French Tourist Dies In Khao San Road Fire

[RIJoe]

I lived in RI (USA) when the Station Nightclub went up in flames because of bad pyrotechnics. That scared the crap out of me and then a while back in Bangkok. I live in Pattaya now but I only visit open air bars or places where there are more than one exit. Walking Street is a disaster waiting to happen.

Sad for the traveller and his family.

[metisdead]

An insensitive post has been removed.

[OxfordWill]

the word illegal used to separate authorities from the tragedy, or perhaps just sell more news.

Edited April 9, 2012 by OxfordWill

[katana]

Apparently it took place in the Happy Bar in Soi Rambutri. The owner said the French guy (Charlie) lived on the 3rd floor, had a Thai gf and travelled in and out of Thailand regularly. He had a business making hand made leather shoes which he sold in Khao San Rd.

http://www.khaosod.c...E9PQ==&catid=01 (in Thai language)

http://www.manager.c...D=9550000044426 (in Thai language)

Edited April 9, 2012 by Maestro
Added language information.

[NomadJoe]

http://www.washingto...VF5S_story.html

BANGKOK — A French tourist has been killed in an overnight fire that engulfed an illegally operated budget hotel in one of the Thai capital’s main tourist districts.

Police say the fire started at a bar on the ground floor of a three-story building in the city’s Khao San Road neighborhood, an area popular with backpackers and budget travelers. Five tourists escaped but a 27-year-old Frenchman was found burned to death.

Semantics I suppose but people very rarely burn to death in fires. They die from smoke inhalation long before the flames reach them, which as pointed out above is why smoke detectors are so important. Something rarely seen in Thailand.

[wellred]

Thoughts with his family. YNWA

[Zatoichi]

So young, that's a damm shame. I came here when I was that age, always hated Khao san rd... raggedy ass flee bag that it is.

Poor guy.

RIP Charlie.

[webfact]

FIRE

French killed in Khao San hotel blaze

The Nation

A 27-year-old French man died when a blaze engulfed a budget hotel in Khao San area shortly after midnight.

The hotel's owner, Nampong Pengboon, identified the victim only as Charlie who was staying on the third floor of the hotel and had been earning a living by making and selling handmade shoes in the area.

He also had a Thai girlfriend.

Police said they would await the results of the autopsy to confirm the identity of the victim whose body was found on the roofdeck of the threestorey hotel, as the corpse was burnt beyond recognition.

Police say the fire started at Happy Bar on the ground floor of the hotel at about 1.30am, sending people and guests running out of the hotel in panic.

Firefighters found difficulty in extinguishing the blaze because the hotel is located in a narrow alley inaccessible to fire engines. They had to park the trucks in front of a shop nearby, drag the hoses to an adjacent roof deck and attempt to douse the flames from there.

The firefighters worked for about half an hour before they were able put out the fire, which destroyed three buildings.

Nampong said the bar was closed for two days because of the royal funeral and he was not in the hotel when the fire broke out. Normally there were five people, including Charlie, staying in the hotel.

-- The Nation 2012-04-09

[Skywalker69]

Could it be that Thailand is the HUB of danger for tourists?

How many tourist die in a year in Thailand compare to other "Tourist Countries"?

RIP

[Xonax]

Firefighters found difficulty in extinguishing the blaze because the hotel is located in a narrow alley inaccessible to fire engines. They had to park the trucks in front of a shop nearby, drag the hoses to an adjacent roof deck and attempt to douse the flames from there.

-- The Nation 2012-04-09

Isn´t that just the normal situation i Bangkok. Even if the soi had been accessible to fire engines, it would just have been blocked by cars and small shops instead. To me it looks like everything is just being done and built without any approval of the fire department.

R.I.P.

[londonthai]

with only 5 people staying at that place, it's not a hotel or even guest house, but private letting. Still, it should be somehow regulated to fire hazard.

strictly speaking Charlie wasn't a tourist, he was working in Thailand.

very strange, that the owner of the house doesn't know the name of his tenant, even from the letters coming (bank statements, private correspondence etc). "Charlie" is not a french name. How the french consulate now is going to contact the family of the deceased?

