Popular Swedish Tourist Paradise In Thailand Burned Down: Mae Phim

[webfact]

Popular Swedish tourist paradise in Thailand burned down

MAE PHIM: -- At midnight new years eve the beach at Mae Phim village in Rayong east Thailand was turned into a inferno of fire. The culprit was a rocket which ignited a thatched roof of Joe Joe restaurant and minutes after the whole lane of restaurants was on fire.

“We stood and waited for the stroke of midnight on the beach when a rocket was triggered too early. We first heard an explosion, then we a rocket flying in the wrong direction and set fire to the roof of one of the beach restaurants, Rober Hallgren from Vësterås told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.

The fire spread in minutes and chaos erupted at the beach crowded with tourist many of them Swedish.

“People screamed and ran in all directions. It was really uncomfortable”, said Robert Hallgren.

Carl Mellerot, who has lived in Mae Phim for eight years and runs a restaurant on the beach, tells that 30 restaurants are situated like pearls on a string at the beach.

“No one has been injured. The restaurants all have thatched roofs, but open sides, making it fast and easy to get out and away,” he tells.

Carl Mellerot describes Mae Phim as a small Swedish village where 80 percent of western tourists are Swedish.”

According to The Government Public Relations Department (PRD) more than 10 shops and restaurants and an ATM burned down to the ground. More than 15 fire-department vehicles participated in fighting the fire, which was difficult and dangerous because all restaurants had gas cylinders for cooking in their kitchens.

PRD estimates the damages to 10 million baht.

Source: http://www.scandasia...47&coun_code=se

-- ScandAsia 2013-01-02

[SteeleJoe]

An inferno of fire? That's the worst kind...I'll bet it WAS really uncomfortable.

A tragic loss for the owners and employees but at least no one was hurt.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

Edited January 2, 2013 by webfact
/full quoted OP deleted

[theblether]

It's surprising fires like this are not more common considering the amount of lanterns and fireworks let off at this time of year.

[Chao Lao Beach]

It's surprising fires like this are not more common considering the amount of lanterns and fireworks let off at this time of year.

I agree, they can go up really quickly.

[dcutman]

My wife and I had this very conversation, I felt a bit uncomfortable watching all the children launching rockets over these grass roofs, while eating dinner NYE only a couple restaurants up from where the fire happened. It was very lucky that the wind was blowing toward the beach. Across the road most of the buildings have grass roofs as well, half of the town could have burnt to the ground.

[dcutman]

Here is better video

http://77.nationchannel.com/home/319334/

Edited January 2, 2013 by dcutman

[pedro01]

Shame, I have a friend who owned a lovely little bar there on that strip.

Everything was made of wood.

You have to wonder who the idiots are letting off fireworks around wooden structures like this.,

[qdinthailand]

Shame, I have a friend who owned a lovely little bar there on that strip.

Everything was made of wood.

You have to wonder who the idiots are letting off fireworks around wooden structures like this.,

Maybe the same idiots that moved in after the tsunami - snatched up all the good empty beach front and built them high-rises. They call them entrepreneurs.

[Thai at Heart]

Shame, I have a friend who owned a lovely little bar there on that strip.

Everything was made of wood.

You have to wonder who the idiots are letting off fireworks around wooden structures like this.,

Who would have thought, they will be letting them off in over packed nightclubs indoors next.

Understanding risk and cause and effect isn't a strong point for some.

[scorecard]

Shame, I have a friend who owned a lovely little bar there on that strip.

Everything was made of wood.

You have to wonder who the idiots are letting off fireworks around wooden structures like this.,

Even worse, the recent case of a teenage pilion passenger lighting firewards as his father drives the morotcycle, a spark goes in the plastic bag full of more fireworks, they all ignite with tragic consequences.

[pedro01]

Shame, I have a friend who owned a lovely little bar there on that strip.

Everything was made of wood.

