Popular Swedish Tourist Paradise In Thailand Burned Down: Mae Phim

[rayw]

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.

I call them scum, pondlife or just simply greedy a'holes.

But back on topic, I find it incredulous the total lack of health and safety here in Thailand. It is bad enough in the UK where they go grossly overboard with over the top H&S regulations, but here in Thailand it is gross stupidity to show such total disregard for common sense basic simple H&S regulations. Surely there has to be an intelligent and sensible level of H&S that allows folk to still fully enjoy living. I love Thailand and that is why I live here, and as such I truly hate to whinge as so many sadly seem to do, but I really do hold my hands up in despair sometimes when I read sad stories such as this.

Edited January 2, 2013 by rayw

[oldsailor35]

Yes, all the beachfront does belong to the government, but that means nothing to the greedy resort owners who have properties along the beach. Here on Samui at Cheong Mon in particular, these property owners charge massage ladies exhorbitant prices to set up opposite them, i know of one who charges bht30,000 per month, and does absolutely nothing for the operator.

[silent]

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.

Because universally, they always "just happen to someone else" until it's too late.

[Puma]

[HOOD Robin]

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.,

those idiots = government, police since EVERYTHING is tolerated with those fire works and balloons, no sense of responsibility ! Same with alcohol abuse.... they just don't care...

[HOOD Robin]

[attachment=190112:20130101_074548.jpg

The restaurants are leased from the municipality and not owned, is cost around 1,000,000 baht to get a lease for the small restaurants.

1 Mill baht to GET the lease.... So we can also name/call it KEY money, right ? So how much is the MONTHLY rent ?

[cup-O-coffee]

Which compels one to wonder, "What is wrong with setting off rocket propelled incendiary devices containing enough firepower to injure, maim or kill people and damage or destroy public or private property; and to be able to think one can do so merely with regard to how many others are doing it?"

Is there an unwritten law somewhere which makes it acceptable to engage these devices anywhere you wish, and at any time of the day or night at certain times of the year; and solely on the conditions that the right to do so is dictated by mob rule, yet not otherwise?

Do the Thais even consider these things? Do they even know how to consider? Do they even know how to know?

One can begin digressing into issues which bore and alienate Thais, such as logic, rationale, reasoning, forethought, conscientiousness, etc. and begin to ask whether or not it would be productive to "educate" people before allowing them to commit acts using items and objects to achieve their goals. Oh the humanity! There's that word again; EDUCATE! It triggers feelings of anxiety and panic in this country much the same way as the word "Love" does.

But then one restrains one's self from digressing and simply moves on, whilst resisting the constant urge by a foreigner here in this country, to heed the pain of a nagging human conscience which compels one to digress into the dead-end issues of remedying stupidity.

To the foreigners who engage in this behavior the same as the Thais, I would say, "Shame on you". To the Thais, I am not surprised. After all, it is their country to F.U.B.A.R. and we should respect that whilst protecting our lives with all resources and means necessary, yes?

This report reminds me of several sayings of which I am most fond of; "There is no emergency or crisis in Thailand until it happens. Everything else is simply, "Jai yen yen, Falang. Mai pen rai.", and "I didn't fix the roof yesterday 'cuz the sun was shinin' and the fish were jumpin' in the lake, and today it's rainin' and I can't fix it nohow.", and "If it isn't fun, then it isn't worth doing" which is why Thais refuse to pro-actively and immediately respond when the alarms go off on their nightstands - in their heads - in police cars and ambulances - in buildings, and anythings else.

But this is their country, as all the naive and ignorant foreigners are fond of chanting... and I can clearly see (after the smoke clears away) what they are doing with and towards their country. Their country -vs- My opinion. I'll gather my resources for a longer life from the latter. A not so Happy New Year for people who play with fire around thatched houses.

Edited January 2, 2013 by cup-O-coffee

[Puma]

The rent to the municipally is only about 3000 Baht/year and you buy the lease from the previous owner, and must be Thai and live in LMP

Edited January 2, 2013 by Puma

[dapsolapsalai]

Surely there has to be an intelligent and sensible level of H&S that allows folk to still fully enjoy living.

easy to say but difficult to implement, by assessing and managing risk you will be curtailing someone's ability to "fully enjoy living".

Edited January 2, 2013 by dapsolapsalai

[theajarn]

Well, I hope when they rebuild, they'll have the wits to have some sort of fire extinguishing plan in place. If a fire extinguisher wouldn't suffice... What will? Hmmm... next to the beach? What, did the beach run dry of water?

[DLock]

I love the misplaced Westerner logical reactions.

The Thai's who lost their restaurant will call their family and friends to come help fix up the restaurant and will probably be open in a day or 2.

They won't lament bad luck, or link fireworks to the problem, call insurance or worry about H&S. They will just get on with life.

...and then burn the thing down again at Loy Kratong or NYE next year.

[johnlandy]

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.

Not here it isn't

[dcutman]

I love the misplaced Westerner logical reactions.

The Thai's who lost their restaurant will call their family and friends to come help fix up the restaurant and will probably be open in a day or 2.

They won't lament bad luck, or link fireworks to the problem, call insurance or worry about H&S. They will just get on with life.

...and then burn the thing down again at Loy Kratong or NYE next year.

I went down and looked this morning, its gonna take more than a couple days. But I do hope they put it back at least a good or better than it was before. It truly is a very nice, clean, quiet, friendly village.

[Phatcharanan]

I have an idea.

Everytime there is a fire somewhere in Thailand, simply cut and paste from threads like this onto the new 'I depair of ........' thread.

It will save a lot of time because the comments are always the same.

The Thai's ain't listening to you.