[Roachiebkk]

http://www.washingto...VF5S_story.html

BANGKOK — A French tourist has been killed in an overnight fire that engulfed an illegally operated budget hotel in one of the Thai capital’s main tourist districts.

Police say the fire started at a bar on the ground floor of a three-story building in the city’s Khao San Road neighborhood, an area popular with backpackers and budget travelers. Five tourists escaped but a 27-year-old Frenchman was found burned to death.

ALWAYS check the hotel for fire escape, extinguishers and fire proof materials, even more so in Thailand where regulations are not enforced.

I used to be ignorant in these matters before, but was lucky enough to survive the Santika nightclub inferno 3 years ago. Now that have seen fire spreading in seconds rather than minutes, I am much more careful where I go and stay.

I suggest all travellers do the same. Don't assume things are as safe here in terms of fireproofing, because it's not and will never be.

very true ....here in los and the philippines they dont give a fxxxxk ..fire fighting equip is often mismatched and cant connect or is bogus chinese made .... i also lucky to escape ...the regent in 1985 in manila ..that was a complete scandal .....cheers

Well I just inspected the newest hotel of a quite famous group located in Khao San Road in their newest hotel all the way out at Pak Ret. Beautiful down to the last detail except for two very major issues........They located the FIRE ALARM buttons right next to the elevators, chest height! One of my staff accidentally pressed it thinking it was the elevator call button then realised what he had done, but lo and behold the alarm was only show and obviously not hooked up. I then decided to check out several fire extinguishers 'dry chem' type and all of the pressure metres read '0'. Pointed this out to the GM who was shocked that such a thing could happen without his knowledge. Must admit though, lovely place, excellent friendly staff and great lunch.

[Roachiebkk]

Got to love the volunteer fireys around here though. Check out this kid in an oversized turnout coat and helmet wearing shorts. At least he bothered to wear shoes i suppose

[Thaddeus]

"Charlie" is not a french name.

Charles is a perfectly acceptable French name though, and many people, including Thais 'ie' numerous names.

RIP to the young chap.

[phuturatica]

Quite eerie as I was drinking in Happy Bar on Saturday night till about 2am on Sunday...

[metisdead]

Another inappropriate post has been removed.

[sbk]

Have some consideration fot the man's family and friends please people. I am tempted to suspend the next "joker" for a minimum of a week in the hopes that some sensitivity could be learned.

[Nisa]

Could it be that Thailand is the HUB of danger for tourists?

How many tourist die in a year in Thailand compare to other "Tourist Countries"?

RIP

Interesting question -- found a couple links

http://www.traveltrousers.com/2010/03/which-country-has-most-deaths-per-tourist-arrests-hospitalisations (8th deadliest place for Brits by percentage of tourists vs. deaths)

http://www.livingthai.org/thailand-now-rated-2nd-most-likely-country-for-tourists-to-die.html (Thailand ranks 2nd for death by car accidents for tourists)

http://allwomenstalk.com/top-dangerous-places-to-go-on-vacation/ (Thailand doesn't rank in top 20 but doesn't look like anything scientific)

[Nisa]

Quite eerie as I was drinking in Happy Bar on Saturday night till about 2am on Sunday...

Not familiar with the bar but do you (or anybody know) if they cook or have open flames? Just curious what could have started, what I assume was a fast moving fire in what I am also assuming would be a bar with numerous patrons.

[pieandmash]

"Charlie" is not a french name.

There's been 10 French kings called Charles, not to mention a certain Monsieur De Gaulle.

R.I.P to the poor chap.

[ataloss]

It is a young mans dream to travel the globe. The stout of heart do and some find early death in a geophysical circumstance that had prevailed for eons. Such is the mystery of chance....

You are infinitely special, unique maybe. Nobody knows or can know you. You are wild, born free. Nothing or no one can take your cherished treasure from you, now or ever. You are eternal; physical death is only an illusion. You are the only one that can deny your dreams. Or hope to fathom the glorious beauty of your destined sunset. Only you can fail yourself.

