Thai court acquits Santika nightclub owner after deadly inferno

[kennypowers]

Oh...and he's Thai-Chinese, what a surprise! The ruling class (race) are never accountable for their actions.

[dighambara]

Given the present political climate in Thailand I shouldn't be surprised over this decision.

T.I.T. where the right amount of 'Tea Money' will buy you out of any situation.

[robert888d]

II am disgusted by this verdict but not surprised. If you have a lot of money in Thailand you seem to be able to get away with murder. Hoever if you play high low dice game for a few baht, that's a different 'kettle of fish"

[chooka]

Long sentences are only for more serious crimes... like old men sending SMS's...

or hitting the "like" button on facebook.

[johnlandy]

So!, go ahead and murder 67 people and then the court says OK, he can walk.

There is no justice in the realm.

The country is a joke and the world knows it.

[brewsterbudgen]

It would be interesting to know how many nightclub fires end up in successful prosecutions of the owners or someone else deemed to have been responsible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nightclub_fires

[godden]

I'm amazed they didn't offer to rebuild the night club for him

[chooka]

I wasn't in the Appeals Court when they made this decision, but the job of these judges is to consider the evidence put before them. They obviously considered that the conviction in the lower court was erroneous and therefore was quashed. Why do we have to assume that there was bias or any sort of corruption involved in their decision? They had the full facts; we don't. We only have newspaper reports.

Why do we have to assume that there was bias or any sort of corruption involved

Because this is Thailand, nuff said

Then, to follow this logically, we can assume that the conviction of the man from Dubai was biased and corrupt.

Very good chance.

[mrtoad]

this was the morning after

goodbye indeed

Yeah, and they are the nicest photo's. There was a whole set of photo's taken inside as well, awful to look at.

[Halion]

Swift Justice. 2009 to 2013.

[morpho]

Simply appalling!!! Is there even a Thai word for "justice"??????

[wilcopops]

I hope he can live with himself.

[wilcopops]

In some countries the statue depicting Justitia - Lady justice is a blindfolded lady holding scales in one hand and a sword in the other

I get the impression that in Thailand it's a blindfolded lady holding a brush in one hand and the corner of a carpet in the other.

[gmac]

As the club owner of such a big establishment I doubt he was aware of every little thing going on in there. Sure he would be liable in a civil court but to bring criminal charges against him are a little much. And the appeals court has reacted accordingly. The pyro experts on the other hand are " experts" and it is their fault what happened that night. They should do time and have their license revoked.

So he wasn't aware of the licences he should have had, the payments he made to senior police officers after the premises were raided and that there were inadequate fire exits? Of course, he thought it was being used as a noodle shop! Money talks!

[flyingdoc]

All extremely emotive indeed, but who was actually in charge of the pyrotechnics, and actually physically set them off?

[NanLaew]

All extremely emotive indeed, but who was actually in charge of the pyrotechnics, and actually physically set them off?

It was posted earlier; the boss of the pyrotechnic company. Thy also filed charges against a band member for allegedly triggering the pyrotechnics, such was the rush to lay blame (and cover <deleted>).

However, the appeals judge wasn't even about to debate a major contributory factor, ie. barred windows, locked fire exits, overcrowding and no emergency lighting, all of which would normally be the responsibility of the owner. The appeals judge may just have easily said that the victims all went their of their own accord and nobody, least of all the owner, forced them to go inside the club. In fact he may have said exactly that but it has all got lost in the translation.

You have to apply Thai logic to get your head around this.

[kennypowers]

All extremely emotive indeed, but who was actually in charge of the pyrotechnics, and actually physically set them off?

Who never had a proper license to operate? Who never adhered to safety regulations to protect those in his club? Who allowed the pyrotechnic show to take place? Who paid bribes on a weekly basis to the police to operate an illegal venue? Who doesn't care that a whole bunch of people died? Who only cares about money?

[Travel Dude]

Karma, Karma, Karma....

All those involved in this injustice will come back as cockroaches next life.

Scandalous Justice that can't even be called justice...

[MMarlow]

He wasn't the "owner", just the front man for others who were the real "owners".

But for many reasons we can't go into that.

State one of those reasons. If you can't, why bother to post?

[DocN]

Seems like in Thailand, Justicia is not only blind...she is also deaf and dumb and a wh@re!

[MMarlow]

As the club owner of such a big establishment I doubt he was aware of every little thing going on in there. Sure he would be liable in a civil court but to bring criminal charges against him are a little much. And the appeals court has reacted accordingly. The pyro experts on the other hand are " experts" and it is their fault what happened that night. They should do time and have their license revoked.

The owner of the light and sound company responsible for the fireworks got three years, a fine and a multi-million baht compensation order against him.

[Thai at Heart]

As the club owner of such a big establishment I doubt he was aware of every little thing going on in there. Sure he would be liable in a civil court but to bring criminal charges against him are a little much. And the appeals court has reacted accordingly. The pyro experts on the other hand are " experts" and it is their fault what happened that night. They should do time and have their license revoked.

The place had no licence and was paying bribes. The buck stops somewhere.

[MMarlow]

This scumbag might have avoided prison for killing scores of people but he will be poorer for the experience.

Alot of money must have changed hands over the years to get this result.

Don't overlook the fact that the owner of the light and sound company got three years, a fine and a multi-million baht compensation order against him.

[Jim walker]

Did anyone think there would be a different outcome in Thailand the ultimate land of bribes and corruption?

[dundee48]

Can`t get my head around this bit,

However, the verdict also upheld a lower court decision, reached in September 2011, which sentenced Bunchoo Laoseehanart, executive of Focus Light Sound System, to a three-year imprisonment term without suspension.

Then the next sentence,

The court ordered Bunchoon and the company to pay a total of Bt8.7 million to families of some fire victims. Bunchoo has been released on a Bt500,000 bail guarantee.

[kkerry]

 

Can`t get my head around this bit,

However, the verdict also upheld a lower court decision, reached in September 2011, which sentenced Bunchoo Laoseehanart, executive of Focus Light Sound System, to a three-year imprisonment term without suspension.

Then the next sentence,

The court ordered Bunchoon and the company to pay a total of Bt8.7 million to families of some fire victims. Bunchoo has been released on a Bt500,000 bail guarantee.

 

It's all very simple really. If they don't allow him bail then how else can he go to Singapore and get the flu...

[coma]

As the club owner of such a big establishment I doubt he was aware of every little thing going on in there. Sure he would be liable in a civil court but to bring criminal charges against him are a little much. And the appeals court has reacted accordingly. The pyro experts on the other hand are " experts" and it is their fault what happened that night. They should do time and have their license revoked.

The place had no licence and was paying bribes. The buck stops somewhere.

"The buck stops somewhere". You are right. With the people taking the bribes.

[khunken]

Absolutely disgusting.

I'd like to see what the judge's justification was for acquitting the 'owner'. I know one can't mention the possibility of lunch boxes but it just doesn't make sense to ignore the condition of Santika and the lack of an operating licence. Did the prosecutors do their job or have Red Bull-itis?

It's often hard to make sense of the justice system here with even convicted murderers given bail.

[timewilltell]

Unfortunately yet another disgrace!

[EricBerg]

"if you don't like it, go home", anyone?

If you don't like it, put up an effort to change it for the better.