Khum Khantoke In Cm Burned Down Last Night

[meadish_sweetball]

Not sure if any English language news sources have published the news yet, here's a link to a Thai publication for those who can read it. By processing the link through www.thai2english.com you can get the text parsed (not perfect) and translations for individual words.

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/region/72760

[eek]

Thank you meadish. Thats very sad.

[gotlost]

Tragic loss.

[meadish_sweetball]

Short summary, the article says the damage is estimated to around 1 billion baht due to the huge teak structures and the large Lanna antiques and artefacts collection on the premises. The police were first notified at 3.30 this morning. The progress of the fire was rapid and powerful due to the teakwood structure and teakwood tiled roofs.

They are currently investigating the cause of the fire.

[Rasseru]

Thank you, Meadish.

Out of curiosity, how had business been for them of late, if anyone knows?

[meadish_sweetball]

The article says they usually have a large turnover of foreign tourists, which is true in my limited experience as well - I've taken visiting friends there 3 or 4 times and each time it has been full or close to full, but I don't know if business this year has been much worse than usual or not.

[elektrified]

Wow that's sad. I liked that place. I just drove past it yesterday. Many, many people will be out of a job now.

[prism]

Went there with my relatives last June. It was a beautiful venue. Much nicer then the Chiang Mai cultural center. Hope they rebuild.

[Garry]

That's a dam_n shame, that was a very nice venue.

http://khantoke.com/en/contact_en.php

Edited March 25, 2010 by Garry

[Greenside]

I drove past a couple of hours ago and it appears that the fire was contained somewhat - from the dramatic pictures I had imagined that the whole compound would have been affected. I'm interested to hear the favourable sounding reports in the posts above; I've never been but always thought it was one of those tour bus destinations with a cheesy dinner/cultural caberet type show. Was I wrong?

[whiterussian]

The wife is sad, was our first dinner together there 4 years ago ...

She still has a napkin in a box (clean!) from the dinner.

They did good pork scratching there.

[Thailand]

I drove past a couple of hours ago and it appears that the fire was contained somewhat - from the dramatic pictures I had imagined that the whole compound would have been affected. I'm interested to hear the favourable sounding reports in the posts above; I've never been but always thought it was one of those tour bus destinations with a cheesy dinner/cultural caberet type show. Was I wrong?

Not from the two visits I had made with guests, the food was pitiful and the "entertainers" looked like they just wanted to go home. Have not been for the last 3 years so maybe there was some improvement.

A beautiful venue though and sad to hear.

[cmdream]

Sad loss for Chiang Mai, sweet place to take visitors for a taste of Lanna culture. Hope they make a comeback.

[gotlost]

Its only taken the Nation 16 hours to acknowledge the fact. That should tell you where CM stands with them.

[krakatoa]

Someone wrote "that was very sad"

big deal

So was Santika and they only murdered 60 plus people and to boot didn't even have a have a licence for the place.

Every one comes on posting, RIP but what a load of sanctimious bull <deleted> when you all know that 90 % of the entertainment venues in the realm are fire traps.

You can look at Star Six and if there is a greater death trap in Thailand show it to me. But when it goes down in flames taking 50 - 100 lives with it don't go all sactimonious with "rest in peace" and all the rest of sanctimonious crap.

Do something about "before it happens" not some crocodile tears after the event.

The people that I am referring to make me want to vomit. RIP "what an absolute load of crap""

Edited March 25, 2010 by krakatoa

[george]

Landmark Chiang Mai buildings destroyed by fire

CHIANG MAI: -- Two teakwood buildings in Chiang Mai's Khum Khantoke complex were burnt to the ground Thursday morning.

Damage to the Khum Luang theatre hall and the Hor Khum Kham building nearby, both reportedly containing teak antiques, was initially estimated at about Bt1 billion.

It took three hours and 30 fire engines to put out the blaze, which was reported at 3.20am.

