Mystery fire at Lopburi rice warehouse

[webfact]

Mystery fire at Lopburi rice warehouse



BANGKOK: -- A fire broke out at a rice warehouse in Chai Badan district of Lop Buri province Tuesday morning causing damages to some of the thousands of rice sacks stored inside.

All the rice stockpiles are pledged by farmers under the government’s rice-pledging scheme for 2012 crop year.

Arson was believed to be a strong motive of the fire at the warehouse.

It came one day after rice farmers threatened to shut down and search all government warehouses to check stocks and inspect the rice quality if they are the same as declared. Farmers believed a large quantity of rice might be missing and also might be rotten and spoilt.

The fire at this rice warehouse also came just a few days after a former Democrat party MP and a rice expert Dr Warong Dejkijwikrom warned of possible arsons at rice warehouses to destroy evidence of rampant corruption in the rice pledging scheme.

The fire at the warehouse in Chai Badan happened at about 8.00 a.m.

He said the warehouse was used to store rice of the 2012 crop year pledged under the scheme. The former MP predicted there would be more fires at the warehouses where pledged rice is stockpiled, to destroy evidence of corruption after farmers had vowed to inspect and examine the quality of rice.

He also said that when water was sprayed into the gutted warehouse, all rice kept would be destroyed and could be hardly proved whether they were spoilt or rotten before the fire or not. This is a fact which all rice traders know very well that it is a mean to destroy evidence.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/mystery-fire-lopburi-rice-warehouse/

-- Thai PBS 2014-02-11

[rubl]

"Arson was believed to be a strong motive of the fire at the warehouse."

Shouldn't that be 'arson was the deed which was believed to be motivated by whatever' ?

[Costas2008]

Watch this space.....there will be many, many more fires springing up at rice warehouses all over the country.

The culprits have realised that attitudes are changing and their time is coming soon to an end

[Robby nz]

Would that be the same partly collapsed warehouse that was pictured a few days ago or a different one ?

If the same then little wonder someone would want it burnt to the ground.

[bigbamboo]

And I bet it was chocka with premium hom mali rice too.

[MaxLee]

Use every dirty trick to save face,... those black lying cowards....

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

How convenient. "All the rice stockpiles are pledged by farmers under the government’s rice-pledging scheme for 2012 crop year." Now we can blame anti-government arsonists for the lack of interest in our rotted rice auction.

And which party uses arson as its favorite choice of criminal activity?

Edited February 11, 2014 by zaphodbeeblebrox

[Tatsujin]

That's 15 million trillion zillion tons gone up in smoke. Where can we lose the rest?

[slapout]

Any prudent contract for grain storage between a private company and the ower of grain would require replacement in like kind or cash value for any losses of quality and/or quanity

You would be surprised what a good fire investigator can determine after the fire. As far as a good way to destroy evidence, that is true if both parties involved are after this goal, but if only one of them is involved, its not that easy nor certain.

[Sayonarax]

One photo? I guess you don't want to use all the film at once.

[djjamie]

If a UDD supporter ever asks for a light. Chances are it is not to light a cigarette.

[Suriya4]

"Arson was believed to be a strong motive of the fire at the warehouse."

Shouldn't that be 'arson was the deed which was believed to be motivated by whatever' ?

Insurance job.

[worgeordie]

What could catch fire in a rice warehouse ? unless combustible stuff was

brought in to deliberately destroy the evidence,of lots and lots of missing,

or phantom rice that was never even there in the first place.

They better get all those decaying fire engines off the docks in Bangkok

recondition them and put them into service,as without doubt this fire will

be the first of many.

regards Worgeordie

[MaxLee]

And endangering innocent people nearby as well.... those bastards....

[casualbiker]

Maybe a rat spontaneously combusted!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[JeremyBowskill]

Its not really a case of how, more a case of how many times it will happen.

[KimoMax]

Ahhh Errrm..........

It is now 2014 and that Rice was pleged and stored in 2012.

