Bangkok Santika Pub Managers To Be Charged For New Year's Blaze Disaster

[webfact]

Prosecutors to indict pub execs in Santika blaze disaster

BANGKOK: -- (TNA) - Thai prosecutors on Monday decided to indict managers of the Santika Club and other persons involved in organising the New Year's Eve party which became a fire tragedy killing 66 party-goers last year.

Warutporn Nimitkul, director-general of the Department of Southern Bangkok Criminal Litigation, said after the case consideration that prosecutors agreed to proceed the case against seven persons including club managers Wisuth Setsawat and Suriya Ritrabue.

Others who will be charged include Thawatchai Thumma, general manager in charge of the club premises, Putthipong Wilakkree, marketing manager and Pongthep Chinda, entertainment manager, the senior prosecutor said.

Mr Warutporn added that Sarawut Ariya, the lead singer of the club's band, called "Burn", who lit the fireworks during his performance, will also be indicted, as well as Boonchoo Laosinat from Focus Light System, which provided the special effects for the event.

All seven persons will be charged for recklessness causing other people's deaths and severe injury, Mr Warutporn said.

He said the accused will acknowledge the charges before the case will be forwarded for further legal proceeding.

Sixty-six persons died from smoke inhalation or in the stampede as revellers panicked and tried to escape through the club's single apparent exit, while hundred other injured as fire broke out at the two-storey Santika Club in Bangkok's Ekkamai area on January 1, 2009, just few minutes after they celebrated the New Year countdown. (TNA)

-- TNA 2010-02-16

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[Lancashirelad]

Rightly so too. As managers, it is their responsibility to ensure the safety of all people on the premises.

[FunkyGuru]

1 Year 1 month and 16 odd days to come to a decision that someone needs to be prosecuted. Not complaining, however, something more swift would have been appreciated. 66 lives seems to be of no value to Thai prosecutors. Strange.

[YanTree]

1 Year 1 month and 16 odd days to come to a decision that someone needs to be prosecuted. Not complaining, however, something more swift would have been appreciated. 66 lives seems to be of no value to Thai prosecutors. Strange.

If those lives were of no value nobody would have ever been prosecuted and they would not have spent more than 13 months building their case. Enough time has passed that people have moved on with their lives and they could have easily swept this under the rug.

These are rich and influential people in a corrupt government, that they are being brought to justice at all is amazing and says a lot about the prosecutors involved - they obviously do not take bribes...

Even in the USA it took many months to bring Michael Jackson's doctor up on charges. When it is not an obvious case of somebody putting a gun to somebody else's head and killing them it takes time to build up enough evidence. It isn't enough to know they are guilty - you have to be able to prove that to a jury, or bringing them up on charges is pointless.

Given how sweeping these prosecutions are and that they are basically charging everybody who had anything to do with this - not just one or two obvious people - it is completely understandable that it would take this much time to build the case to a point where they felt confident going into the courtroom. This is also evidence that they do indeed value the lives lost. They are not just prosecuting some scapegoat to appease the victims and the public.

My hat is off to the prosecutors involved and the criminal justice system in Thailand, at least so far as this case is concerned.

Edited February 16, 2010 by YanTree

[GungaDin]

I fail to see the words 'owner' or 'owners' in that clip.

[scorecard]

Well at last we have some people indicted, and the list of people/roles is quite amazing considering the way only one maybe two scapegoats are normally charged and the wealthy and influential just walk away.

But there are still questions; the roles indicated are 'managers'.

What about the 'owners', they also have responsibility, they formulate and assign, at a high level, the policies of both the marketing of the venue and the operation of the venue. If the operation is not with their instructions or not within the law etc., then they have a responsibility to speak up and to take action.

Above all, they own and operate a venue which could be dangerous in certain circumstances (the actual fire is the ultimate example), and they ultimately are the most responsible in terms of 'duty of care'.

[yabaaaa]

And the police or whoever allowed all the licencing etc fire chiefs ?????

[snuggzzz]

Any prosecution of this magnitude would take some time to bring to Court, evidence has to be collated, statements etc., it appears that it is only the managers who are standing trial, what about the owners...?? Tea money.....

[earlbrownuk]

This should also call for a safety agency, to ensure that all venues and establishments have fire safety controls and adequate fire exits.

They should learn by there mistakes and implement the above, and any establishment that don't satisfy the requirements should be closed down and fined until adequate safety has been completed.

This should apply to electrics, cylindar storage, adequate fire exits, fire extinguishers etc. These should be completed to the revelant ISO standards.

If they did implement this you would guarantee at least 70% of all establishments would be closed down.

Good little money investment for the officials that implement this into the safety requirements.

[meelousee]

I fail to see the words 'owner' or 'owners' in that clip.

You will not see them. I know who they are and are long time friends and they will never be charged.

PM me I will tell you who if you wont post my answer

[Gulfsailor]

Well at last we have some people indicted, and the list of people/roles is quite amazing considering the way only one maybe two scapegoats are normally charged and the wealthy and influential just walk away.

But there are still questions; the roles indicated are 'managers'.

What about the 'owners', they also have responsibility, they formulate and assign, at a high level, the policies of both the marketing of the venue and the operation of the venue. If the operation is not with their instructions or not within the law etc., then they have a responsibility to speak up and to take action.

Above all, they own and operate a venue which could be dangerous in certain circumstances (the actual fire is the ultimate example), and they ultimately are the most responsible in terms of 'duty of care'.

