Charges Still Not Laid Against Tiger Discotheque Owners Following Fatal Fire

[webfact]

Charges still not laid against Tiger Discotheque owners following fatal fire

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- Charges are yet to be laid against the owners of the Tiger Bar and Discotheque following a fatal blaze which ripped through the Patong nightclub five months ago.

The fire, which took place on August 17, killed four people, including two tourists, and injured 11.

Public Prosecutor Vivath Kitjaruk told the Phuket Gazette they were still considering whether to press charges against the Tiger Bar and Discotheque owners Sara Entertainment Co Ltd and CEO Piya Isaramalai.

“Additional information had been added to the case files shortly before New Year. We will make a decision on the case very soon,’’ Mr Kitjaruk said.

Patong Police first investigated the case and transferred their files to the prosecutor’s office in October.

Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan previously told the Gazette the nightclub’s owners would be charged under Section 291 of the Thai Criminal Code: Causing death through negligence.

Other anticipated charges included causing physical and mental injury and trading after hours.

On the negligent death charge alone, the defendants could face up to 10 years in prison or receive a fine of up to 20,000 baht.

Charges were not immediately pressed because the defendants’ lawyer appealed for “a fair investigation into any allegations of wrongdoing.”

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...fire-19964.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-01-16

[hansgruber]

Welcome to Baht Justice.

[angsta]

Surely this place is police/mafia (same thing I guess) owned?

You think they will charge themselves?

[Payboy]

On the negligent death charge alone, the defendants could face up to 10 years in prison or receive a fine of up to 20,000 baht.

10 years or 20k Baht. Might as well show up voluntarily and take that fine option.

[jpp2bkk]

"the defendants could face up to 10 years in prison or receive a fine of up to 20,000 baht"

4 peoples died, 20k what a joke!!

[steelepulse]

>>Additional information had been added to the case files shortly before New Year. We will make a decision on the case very soon

A thick envelope full of information such as bank account number, swift code and IBAN info.

[eddie61]

Welcome to Baht Justice.

Additional information money had been added to the case files account shortly before New Year. We will make a decision on the case very soon,’’ Mr Kitjaruk said.

[EvilDrSomkid]

Santika anyone?

Is anyone seriously thinking that the real owners will be punished?

Phuket, Thailand, HELLLOOOO!

[laurentbkk]

welcome to the land of fake smiles ...... 20k baht for the death of someone ..... that is maybe the cost of a human here .... things are different than Europe here , I always wonder why people expect to have the same here than they can get at home , Thailand makes no exception. yes here money talks more than anything else ..that is a fact ....

[terryp]

Piya is very well connected with high Phuket police and local Gov officials infact I know of at least 1 police guy whos his partner in a dodgy Thai boxing business (betting) .....he is just another parasite that will pay his way out........they have never investigated all the property he owns thro no tax payments on all the cash generated by Shark, Tiger, his 40+ bars for rent and of course the 30+ houses .....so this is nothing

[phuketrichard]

what did u expect when the disco is owned by the local mayors son??

while the other runs the Taxi's in Patong

[realenglish1]

" Charges were not immediately pressed because the defendants’ lawyer appealed for “a fair investigation into any allegations of wrongdoing.”

Does that mean that if someones lawyer does not appeal for fairness that they just throw the book at you

[drdoom6996]

20,000 Baht fine will be the punishment if it ever goes to court. I thought Pattaya was bad. But Phuket is so much worse, according to friends that live there, that I will never go back.

[drdoom6996]

" Charges were not immediately pressed because the defendants’ lawyer appealed for “a fair investigation into any allegations of wrongdoing.”

Does that mean that if someones lawyer does not appeal for fairness that they just throw the book at you

No, it means they have already paid who they think are the correct people to make it go away. Thai Justice, pay the money to the corrupt officials to make it go away.

[crazykopite]

Life is very CHEAP that why it is called Amazing Thailand and it will be an absolute Miracle if it ever goes to court.

[LivinginKata]

What a surprise .... right

[Tatsujin]

Charges still not laid against Tiger Discotheque owners following fatal fire

. . . what a surprise . . . and when they are what's the betting it's a small fine and a slap on the wrist . . . ?

[dcsw53]

Tough call but I will go for the THB 20,000 fine.

[monkeycountry]

"Charges were not immediately pressed because the defendants’ lawyer appealed for “a fair investigation into any allegations of wrongdoing.”"

Ohh, you want a fair investigation? Sorry, we are not used to that request, but sure, we can postpone it for as long as you want. Is that envelope for me?

[ricardofel]

Miacle Thailand...kill people and get a 20,000 baht fine or just.............. "forget about it". And what about the red bull rich kid??? Whatever happened to him....."forget about it"!

[khunken]

Pity the DSI is so heavily involved in witch-hunting or they could get involved in real cases requiring justice like this one. It's pretty obvious that the local prosecutor has been got at.

[Aussiescott]

I "cringe" at this stuff, its so hard to try understand how behind this country is when it comes to major issues like this when someone has lost a life, it becomes frustrating!! i live and work in Patong with my thai wife, but have land up north as well, i am constantly trying to instill moral values in my wife... i am getting there, but its an uphill battle. I can NEVER try and change her Mother its impossible to try and change an older thai person having been brought up to live this way...LMAO thats another story i hope to share another time...

What do you do, accept it and move on, which is soooo against my nature. it sucks big time, but this is thailand and as another said in which i cracked up, the land of "FAKE" smiles....

[Locationthailand]

New Petchaburi Road - son of police, Ekkamai - Santika, Red Bull heir, Phuket Shark etc etc - it seems to save the courts a lot of time when money talks. There is nary a care for actual justice.

[noob7]

Does anyone questioned the owner of the tiger complexes, how it comes, that in the opening time of the new Tiger, the almost 6 month before the fire, he did not try to rent out all bars?

Was it a spontaneous suggestion, not to get the maximum amount of money, that people would loved, to pay him for a bar in the new complex?

Only this coincidence made it possible, that the 'old' bars could re open quickly, after the fire.

[Asianrider]

TIT !

[Chrisswe]

Money money money is the ........... This is Thailand. What happened with that Red Bull relative case !?

[caykay]

That's easy. 20 thousand baht.

[steveyinasia]

Who actually expects them to be charged?

[Sauliossiinthailand]

I wish they would have you seen their drink prices?! 200 baht for a small bottle of singha ... shocking

[JetsetBkk]

.