Fire ravages over 10 commercial buildings in Dusit District

BANGKOK, 9 May 2012 (NNT) - A fire broke out in Dusit District, burning over 10 commercial buildings on Wednesday morning. Fire-fighters rushed to the scene and were successful in putting out the blaze.

As a community in Wat Yuan, close to the Bo-bae Market near Maha Nak Intersection, was on fire, panicking residents fled the scene in chaos. The fire was believed to start from a four-storey commercial building and spread to nearby buildings. Two people have been injured in the incident and are now under medical attention.

Fire fighters were reportedly had difficult time in reaching the scene, as the roads were small and crowded, thus impassable for big fire trucks.

The Wat Yuan community was on fire once in 2008. Around 20 households were damaged and three people injured in that incident.

-- NNT 2012-05-09

Chaotic scenes in the sois luk luang 5, 7 and 9

http://www.antoni-uni-photography.com/THAILAND/Law-enforcement-and-rescue/Fire-Luk-Luang/22881857_Fkm6cc#!i=1837553484&k=dbzfvRT

Thais need to have a long hard look at their roads and consider the best way to widen them. Small sois that were used by (a smaller number of ) people on foot, bicycle or buffalo many years ago simply can't support the amount of traffic these days. The government needs to buy up land, demolish buildings and build roads wide enough for people to use effectively.

Blaze razed to the ground 15 houses in Wat Yuan, no injuries

The Nation

Photo : Khanathit Srihirundaj

BANGKOK: -- A blaze destroyed 15 houses in Bangkok's Wat Yuan community Wednesday, leaving five people suffering smoke inhalation and burns.

Responding to the emergency call, 20 fire engines rushed to the scene on Luk Luang Road and were able to bring the blaze under control in about an hour. Initial investigation identified a wooden house belonging to Suchart Thungpan as the probable source, though some witnesses said they heard an explosion from a house owned by a woman known only as Taew in the community before the fire broke out.

Police have put the cause of the fire down to an electrical short, while authorities are surveying the damage.

-- The Nation 2012-05-09

That was not the only fire today. Gas Explosion @ Soi Rang Nam Also.

http://www.mcot.net/...age/362592.html

Edited May 9, 201214 yr by LindsayBKK

Thais need to have a long hard look at their roads and consider the best way to widen them. Small sois that were used by (a smaller number of ) people on foot, bicycle or buffalo many years ago simply can't support the amount of traffic these days. The government needs to buy up land, demolish buildings and build roads wide enough for people to use effectively.

Where do you propose where these people will live when they have been bought out at an amount that propably will not allow them to buy another house.

Thais need to have a long hard look at their roads and consider the best way to widen them. Small sois that were used by (a smaller number of ) people on foot, bicycle or buffalo many years ago simply can't support the amount of traffic these days. The government needs to buy up land, demolish buildings and build roads wide enough for people to use effectively.

Where do you propose where these people will live when they have been bought out at an amount that propably will not allow them to buy another house.

There might be a Chinese revolt. No way that the government could pay the residents what they think is a fair price. Many of the families in Chinatown own other homes, but they will not be willing to give up their storefronts. Widening the roads in the area would mean demolishing a fair portion of a major commercial center, and with a lower density of competing businesses the whole point of visiting the area could be lost.

I always drive there when I need to. A taxi would rack up too high a fare from standing still, and buses would take far too long to get around. Perhaps the MRT stations to be built in the general area will reduce the number of single-passenger cars that cause traffic congestion.

Thais need to have a long hard look at their roads and consider the best way to widen them. Small sois that were used by (a smaller number of ) people on foot, bicycle or buffalo many years ago simply can't support the amount of traffic these days. The government needs to buy up land, demolish buildings and build roads wide enough for people to use effectively.

Where do you propose where these people will live when they have been bought out at an amount that propably will not allow them to buy another house.

I believe you are both correct. In my opinion the Government should pay a fair price for the property or help them to relocate to as good or better than what they have.

They would have to make it a long term project, As well as strict laws on new construction to allow for a infrastructure that will not be obsolete in 10 years.

There is no fast fix but there is a solution and it requires prompt action to ever be fulfilled.

Emergency vehicles are going to have problem in traffic sometimes despite of what city but there are ways of preventing this occurring too much, even in Bangkok. The first thing is obviously educating drivers on what to do when they see/hear emergency vehicles approaching and making it personal by reminding them it could be one of their loved ones in need. The second thing would be to have remote control of traffic signals to clear the path and keep traffic flowing for the emergency vehicles. And they also need to start towing cars that park illegally on the small Sois to drive home the point it will not be tolerated and is a hazard. They also need to get builders to pay (big) when they build condos and malls for both the study and the addressing of the impact their building will have on traffic in that area. Lastly they need to have codes that force builders to build further from the street, in older areas, where neighboring structures will also likely be torn down and upgraded in the coming decade or two.

Widening the streets is just not an option in the vast majority of the city. The whole city would need to be torn down and rebuilt.