Can We Learn The Lessons From Tragic Accidents?: Thai Opinion

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

Can we learn the lessons from tragic accidents?

The Nation

In the wake of the Santika fire verdict, it

The Criminal Court of Southern Bangkok recently sentenced two entertainment executives for negligence prior to the Santika Pub fire on New Year’s Eve 2008, which led to the deaths of 66 people and injured many more.

While some may welcome the verdict, it does nothing to offset the loss of life and permanent injuries suffered by others that night.

It is good that the public has been reminded of the incident. But attention should not merely focus on the verdict by the court. This tragedy should provide a lesson we must learn from. Indeed, we can all play a part in preventing similar accidents from happening and in the mitigating damages caused.

Last week, the victims of the Santika Pub fire came out to tell the public that nothing can ever compensate for the losses they have suffered. But mostly they want the public to be aware of the results of negligence and how we are inadequately prepared to deal with such fires and other accidents caused by lax security and safety measures.

The Santika blaze was the result of gross negligence. It could have been prevented if only the building had had sufficient exits. The place was also overcrowded that night. In addition, it was reported that indoor fireworks were let off as part of the entertainment programme. The combination of these unfortunate factors led to the massive fire, which turned the New Year celebration into a nightmare for so many.

Nevertheless, it is not certain whether our society can indeed learn anything from this incident. Has there been any stricter enforcement of laws to ensure that history will not be repeated? New buildings are sprouting up everyday, but do any of them have the proper emergency facilities to prevent and mitigate the effects of fire?

The construction of new buildings and redevelopment of old ones must be in accordance with the safety codes. They must also have proper maintenance to prevent fires and other emergency situations. In addition, residents and building users should be made aware of how to cope in an emergency situation.

Thailand has seen a series of tragic fires over the years, including the Kader toy factory fire in 1993, which left 188 people, mostly young women, dead; it was one of our worst-ever industrial accidents. The fire at the Royal Jomtien Hotel in 1997 claimed 91 lives and its cause was a result of violations of the building safety code.

The authorities should enforce these proper safety codes in accordance with the purposes buildings are used for. For instance, buildings in which the majority of users are families or children should be equipped with proper facilities to assist them in the case of an emergency evacuation. All buildings should be designed with an evacuation plan and a sufficient number of emergency exits in the case of fire.

Part of the problem is that most people take things for granted, even though they are aware of violations and inadequate preparation that can lead to loss of life, injury and severe damage to property.

While the building code should be strictly enforced, all relevant agencies should work to ensure that the regulations are sufficient and practical. If they do not, these regulations will simply provide loopholes for corrupt officials to extort “tea money” from building operators who fail to comply with the rules.

Again, the public should be made aware of safety and fire codes. Some foreign guests at the Royal Jomtien Hotel said they managed to survive because they had, in their own countries, learned how to react in the event of a fire. It would certainly be helpful for the Thai public to receive more education on how to cope during accidents and emergencies.

This preparation and awareness is more essential than ever, as we have recently seen the great damage caused by ever more frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. This awareness needs to be instilled from an early age, because none of us can ever be certain we will be spared from accidents.

-- The Nation 2011-09-27

[Artisi]

To answer the question in the simplist terms - NO.

[OzMick]

What point is there in up-grading building codes when for a few baht, they can be ignored?

The lesson to be learnt from the Santika firewas that your police, building and tax inspectors, and possibly prosecutors, are a corrupt pack of criminals. As it seems no charges are being laid at their door, nothing will change.

[Thai at Heart]

Till negligence is ACTUALLY compensated properly in this country no one will take any notice at all.

Edited September 27, 2011 by Thai at Heart

[Cuchulainn]

Money and profit will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS come before human life in this country.

[airconsult]

Let me see....

The excuse for lax building inspections - not enough inspectors/not in the budget.

Initial cost of new skywalk - 5.3 billion thb...... (yes, cancelled now I know)

Conclusions?

Nobody gets rich from hiring building inspectors and enforcing the codes. (edited to avoid pointing the finger at any particular family/group - draw your own conclusions)

Cheers

[swillowbee]

Can Thais learn the lessons from tragic accidents? ... no.

Interminable corruption is one cause, which by itself condemns Thailand to such fates.

Another is that Thais are a nation of Buddhists, believers that their lives are a consequence of their behaviors in prior lives ... passive, non-contributors to their futures and incapable of affecting their destinies ... fatalists, just along for the ride, simply awaiting whatever the Fates serve them.

... now that, ladies and gentlemen, is no tragic accident ... after generations of social and cultural conditioning by the elitist, entitled aristocracy, Thais are precisely as they are intended to be.

Sad.

[housepainter]

No.