Edited January 2, 2013 by Phatcharanan

[chooka]

I guess now they can build new restaurants which will comply with stricter fire safety standards or even better still give the land back to the beach and nature. Accidents just waiting to happen and you would think that the farang owner operators would know better.

[sandrabbit]

Sorry to hear about the damage that has been done as Laem Mae Phim has to be one of the nicest places in Rayong but for me way too quiet to live in. Also none of those restaurants have any toilet facilities on the beach side so people just walk off them onto the beach to piss etc instead of crossing the road and spending their 5 baht.

Was on Koh Samet 3 years ago for nye and some stupid guy set off a 12 shot mortar firework on a table ( I was sat next to him) and he nearly got throttled by the Thais because he could have burnt down the whole beachfront.

[thaibeachlovers]

Pity they never learn from experience. After the Reggae Bar and JR Palace Hotel on Chaweng burned down, one would think that they'd have started using tiles instead.

[Arkady]

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.,

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.,

The idiots who let them off anywhere.

[thaibeachlovers]

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.

I presume that's sarcasm.

I won't go to any large Thai gathering now, after being nearly maimed by fireworks at the Loy Krathong festival in 2011, and I still have a pair of shorts with a hole burned by a skyrocket that was directed along Pattaya Beach a few years ago.

[marquis22]

"Cracker night" (Guy Fawkes) was banned in Australia many years ago for this very same reason of fire and injury.

Although still banned, the fireworks still go on in Melbourne suburbs on NY's eve. I guess until something similar occurs.

[Bluetongue]

I guess now they can build new restaurants which will comply with stricter fire safety standards or even better still give the land back to the beach and nature. Accidents just waiting to happen and you would think that the farang owner operators would know better.

These are wood, bamboo and thatch open air places, the operators are all Thai, apart from one, that is last time I was there about a year ago. It was called Lucky's Bar and Lucky looked Lonely in there to me. Dont know where the Swedish connection came from, there are only a few farangs although it is part of the coastal creep from Pattaya on I suppose.

the thing about Laem Mae Phim is that those places closest to the popular end of the beach take the least care of the beach and yet these are the most crowded places. We always go a little further on where some of the beach cafes keep their part of the beach clean. The water is mostly OK although you will find floating rubbish. The Thais with influence who could change things dont care because they dont get their tootsies wet. The places will be rebuilt pretty smartly I would think, there will be no stricter standards either. The other side of the beach road is where you see the action by investors keen to have out with the old in the new type development.

[SGD]

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

Bet you a pound to a penny that upon inspection, al the cash in the ATM will have been burned so hard it has disintegrated into nothing, leaving no trace.

[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.

I presume that's sarcasm.

I won't go to any large Thai gathering now, after being nearly maimed by fireworks at the Loy Krathong festival in 2011, and I still have a pair of shorts with a hole burned by a skyrocket that was directed along Pattaya Beach a few years ago.

It was referring to the rather smart person who decided to have fireworks in santika, or the installer who put the new lighting kit up in the bar in pattaya.

Both clubs lacking fire escapes, sprinklers and rather inconveniently encased in foam to improve the acoustics.

I will not go to the countdown in the town up country where i live.

They cram over 100k people onto a road in front of the new shopping centre with music, drink and fireworks at 12. It is a catastrophe waiting to happen. If there is any reason for this crowd to run, the coppers are pissed as are the crowd and nowhere to go.

It will happen someday, inevitably.....

[thaibeachlovers]

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.

I presume that's sarcasm.

I won't go to any large Thai gathering now, after being nearly maimed by fireworks at the Loy Krathong festival in 2011, and I still have a pair of shorts with a hole burned by a skyrocket that was directed along Pattaya Beach a few years ago.

It was referring to the rather smart person who decided to have fireworks in santika, or the installer who put the new lighting kit up in the bar in pattaya.

Both clubs lacking fire escapes, sprinklers and rather inconveniently encased in foam to improve the acoustics.

I will not go to the countdown in the town up country where i live.

They cram over 100k people onto a road in front of the new shopping centre with music, drink and fireworks at 12. It is a catastrophe waiting to happen. If there is any reason for this crowd to run, the coppers are pissed as are the crowd and nowhere to go.

It will happen someday, inevitably.....

I concur.

A few years ago, I posted on TV about the Countdown in Pattaya and how it was a death trap, but there were some that claimed it was perfectly safe.

[Puma]

I guess now they can build new restaurants which will comply with stricter fire safety standards or even better still give the land back to the beach and nature. Accidents just waiting to happen and you would think that the farang owner operators would know better.

I hope they rebuild the restaurants the beach is about 5 km long and the restaurant area only 600m long. The most popular seafood restaurant Yo-Yo’s was burned down and the best cocktail bar Phish Café too.

Edited January 2, 2013 by Puma

[HeijoshinCool]

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.

Hmm. Idiots, eh?

Pray tell, which tsunami are you referring to, that washed away Rayong?

[Thai at Heart]

I guess now they can build new restaurants which will comply with stricter fire safety standards or even better still give the land back to the beach and nature. Accidents just waiting to happen and you would think that the farang owner operators would know better.

I hope they rebuild the restaurants the beach is about 5 km long and the restaurant area only 600m long. The most popular seafood restaurant Yo-Yo’s was burned down and the best cocktail bar Phish Café too.

Phish was a super place.

[Hunter88]

Maybe Thailand is no longer the place to be.

[thurien]

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.

great wisdom because "no problem, have help!"

[dcutman]

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

Bet you a pound to a penny that upon inspection, al the cash in the ATM will have been burned so hard it has disintegrated into nothing, leaving no trace.

They looked in good condition when I drove by. They could still be in operation.