Owners are well protected against liability in any country. Unless you can prove that the owner was actively involved in making decisions, you cannot hold him accountable for what goes on in a company. Just being an owner should not make you responsible for what goes on in a company. Let's say you own a few shares (partial ownership) in a company like PTT and due to gross negligence a plant blows up, kiling many workers. Should you as (partial) owner be held responsible, eg getting a (partial) jailterm? No, the directors and managers are responsible, not the owner.

[topsecret]

So the owners walk free when they are responsible for making sure the building meets fire regulations etc.

How many managers would start their job and say, "hold on a second, i wonder if this place has been inspected and passed by the health & safety. Is that material on the roof flammable?"

And the marketing manager is indicted too? What a joke!

The rich always walk free in Thailand.

[Gulfsailor]

So the owners walk free when they are responsible for making sure the building meets fire regulations etc.

How many managers would start their job and say, "hold on a second, i wonder if this place has been inspected and passed by the health & safety. Is that material on the roof flammable?"

And the marketing manager is indicted too? What a joke!

The rich always walk free in Thailand.

Nothing to do with Thailand. A manager has a certain responsibility and is accountable. That is why he gets a higher salary than a low-level worker. If the manager or managing director cannot stand up to the owner's demands, thats his fault! If the owner of the company of which I am director, says to me, go cheat the taxes so we make more money, then I (as director) will go to jail if caught, not the owner/shareholder!

[BlackJack]

I fail to see the words 'owner' or 'owners' in that clip.

You will not see them. I know who they are and are long time friends and they will never be charged.

PM me I will tell you who if you wont post my answer

"long time friends" and you are going to implicate them?

[sunray69]

So the owners walk free when they are responsible for making sure the building meets fire regulations etc.

How many managers would start their job and say, "hold on a second, i wonder if this place has been inspected and passed by the health & safety. Is that material on the roof flammable?"

And the marketing manager is indicted too? What a joke!

The rich always walk free in Thailand.

Look man, if the manager noticed such negligences, he could still refuse his job and run away... simple !

[GungaDin]

I fail to see the words 'owner' or 'owners' in that clip.

You will not see them. I know who they are and are long time friends and they will never be charged.

PM me I will tell you who if you wont post my answer

I wouldn't give you that undertaking.

The info is in the news clips from a year ago.

[raro]

Nothing to do with Thailand. A manager has a certain responsibility and is accountable. That is why he gets a higher salary than a low-level worker. If the manager or managing director cannot stand up to the owner's demands, thats his fault! If the owner of the company of which I am director, says to me, go cheat the taxes so we make more money, then I (as director) will go to jail if caught, not the owner/shareholder!

This is absolutely correct! The Managers and Directors of a company are accountable for what is happening in a company, not the owners. This is the same principle all over the world.

[britmaveric]

^depends on how involved the owners are with their business if the truth be told.

[mythBuster]

The ones that are missing on the list of the indicted people are the police generals of Thongloh station that took the money for a very long time.

[john b good]

If I had my way they would be nailed to a cross only that might out them up there with "our saviour" and they certainly do not warrant that distinction.

Failing that I would like to see them put in front of a firing squad.

I have worked in the field if industrial safety for 30 years and what the people at Santika committed was nothing short of premeditated murder.

Will it happen again? Of course it will. TIT

The Thonglor police were involved in the management of Santika so 'nuff said'

Some one mentioned 13 months as being a long time to bring a prosecution "well" the TG air crash (at Surat Thani) invesitigation findings have not been released yet and that occurred I think in 1998 with over 100 fatalities.

The whole country is nothing but one very big joke. Am I cynical ? yes I admit to being so, but then I have been here for 20 years so it's been building up.

Edited February 16, 2010 by john b good

[britmaveric]

Fire Marshal's and police should be charged as well.

[Jonathanpattaya]

1 Year 1 month and 16 odd days to come to a decision that someone needs to be prosecuted. Not complaining, however, something more swift would have been appreciated. 66 lives seems to be of no value to Thai prosecutors. Strange.

The wheels of almost every legal system grind exceedlingly slowly.

However, it does show a high degree of disregard to the families of the unfortunate victims.

Let's just hope that justice is served.

[studio1]

fail is not importent, importent is try, i think you should be try again.

[hhgz]

"66 lives seems to be of no value to Thai prosecutors. Strange."

I would include your post as "strange". I'm not sure why you believe that the prosecutors think there was no value of the 66 lives - there were charges filed, and perhaps you missed that point. If you bothered to follow this case when it started, you would have realized that there was considerable conflicting testimony. I guess that you know the truth of what occurred, and the investigation was a waste of time.

[Jonathanpattaya]

fail is not importent, importent is try, i think you should be try again.

Can you explain?

[OldgitTom]

The wheels of almost every legal system grind exceedlingly slowly.

However, it does show a high degree of disregard to the families of the unfortunate victims.

Let's just hope that justice is served.

Lord, those poor kids - - - - . 'Managers' carry the can? Owners untouchable? Looks like another Fat Cats 10, Stooges -20 game to me. Pretty much the same the world over. A clean post-9/11 investigation would have put George Bush in the dock. Some chance! OGT

[nasa]

I fail to see the words 'owner' or 'owners' in that clip.

Me too

[zachary]

OMG, finally!!!

[tingtongfarang]

It would be so nice to see the police who were taking tea money on this list along with the fire chiefs or whoever forged the signatures, I seem to remember police from thonglor had often raided santika with presure for tea money until one of the police became a shareholder? seems the name of many guilty people are missing.

[peecee]

fail is not importent, importent is try, i think you should be try again.

Can you explain?

Going on what they've stated above; I think not!