-- The Nation 2010-03-25

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[cardinalblue]

Star six as the worst fire trap? I will throw out either at nana mandarin 2nd floor in the corner or the very popular end gogo bacara at soi cowboy the 2nd floor where the only exit down is a vey narrow winding unlit spiral staircase..

The second floor of both these places need to have a release hatch so the floor or a portion of the floor gives way for mass exiting....

Now tell me about star six...

CB

[Loaded]

Someone wrote "that was very sad"

big deal

So was Santika and they only murdered 60 plus people and to boot didn't even have a have a licence for the place.

Every one comes on posting, RIP but what a load of sanctimious bull <deleted> when you all know that 90 % of the entertainment venues in the realm are fire traps.

You can look at Star Six and if there is a greater death trap in Thailand show it to me. But when it goes down in flames taking 50 - 100 lives with it don't go all sactimonious with "rest in peace" and all the rest of sanctimonious crap.

Do something about "before it happens" not some crocodile tears after the event.

The people that I am referring to make me want to vomit. RIP "what an absolute load of crap""

Nobody said RIP because nobody died. You obviously didn't read the OP but why let that get in the way of a hysterical rant.

This was a family venue, wasn't enclosed and certainly wasn't a firetrap. You obviously never visited the place.

I suggest that if you regularly visit 'star six' and are worried about safety concerns, just wear a condom.

[FolkGuitar]

I drove past a couple of hours ago and it appears that the fire was contained somewhat - from the dramatic pictures I had imagined that the whole compound would have been affected. I'm interested to hear the favourable sounding reports in the posts above; I've never been but always thought it was one of those tour bus destinations with a cheesy dinner/cultural caberet type show. Was I wrong?

Yes... and no!

It was a beautifully decorated grouping of Lanna Thai enclosures, created to cater to large numbers of guests at one time, giving them the ambiance of 'Thai Culture.' For the 'tourist' visiting Thailand, it provided a 'taste' of the food, music, dance, sculpture, painting, weaving, etc., etc., etc., all in one easy to assimilate venue.

Every visitor we brought there loved it. An ex-pat living in Thailand for some time might find it quite shallow and cheesy, but it wasn't made for ex-pats. It was made for tourists. If you can enjoy visiting a Thai orchid nursery without complaining that it's too 'touristy,' you can enjoy the show they put on. I wouldn't take a visitor there and call it a good restaurant. The flavor of the food was mediocre at best but the presentation was exactly what a tourist would like to experience. I enjoyed it every time we went.

Edited March 25, 2010 by FolkGuitar

[webfact]

Two Chiang Mai landmarks burned down

By Varataya Chailangka

The Nation

CHIANG MAI

CHIANG MAI: -- Two teakwood buildings in downtown Chiang Mai's Khum Khan Tok complex were burnt to the ground yesterday morning.

Damages to the Khum Luang theatre hall and the Hor Khum Kham building nearby, both reportedly containing teak antiques, were initially estimated at about Bt1 billion.

It took three hours and 30 fire engines to put out the blaze, which was reported at 3.20am yesterday. Initial investigation showed that the fire had started in the theatre's lightcontrol room, possibly from a short circuit, before it spread through the entire theatre and went on to set the neighbouring building alight. The complex was closed with security guards patrolling the premises.

Khum Khan Tok manager, Somkiat Ngampanich, said the complex was divided into four sections, two of which were burned down. The rest of the vicinity, consisting of the Khum Kham plaza and the Khoung Khonmuang area where the Plab Pla restaurant is located, is still open.

Somkiat said the Khum Luang theatre, where 800 to 900 guests dined on northern delicacies and watched traditional shows daily, would need up to six months to rebuild.

The complex's owner Watchara Tantranont said the two buildings contained many invaluable Lanna antiques collected over the past 60 years, and the damage to the buildings alone was worth Bt1 billion.

Police investigators confirmed that the estimate of Bt1 billion was correct because the teak roofing tiles alone were worth Bt100 million.

The insurance company is currently assessing the fire damage.