In your heart lie the secrets of your universe. Nothing matters at all, only what meaning you infuse. Your will; your ritual; your sacrifice; your truth be. From neutral emotion, all others arise and fall. Only you know the meaning.

TVis’ers can’t take your journey for you. TVis’ers can however hold up towards you that silver foil; the mirror of life; that cap that can be worn so eloquently yet forlornly by you alone. Hope is your friend. To whom much is given, much is required.

Edited April 9, 2012 by ataloss

[robanywhere]

It is a young mans dream to travel the globe. The stout of heart do and some find early death in a geophysical circumstance that had prevailed for eons. Such is the mystery of chance. Rest in peace dear traveler.

I have been working over 35 years in the field of geophysics. How much longer can I expect to dodge the bullet?

I am in Astrophysics. How long do I have?

I'm in Quantum physics. I'm elsewhere at the moment.-mel.

omg, I've got 30 years in geophysics... I'd better check my life insurance...

in all seriousness, I hope he rests in peace

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Edited April 9, 2012 by robanywhere

[moe666]

OO please with all of the platitudes, people die everyday here and else where, you are the only person who can look after your own safety. If you chose to stay in a less than safe place then you take your chances. Sorry to the family on their loss nothing can be done to replace your loved one who made his on decisions.

Go into any shophouse there is usually one way up and one way down and only one way out, thais take that chance every day Charlie made his decision and died with it.

[NewlyMintedThai]

For real.

If this were a Thai person, no one would have wasted a second on it. They only get all "oh the humanity" when it's a farang.

[Beetlejuice]

http://www.washingto...VF5S_story.html

BANGKOK — A French tourist has been killed in an overnight fire that engulfed an illegally operated budget hotel in one of the Thai capital’s main tourist districts.

Police say the fire started at a bar on the ground floor of a three-story building in the city’s Khao San Road neighborhood, an area popular with backpackers and budget travelers. Five tourists escaped but a 27-year-old Frenchman was found burned to death.

ALWAYS check the hotel for fire escape, extinguishers and fire proof materials, even more so in Thailand where regulations are not enforced.

I used to be ignorant in these matters before, but was lucky enough to survive the Santika nightclub inferno 3 years ago. Now that have seen fire spreading in seconds rather than minutes, I am much more careful where I go and stay.

I suggest all travellers do the same. Don't assume things are as safe here in terms of fireproofing, because it's not and will never be.

Extremely good advice here. Please take heed.

I have been doing this for years. My first prioroty before I book into any hotel is to check it`s safety systems and fire escapes.

Problem is that the Thai attitute to safety is: nothing bad has happened yet, so we`ll worry about it if and when it happens.

Always keep this in mind, it could save your life.

[jcw]

One can only hope, that lessons are learnt and acted on.

[Nisa]

Sadly it usually takes bigger tragedies than this to get a country / state to enact and enforce better fire safety standards ... often an outcry from the public is also needed. Although I think a number of things were stepped up after the disco fire a number a years ago, they were mainly geared towards discos/entertainment venues.

RIP

[w11guy]

Could it be that Thailand is the HUB of danger for tourists?

How many tourist die in a year in Thailand compare to other "Tourist Countries"?

RIP

Interesting question -- found a couple links

http://www.traveltro...ospitalisations (8th deadliest place for Brits by percentage of tourists vs. deaths)

http://www.livingtha...sts-to-die.html (Thailand ranks 2nd for death by car accidents for tourists)

http://allwomenstalk...go-on-vacation/ (Thailand doesn't rank in top 20 but doesn't look like anything scientific)

But the figures don't give a true reflection of how dangerous a place is because it doesn't take into account the types of tourists. I've seen British tourists do dangerous things in Thailand that I haven't seen them do in some other countries. To pick just one example, many people here ride motorbikes without helmets and while drunk. That doesn't happen so much on some other countries. The tourists themselves have to take the blame for those sorts of deaths. If you are more sensible then you will obviously be safer. Also, there are many old sexpats in Thailand so they are bound to end up dying here. And i bet they are counted as tourists in the figures. So that's another distortion. I don't think it's a s dangerous as the figures make out. but it depends who you are and what you do.