I'm no mathmatician, but ?????????????????????????

I would not want to eat that rice

Edited February 11, 2014 by KimoMax

[h90]

I guess even with fire and water, there are pockets of rice that can be checked. Specially to check if it is the right kind of rice and of course if is infected.

[Crushdepth]

Burning down the warehouse might be a good way to conceal how much is missing.

[GentlemanJim]

You see, the Thai's just never know how to do a job properly! From the looks of the photo I have had bigger fires on the top of my head when I wake up at 6am and the taxi to take me to the airport is at 6.10am. Definitely no fire engine required, just a baby wipe or a wet flannel would have done the job. That photographic evidence will probably be used to explain the complete and absolute combustion without any remaining ash of 250 000 tons of rice and a further 500 000 tons 'tainted' by smoke! This country is just so full of horse sh*t sometimes.

[thesetat2013]

Wow what a coincidence. The farmers said they will go check the rice but before they could get there it all goes up in smoke. Amazing thailand... I have a feeling fires will start happening in many places including Gov offices. Especially when the caretaker gov knows they will be canned

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MK1]

Any prudent contract for grain storage between a private company and the ower of grain would require replacement in like kind or cash value for any losses of quality and/or quanity

You would be surprised what a good fire investigator can determine after the fire. As far as a good way to destroy evidence, that is true if both parties involved are after this goal, but if only one of them is involved, its not that easy nor certain.

Indeed, it will be interesting to see what the actual objective or motive was behind the fire and whether or not there is any insurance or compensation that can be claimed. I would dare say, if the rice stock was insured for fire, then more than likely any such claim would be considered null and void, if it can be proven that a riot, invasion of unknown persons or civil unrest was associated with the fire.. However, surely these types of storage facilities also have security personnel in place to know who comes and goes.

[ramrod711]

It came one day after rice farmers threatened to shut down and search all government warehouses to check stocks and inspect the rice quality if they are the same as declared. Farmers believed a large quantity of rice might be missing and also might be rotten and spoilt.

I want to blame the UDD, but they usually do a much better job of burning things, practice makes perfect!

[ShannonT]

Use every dirty trick to save face,... those black lying cowards....

Dont worry. Sutheps time is almost up.

[ManopY]

In the original version (in Thai) of this report it is said that the rice smells VERY BAD and is rotten!

It is very clear that the Government is trying to destroy the evidences!

[seajae]

why is it that every time that sopmeone says they are going to check the rice there are fires, really have to wonder just how much corruption the ptp have set in motion with this. What the bet there are several more fires before this is over, would love to know who the owners are. ptp/red shirts, hmmmm

[ShannonT]

In the original version (in Thai) of this report it is said that the rice smells VERY BAD and is rotten!

It is very clear that the Government is trying to destroy the evidences!

Is that your opinion or do you have proof?

Or are you just rumor mongering?

[mightyatom]

The farmers need to get to the Lop Buri warehouse immediately to make sure that they can vouch for sure that no damaged rice has been removed.

After all, this will be Lop Buri farmer's rice that is so called destroyed. Also wasn't this rice warehouse already under suspicion last week declaring that almost 7000 tonnes had gone walkies?

Maybe this is the finance ministry's magical mystery buyer..... the insurance companies.

Any other fires, then the farmers need to act quick to block the warehouse so a proper inspection can be carried out.

I think ........ BUSTED!

[Mosha]

In the original version (in Thai) of this report it is said that the rice smells VERY BAD and is rotten!

It is very clear that the Government is trying to destroy the evidences!

Is that your opinion or do you have proof?

Or are you just rumor mongering?

Is that your opinion or are you just trolling?

[ShannonT]

In the original version (in Thai) of this report it is said that the rice smells VERY BAD and is rotten!

It is very clear that the Government is trying to destroy the evidences!

Is that your opinion or do you have proof?

Or are you just rumor mongering?

Is that your opinion or are you just trolling?

I asked for proof of his allegations. Lets see if we get any.