You have to wonder who the idiots are letting off fireworks around wooden structures like this.,

Maybe the same idiots that moved in after the tsunami - snatched up all the good empty beach front and built them high-rises. They call them entrepreneurs.

What on earth are you talking about? The Tsunami never hit Rayong....

Most of the places at Mae Pum were Thai owned, locals to the area in fact. My friend grew up just a few km from the stretch with the restaurants in it. He hardly snatched something after the tsunami, him being local to the area and all.

Some of us have Thai friends, you know.

You know what they say about ass-umptions...

Edited January 2, 2013 by pedro01

[krisb]

Yes, I have nearly been there and nearly burned down the same thing. It happens that bloody quickly.

[meatboy]

It's surprising fires like this are not more common considering the amount of lanterns and fireworks let off at this time of year.

found 2 of those lanterns in our garden yesterday one was as big as a parachute partly burned.

[webfact]

off topic post deleted

[eeeya]

It's surprising fires like this are not more common considering the amount of lanterns and fireworks let off at this time of year.

found 2 of those lanterns in our garden yesterday one was as big as a parachute partly burned.

Wow. I always wondered where they landed and in what condition.

Such a good idea launching a floating fire into the sky to randomly settle and burn on the ground.

I wonder what consequence my lantern had when I could not see it any more

[phutoie2]

Shame, I have a friend who owned a lovely little bar there on that strip.

Everything was made of wood.

You have to wonder who the idiots are letting off fireworks around wooden structures like this.,

Maybe the same idiots that moved in after the tsunami - snatched up all the good empty beach front and built them high-rises. They call them entrepreneurs.

What on earth are you talking about? The Tsunami never hit Rayong....

Most of the places at Mae Pum were Thai owned, locals to the area in fact. My friend grew up just a few km from the stretch with the restaurants in it. He hardly snatched something after the tsunami, him being local to the area and all.

Some of us have Thai friends, you know.

You know what they say about ass-umptions...

He/she never mentioned Rayong. Try reading and understanding a post before replying with silly assumptions.

[pedro01]

Shame, I have a friend who owned a lovely little bar there on that strip.

Everything was made of wood.

You have to wonder who the idiots are letting off fireworks around wooden structures like this.,

Maybe the same idiots that moved in after the tsunami - snatched up all the good empty beach front and built them high-rises. They call them entrepreneurs.

What on earth are you talking about? The Tsunami never hit Rayong....

Most of the places at Mae Pum were Thai owned, locals to the area in fact. My friend grew up just a few km from the stretch with the restaurants in it. He hardly snatched something after the tsunami, him being local to the area and all.

Some of us have Thai friends, you know.

You know what they say about ass-umptions...

He/she never mentioned Rayong. Try reading and understanding a post before replying with silly assumptions.

The topic of this thread is Rayong, sweetheart. That's where Mea Pim is. A place that had no tsunami nor entrepreneurs moving in to take up all the beachfront.

Edited January 2, 2013 by pedro01

[Thai at Heart]

It's surprising fires like this are not more common considering the amount of lanterns and fireworks let off at this time of year.

found 2 of those lanterns in our garden yesterday one was as big as a parachute partly burned.

Well, they have been banned in quite a few places because of fire risk, and others. We all know that one day these lanterns will get sucked into a plane engine, or will fall on somewhere and cause a massive inferno. It is inevitable, it will happen, but until then, there is too much money, fun and sanook, supposed cultural meaning to be had by filling the sky with lanterns, so we will keep doing it.

Once something catastrophic happens, there will be a crackdown, and a week later, the lanterns will be back in the sky. TIT, love it or loathe it.

[bendejo]

The town I was in on NYE had fireworks at midnight, set off adjacent to the town's firehouse. I question the wisdom of that.

[toybits]

Looks like none of these establishments even had fire extinguishers. I am sure if something like this were built in Sweden, they would immediately be shut down by authorities. Ah well... This is Thailand....