Simple straight forward to a rather simple question.

What we can do in reality is wait for the next one and play: 'I told you so.'

As in when the 999 club in Pattaya started it was licensed as a restaurant but ran as nightclub packing in hundreds each night until it shortly after opening burned down.

Luckily it happened around 6 pm when the place was about to open. That saved a massive loss of life. Still regretably several persons perished. All staff. Just for the record their lockers were broken in to and their personal belongings stolen.

But all the licensing records, regulations were ignored. The place was an accident waiting to happen. All the fine words were said, the promises made and broken regarding 'never again' etc etc.

Then there's Santika a few years on.

Next.

[garysdth]

This all adds up to being responsible for your own safety while in Thailand.

When you go into a Thai disco or club look for what you need to survive and how to get out. Have a plan. If there is only one exit, leave.

When you check into a Thai hotel look for the exit routes, look to see if they have sprinklers in the room, look for emergency lighting and surveillance cameras.

When you get on a Thai boat look at the condition of the boat and the crew and for life saving gear.

When you are walking or driving pay attention, be careful.

If there was a better place to live I would probably move there. But the truth is this, Thailand is what works for me. I just had to learn a new operating system to fit in with the way the Thai people choose to live and do things.

[Soutpeel]

This all adds up to being responsible for your own safety while in Thailand.

You should be responsible for your own safety where ever you are, not just Thailand

[ratcatcher]

This all adds up to being responsible for your own safety while in Thailand.

When you go into a Thai disco or club look for what you need to survive and how to get out. Have a plan. If there is only one exit, leave.

When you check into a Thai hotel look for the exit routes, look to see if they have sprinklers in the room, look for emergency lighting and surveillance cameras.

When you get on a Thai boat look at the condition of the boat and the crew and for life saving gear.

When you are walking or driving pay attention, be careful.

If there was a better place to live I would probably move there. But the truth is this, Thailand is what works for me. I just had to learn a new operating system to fit in with the way the Thai people choose to live and do things.

Very wise advice. Expect the unexpected.

[housepainter]

This all adds up to being responsible for your own safety while in Thailand.

When you go into a Thai disco or club look for what you need to survive and how to get out. Have a plan. If there is only one exit, leave.

When you check into a Thai hotel look for the exit routes, look to see if they have sprinklers in the room, look for emergency lighting and surveillance cameras.

When you get on a Thai boat look at the condition of the boat and the crew and for life saving gear.

When you are walking or driving pay attention, be careful.

If there was a better place to live I would probably move there. But the truth is this, Thailand is what works for me. I just had to learn a new operating system to fit in with the way the Thai people choose to live and do things.

Obviously wise advice from someone who knows.

Did you deliberately forget to mention riding a motorbike - no rules, helmet, or way it wasn't your fault when a family of four run into your correctly parked bike and you have to pay them!

Then there's the electricity supply - no earth - so do you live without or put in an earth? The water is undrinkable so do you boil everything from washing up water to teeth cleaning then?

All medical problems require a hospital visit as there are no 'doctors' surgeries to register with, the pharmacies will prescribe you anything you are willing to ask and pay for. The hospital will sell you any manner of un-neccessary operation as they are a ruthless money making unregulated business.

Education costs as the state system doesn't work and even the private sector remains unregulated, paedophiles are constantly employed and in Pattaya they blow their brains out in the Second Road shooting range. Lovely.

Where expats gather expat criminals do in large concentrations. The chances of mixing with someone you'd otherwise be watching by way of a CrimeWatch mug shot is impressively high.

Then there's the chances of being trampled by an elephant, attacked by a monkey or bitten by a snake as you walk along Soi Buckow. Not the usual experience of a stroll down Basildon High Street. The same High Street devoid of pot holes, open man holes and running sewers unlike ...... well almost any pavement found any where in Thailand. Should I remind you the pavement food carts leaving a thick layer of cooking oil to aid your slipping? OK. So in the UK we have ice in winter. The Thais have grease 12 months of the year.

They also have off the scale pollution levels from unregulated emissions from ancient black fug emitting vehicles only to be found elsewhere in places like Albania. Then there's the level of lead from the same black fug.

But provided we keep our ears, eyes and nostrills tuned 24 hours , as you do, we'll be A OK.

Great advice. Thanks. I learnt where I went wrong in my double years time here.

Any thoughts on global warming before lunch?

[JohnAllan]

But this is Thailand. While corruption remains endemic, while education on everyday - and, some would say, sensible - safety precautions, whether related to home, work, or driving, remains non-existent, while existing regulations are not enforced, and common sense never enters the equation, there isn't a hope in hell that lessons will be learnt.

[featography]

To answer the question in the simplist terms - NO.

I second that; NO