-- The Nation 2010-03-26

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Flatouthruthefog]

Sad loss for Chiang Mai, sweet place to take visitors for a taste of Lanna culture. Hope they make a comeback.

Especially sad as this place is owned by Khun Wachara, the outstandingly generous businessman who sponsored the successful Rooftop parties on top of Hillside Condo. He paid for all the food and drink consistently from the original concept (the tsunami) right up to last year, when the event ran out of organisers.

I wish him well and hope that our favourite place there, the 'Plub Pla' (to the right of the main Kantoke building as seen from the front) is still open.

This is not a pub serving fish. I am told the term means 'pavilion'. It is a sophisticated restaurant with up-market, QUIET, live piano music and good Thai and western food at good prices.

[SanSaiExPat]

Someone wrote "that was very sad"

big deal

So was Santika and they only murdered 60 plus people and to boot didn't even have a have a licence for the place.

Every one comes on posting, RIP but what a load of sanctimious bull <deleted> when you all know that 90 % of the entertainment venues in the realm are fire traps.

You can look at Star Six and if there is a greater death trap in Thailand show it to me. But when it goes down in flames taking 50 - 100 lives with it don't go all sactimonious with "rest in peace" and all the rest of sanctimonious crap.

Do something about "before it happens" not some crocodile tears after the event.

The people that I am referring to make me want to vomit. RIP "what an absolute load of crap""

You sound a tad bit bent out of shape. If you dislike things here so much you can always vote by going back to where you came from. No one is forcing you to live here. The Khum Khantoke in Chiang Mai, was no fire trap. For you to suggest it is or was comparable to Santika only shows your ignorance and stupidity. The Khum Khantoke Chiang Mai was very well constructed; with an open floor plan; with easy and safe egress. No expense was spared in it's construction which rivaled western standards. If you don't have anything constructive to add to the dialogue why don't you just withhold your "load of crap" comments in the future.

[SanSaiExPat]

Someone wrote "that was very sad"

big deal

So was Santika and they only murdered 60 plus people and to boot didn't even have a have a licence for the place.

Every one comes on posting, RIP but what a load of sanctimious bull <deleted> when you all know that 90 % of the entertainment venues in the realm are fire traps.

You can look at Star Six and if there is a greater death trap in Thailand show it to me. But when it goes down in flames taking 50 - 100 lives with it don't go all sactimonious with "rest in peace" and all the rest of sanctimonious crap.

Do something about "before it happens" not some crocodile tears after the event.

The people that I am referring to make me want to vomit. RIP "what an absolute load of crap""

Nobody said RIP because nobody died. You obviously didn't read the OP but why let that get in the way of a hysterical rant.

This was a family venue, wasn't enclosed and certainly wasn't a firetrap. You obviously never visited the place.

I suggest that if you regularly visit 'star six' and are worried about safety concerns, just wear a condom.

Loaded, I couldn't agree with your comments more. The guys comments were way out of line.

[gotlost]

Video of devastation.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/201....artifacts.mcot

[Loaded]

Sad loss for Chiang Mai, sweet place to take visitors for a taste of Lanna culture. Hope they make a comeback.

Especially sad as this place is owned by Khun Wachara, the outstandingly generous businessman who sponsored the successful Rooftop parties on top of Hillside Condo. He paid for all the food and drink consistently from the original concept (the tsunami) right up to last year, when the event ran out of organisers.

I wish him well and hope that our favourite place there, the 'Plub Pla' (to the right of the main Kantoke building as seen from the front) is still open.

This is not a pub serving fish. I am told the term means 'pavilion'. It is a sophisticated restaurant with up-market, QUIET, live piano music and good Thai and western food at good prices.

Dr. Watchara also owns the vocational college Technology Asia along Mahidol Road and regularly subsidizes from his own pocket study and food expenses for disadvantaged students. His family is one of the 'biggest' and wealthiest in Chiang Mai. I've met 4 members of his family and the ones I've met are all humble, generous and kind.