back wall, the rest is just gone.

Edited by WinnieTheKhwai
Posted
post-61386-1225969914.jpgThis was taken from one of the apartments this morning. Looked like a twister from where I was.

ChiangMaiFurnishedApts please put up a big image, i want that for my album!! Thanks

The paramotor guys are local guys, not press. just free as a bird...

Posted

Made the front page of the BK Post today, with the main picture being of the store on fire, but they say the damage totals one billion baht.

Thats a bit of a difference from what the Nation is saying.

Who's nicked the other 2 billion?

Posted

Had a faulty card yesterday but managed to recover most of the pictures this morning thanks to a nifty programme called PhotoRescue. Highly recommended!

411683253_TknV8-L.jpg

They brought in two mobile cranes and pushed over the end of the wall threatening to fall on the fire truck, sadly late for the guys who got hurt inside. Why they drove it down the alley between the wall and the burning building is a mystery, it must have been clear what might happen.

411682577_S3zSP-L.jpg

Inside the building. Only the front single storey area of the store escaped the flames but there wont be much to salvage since the windows were used to hose water into the interior.

411685381_rt2Xx-L.jpg

The scene this morning. Nothing left of the main part of the building but twisted wreckage.

411830507_eAu6Q-L.jpg

More pictures here.

Posted

Hi "Greenside",

Thank you for your report and super photos :o

Yours truly

Kan Win :D

Posted

Any chance of a Fire sale.....2 doors short for the house.....they delivered the wrong size.......wot? :o

Posted
Hi "Greenside",

Thank you for your report and super photos :o

Yours truly

Kan Win :D

Seconded. Some quality pics there. :D

Posted (edited)
Hi "Greenside",

Thank you for your report and super photos :o

Yours truly

Kan Win :D

Seconded. Some quality pics there. :D

Thanks guys. I tried hard to find an outlet for them but the big papers already had coverage and it wasn't a strong enough story to be of interest internationally. "Maybe", as one person put it, "if there had been a hi-so starlet rescuing a small dog from the blaze it would have been different." I must remember to take one with me next time a giant warehouse is destroyed just down the road...

Talking of pictures, the Chiang Mai Photographic Group's Exhibition continues its successful run at 2nd Floor, Northern Village, Central Airport Plaza until Sunday at 5.00. It's really very good and well worth a visit if you have time this weekend.

Edited by Greenside
Posted
I am glad to hear that they appear to be fairly certain of the fire's source. Otherwise, I would be very suspicious as they are just finishing all the framework on the new "Home Mall" (a Global House look alike) on the outer ring rd (121) just west of the Mae Jo Rd (1001). :o

Thanks. Very useful for we north-siders.

This fire reminds me - where do I go now to buy 2 fire extinguishers? One for the house, 1 for the car?!

Posted
I tried hard to find an outlet for them but the big papers already had coverage and it wasn't a strong enough story to be of interest internationally.

Or maybe the amount of toxic gasses and dust particles blown into the air wasn't big enough (or just 'unknown') for the international press to be of interest? :o

Posted (edited)
Heard about the fire on TV this morning - my pictures here.

That's a great long shot, CMFA :o

411175514_RVzaB-M-1.jpg

411179577_kK6SB-L.jpg

They may have a couple of pillar drills in their fire sale....

411181050_34UX3-M.jpg

From what I have seen of the place there will be SFA of any use left. (although if the foto is correct there might be a bargain to be had)

Edited by john b good
Posted

According to one of the learned chaps on the tools floor from GH, who now works in HomePro, it's gonna be rebuilt and ready in 8 months. Could be an idea to take that with a pinch of salt, though. :o

Posted (edited)

Nothing changed at GH, roof still lying on ground. Guess the insurance companies are messing around.

Anyway.. HUGE clearance sale signs up..

i guess bricks and stuff that was kept outside... Also, im not sure if the metal(s) sections of GH burnt down.

Edited by UKWEBPRO
  • 2 months later...
Posted

My wife just told me that last month on the news (TV) that Global House was part way through reconstruction and had another fire start. :o Anyone hear anything and what delays are expected?

Posted
My wife just told me that last month on the news (TV) that Global House was part way through reconstruction and had another fire start. :o Anyone hear anything and what delays are expected?

All the steelwork looks like it's in place and the outer walls are going up pretty fast - I'd say three or four months and they'll be trading again.

Posted

My best guess is it is dry season and everyone burns their brush about this time of year. I just came back from a trip to Sirikit reservoir (Uttaradit area) and there are small brush fires burning all along way. Add up all the small fires and it seems like one big one from all the smoke in the air. It happens every year at this time.

Posted (edited)
My best guess is it is dry season and everyone burns their brush about this time of year. I just came back from a trip to Sirikit reservoir (Uttaradit area) and there are small brush fires burning all along way. Add up all the small fires and it seems like one big one from all the smoke in the air. It happens every year at this time.

Just in case you're replying to the OP, that was made more than three months ago :o It turned out to be a massive fire that burnt Global House, the city's largest building materials supplier, to the ground. The later posts on this thread have been concerned with the ongoing rebuilding work.

/ Priceless

Edited by Priceless
Posted
My best guess is it is dry season and everyone burns their brush about this time of year. . . .

Just in case you're replying to the OP, that was made more than three months ago :o

Could be one of those timeless observations one occasionally makes (as opposed to a priceless observation, of course).

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