Govt steps up fire safety efforts following dormitory fire in Chiang Rai

BANGKOK, 25 May 2016 (NNT) - Prime Minister Prayut Chano-o-cha has expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the fire incident at a dormitory in Chiang Rai province. He instructed relevant units to urgently raise awareness about fire safety and inspect fire prevention systems of buildings nationwide.

The PM said relevant units needed to designate the responsible parties, make an incident action plan and prepare equipment in case of fire and other emergencies.

17 students were killed by the fire incident at the dormitory of Phitakkiat Witthaya School on 22 May 2016.

Meanwhile, Minister of Social Development and Human Security Pol. Gen. Adul Saengsingkaeo said he had instructed the provincial social development and human security office to work with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Public Health in searching for relatives of the victims and rehabilitating them. Measures to prevent a fire accident must be imposed with a focus on inspection of electrical machines, fire exits, fire alarms and fire control plans, said the minister.

The minister added that the Dormitory Act B.E. 2015 must be seriously enforced and there must be fire safety training. All provinces nationwide must follow the ministry’s guidelines to prevent fire accidents.


-- NNT 2016-05-25

I live near a Fire Station. The guys can be seen there any day.

Of course they respond to any emergency but they could also be deployed on inspection and enforcement duties. Such deployment would not detract from their ability to respond urgently but would reduce the need to do so.

Reactive, rarely proactive !

Too little. Too late...again.

I guarantee that if the fire had occurred in a tourist hotel or hostel there would be a massive safety inspection program launched

I feel a committee or two coming on.

Reactive, rarely proactive !

Yes, WAY TOO LATE. Why do they just not copy the fire codes/requirements of say UK or Australia and implement them rather than thinking they can do it themselves. I use to work on the 40th floor of an office block with regular fire drills - pain in the butt but a necessity. Wonder if there are any drills here.

Edited May 25, 201610 yr by krobert6

Again, after the horses have bolted.

A nationwide inspection of fire prevention systems? You've got to be kidding. At least half the country's buildings (if not more) will fail. If ever a PROPER inspection (not just hot air) was launched.

Watching Channel 3 this morning about the school fire, was said that the fire was a cause of electrical problems. In a wooden house, a fire may spread very fast, but this was a brick and concrete building. A teacher jumped from a window to safety.....

Many questions to ask.

Edited May 25, 201610 yr by Muzarella

Talk safety ,job done

Watching Channel 3 this morning about the school fire, was said that the fire was a cause of electrical problems. In a wooden house, a fire may spread very fast, but this was a brick and concrete building. A teacher jumped from a window to safety.....

Many questions to ask.

And answers to be ignored or avoided.

Watching Channel 3 this morning about the school fire, was said that the fire was a cause of electrical problems. In a wooden house, a fire may spread very fast, but this was a brick and concrete building. A teacher jumped from a window to safety.....

Many questions to ask.

"............said that the fire was a cause of electrical problems."

Perhaps you meant to say "Electrical problems were the cause of the fire?" Looking at the photos posted recently, there are a lot of charred wooden ceiling joists and rafters shown. It was not an all concrete building.

.

Once again authorities are blaming an electrical problem instead of finding out who was responsible for the electrical problem & apparent poor condition of the wiring and lighting system.

The P.M. will investigate and issue orders no doubt.

That thud you just heard was the stable door closing.

Anyone remember the Kader Toy Factory Fire in 1993? Considered the worst industrial factory fire in history, 188 people (mostly young rural women) died and 500 were seriously injured. PM Chuan Leekpai pledged that the government would address fire safety issues...

All company executives were acquitted and the fire blamed on a company employee.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kader_Toy_Factory_fire

The obligatory burp of hot air has been outed, now feel free to proceed as usual, ie. do nothing.

I once attended a Fire Safety meeting in a committee room at a 1 year old condo building. The local fire officer, who stood at the front of the room, failed to notice the ceiling mounted smoke detector about 3 metres from him still had the red plastic protection cover on it, rendering it useless. After the meeting I showed him several self closing fire doors which were badly fitted and consequently not fit for purpose. I told him these defects had been pointed out to the developer's on-site manager, who'd made several worthless promises to carry out the work. When asked if he would mind talking to the manager himself, the fire officer said it was my responsibility to do so, not his!! Fire Safety in LOS....forget it!

Edited May 25, 201610 yr by joebrown

Heard it all before, all hot air, nothing will improve.

"awareness" and "efforts" are one thing, "results" (implementing fire drills, inspections, equipment, etc) are part of equation never quite grasped here

The authorties are chasing the cause of the fire so they can point a finger at an inate object. These people need to be remindedof the real reason for this tragic loss of life and it is not a faulty light fixture.

Get real serious and accept that the lose of life, and injuries was due to HUMAN inaction and/or incompetence by school employees /owners thru their inaction, no instruction, no exit drills, etc at the school itself. Next accept that there was probably no inspection made nor recorded as mandated and defined by present law by those pubic employees who are tasked to make regular safety inspections anywhere that is used for public gatherings. Then whose responsibility is it to follow up recommended corrections, modifications, changes,etc for the school or other sites under their responsibility to conform with what is already been noted so as the building conforms with what is written into the system for safe procedures, materials used, and application/ utilization of same.

This way you can have a finger pointing photo shot for the news and the public will see someone taking their job seriously and doing what they are paid, and hopefully trained to do.

My wife told me that she heard the news that the doors were locked from the outside and the girls had no chance to get out.

I guarantee that if the fire had occurred in a tourist hotel or hostel there would be a massive safety inspection program launched

Google Royal Jomtien hotel fire 1997. There was indeed a reaction, but in under 2 years the hotel had been repaired, renamed and reopened.

I wonder if the guests ever encounter any of the 90 ghosts that by Thai reasoning, should be wandering the building?

My wife told me that she heard the news that the doors were locked from the outside and the girls had no chance to get out.

This was reported but survivor statements appear to contradict it.

Really out of depth with suggesting solutions. Any fool can say to raise awareness. A thoughtful person will question the building codes and the country adequacy to support a comprehensive fire prevention system. There is only 1 fire testing laboratory for the whole country and the building codes have not been updated for a long time for noncombustible building materials, fire-resisting walls, doors, design etc. I also don't think we have a fire agency that check and enforce strict rules on fire safety and design. Unless we have a total revamp of the structure and system, we will continue to hear our leaders talking about raising awareness after a major fire incidents.

Our condo always has the fire doors left open.

Mai pen lai I'm told when I bring it up with the manager.

THE silly little general has spoken. All is well.

Reactive, rarely proactive !

Smoke alarms are 360baht, battery not included, in Australia.

I think they are now compulsory in all new homes.

A few smoke alarms mounted outside bedroom doors can (could have) save a lot of lives.

Reactive, rarely proactive !

Smoke alarms are 360baht, battery not included, in Australia.

I think they are now compulsory in all new homes.

A few smoke alarms mounted outside bedroom doors can (could have) save a lot of lives.

The only impediment is that they cost money. Incoming OK outgoing funds not so much.

'The minister added that the ... Act ... must be seriously enforced and there must be fire safety training.' That statement could be applied to any area of Thai life, with laws often not enforced at all, never mind seriously, and fire safety being just one aspect of safety standards that are all but non-existent.