[phutoie2]

The topic of this thread is Rayong, sweetheart. That's where Mea Pim is. A place that had no tsunami nor entrepreneurs moving in to take up all the beachfront.

Sharp today boyo, making those silly assumptions again.

Some sweethearts know exactly where Mae Pim is, and anyone with at least half a brain cell knows which coast line the tsunami took place on.

[craigt3365]

Here's another video from Youtube:

[londonthai]

"Carl Mellerot describes Mae Phim as a small Swedish village where 80 percent of western tourists are Swedish"

still, it's thai village.

as to "burned down paradise" it was some 10 beach restaurants, not the whole resort

Edited January 2, 2013 by londonthai

[Kilgore Trout]

An inferno of fire? That's the worst kind...I'll bet it WAS really uncomfortable.

A tragic loss for the owners and employees but at least no one was hurt.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

Right, and an ATM burned to the ground, those pesky wooden ATM's

[pedro01]

"Carl Mellerot describes Mae Phim as a small Swedish village where 80 percent of western tourists are Swedish"

still, it's thai village.

as to "burned down paradise" it was some 10 beach restaurants, not the whole resort

The beachfront is all Thai owned. If you walk around Mae Phim, you will see that 99.99% of the residents are Thai.

There is indeed an expat community there, that is mostly Swedish, although they frequent the local restaurants/bars, the don't own them.

I don't know how it got described as a Swedish Village, Sunthorn Phu will be turning in his grave!

[dcutman]

Drove by this morning. look to be about 40% of the row of restaurants where burnt to the ground with another slightly damaged. Walked through 5 places that where open and did not see any fire extinguishers visible.

[qdinthailand]

Shame, I have a friend who owned a lovely little bar there on that strip.

Everything was made of wood.

You have to wonder who the idiots are letting off fireworks around wooden structures like this.,

Maybe the same idiots that moved in after the tsunami - snatched up all the good empty beach front and built them high-rises. They call them entrepreneurs.

What on earth are you talking about? The Tsunami never hit Rayong....

Most of the places at Mae Pum were Thai owned, locals to the area in fact. My friend grew up just a few km from the stretch with the restaurants in it. He hardly snatched something after the tsunami, him being local to the area and all.

Some of us have Thai friends, you know.

You know what they say about ass-umptions...

Take a chill pill.

I know the Tsunami didn't hit Rayong! I'm talking about how in general, when disaster strikes, the long-time tenants get pushed out, and low and behold, there's a new plan for redevelopment from people with deeper pockets - like in the beach areas where the Tsunami struck.

It was also partly in jest - I don't believe the fire was nothing more than a dumb accident. But you gave me the opportunity, so I took it.

[Suradit69]

Shame, I have a friend who owned a lovely little bar there on that strip.

Everything was made of wood.

You have to wonder who the idiots are letting off fireworks around wooden structures like this.,

Maybe the same idiots that moved in after the tsunami - snatched up all the good empty beach front and built them high-rises. They call them entrepreneurs.

What on earth are you talking about? The Tsunami never hit Rayong....

Most of the places at Mae Pum were Thai owned, locals to the area in fact. My friend grew up just a few km from the stretch with the restaurants in it. He hardly snatched something after the tsunami, him being local to the area and all.

Some of us have Thai friends, you know.

You know what they say about ass-umptions...

"Some of us have Thai friends, you know."

Probably a radical thought to many TV regulars.

[Chao Lao Beach]

They also blow up early in peoples hands and faces

[Estrada]

As far as I recall all the sea front belongs to the The Thai Government and all buildings on it are illegal including most famously, Pattaya Walking Street seaward properties. Years ago they tried to pull them down until they found that the buildings belong to certain rich Thai Poilticians or well connected families. The Royal Thai Navy are responsible for policing the sea shore to remove illegally built structures.

The fire will probably be blamed on the Muppets and the Mad Swedish Chef!

Edited January 2, 2013 by Estrada