Also, the figures don't take into account length of stay. Singapore seems very safe, but it's also very expensive, so people probably only visit for a few days at most. People come to Thailand for months at a time. It is obvious that you have more chance of dying if you are somewhere for months compared to somewhere else for a few days.

To get a more accurate view you need to take into account age, activities, length of stay, etc. Most tourists I read about that die in Thailand are usually engaged in a dangerous activity.

Edited April 9, 2012 by w11guy

[heiwa]

Sometimes cheap accomodation is not always the best.Very sad indeed.RIP

Personally I always try to find the cheapest place as travel constantly and therefore have a budget. In Malaysia, Thailand and Laos I often stay in rooms with barred windows with absolutely no escape. Just came back from Alor Setar and stayed in such a place opposite the bus stop. With the recent fire in Lee Gardens Hotel I was thinking it may have been better to sit down in the 24 hour cafetaria all night. It is time to reassess how I travel. May he rest in peace. This is just the kind of thing that should not happen in a prime tourist strip. No excuses - no unnecessary deaths. Quite right cheap accommodation is not always best - will consider shortening my holidays to avoid barred windows.

[Nisa]

Could it be that Thailand is the HUB of danger for tourists?

How many tourist die in a year in Thailand compare to other "Tourist Countries"?

RIP

Interesting question -- found a couple links

http://www.traveltro...ospitalisations (8th deadliest place for Brits by percentage of tourists vs. deaths)

http://www.livingtha...sts-to-die.html (Thailand ranks 2nd for death by car accidents for tourists)

http://allwomenstalk...go-on-vacation/ (Thailand doesn't rank in top 20 but doesn't look like anything scientific)

But the figures don't give a true reflection of how dangerous a place is because it doesn't take into account the types of tourists. I've seen British tourists do dangerous things in Thailand that I haven't seen them do in some other countries. To pick just one example, many people here ride motorbikes without helmets and while drunk. That doesn't happen so much on some other countries. The tourists themselves have to take the blame for those sorts of deaths. If you are more sensible then you will obviously be safer. Also, there are many old sexpats in Thailand so they are bound to end up dying here. And i bet they are counted as tourists in the figures. So that's another distortion. I don't think it's a s dangerous as the figures make out. but it depends who you are and what you do.

Also, the figures don't take into account length of stay. Singapore seems very safe, but it's also very expensive, so people probably only visit for a few days at most. People come to Thailand for months at a time. It is obvious that you have more chance of dying if you are somewhere for months compared to somewhere else for a few days.

To get a more accurate view you need to take into account age, activities, length of stay, etc. Most tourists I read about that die in Thailand are usually engaged in a dangerous activity.

All good points and agree. I think the road accidents are a direct reflection of your comments about helmets. I partly thought it an interesting question because I think people would be surprised that given the number of tourists in Thailand the death rate would be surprisingly lower than most would think, outside road fatalities which I believe I once read (at least for Britts) was largely due to motorbike accidents & no helmets.

It just seems like every sad or negative story here is built up to be a representation of what is common here when in fact it is usually not inordinately common occurrence compared to even many fully industrialized nations.

Even with fire deaths ... I'm not sure of the number of deaths by fires in a year in Thailand but I believe it is around 5,000 (18 per million people) a year in the US and around 2,000 (16 per million people) in Japan. If Thailand is to be close to these countries there would need to be near 1,200 (17 per million) fire deaths a year or 3+ a day which I don't "think" is the case.

However, "if" Thailand does have a much lower fatality rate for fires, it isn't because of codes and enforcement in my opinion but because near everything is built of concrete.

Edit: forgot link http://www.usfa.fema...stics/v12i8.pdf

Edited April 9, 2012 by Nisa